More and more parents are turning to home schooling as an alternative to traditional education. Doubtless, this makes sense. Our homes are where we learn most of what life requires of us; and no teacher can do as much for a student as a parent does by talking, reading, and otherwise instructing a child. Home schooling extends this, and does so quite effectively: in fewer hours per day, home-schooled children frequently cover more material than students in traditional schools.
However, not all parents are prepared to take over the education of their children. They may not have the education themselves to do this; they may not have enough time; and most unfortunate, many of them simply aren't interested.
Given those three, it seems that schools are still necessary. And without a doubt, schools are still important for the foreseeable future: educational attainment in formal schools correlates strongly with every quality-of-life indicator. As it has been said, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."
It would be wonderful if all parents had those the three fundamental educational resources, knowledge, time, and interest. But it is rare that parents have all three. And almost no parent has the comprehensive educational mastery necessary for a complete education. Even the best-educated parents frequently seek teachers for some subjects, whether the arts, math, sciences, foreign language, or some other.
And even if the rare parent were able to cover all of the necessary disciplines, limits still exist: there are no home-schooled college students.
Should home schooling be the ultimate target of our educational systems? Should we begin designing a community wherein one parent stays at home, not so much as to cook, clean, and do housework, as to home-school future generations? Whereas the current trend is for educational systems to intervene earlier and earlier in our children's education, perhaps as we become better educated, we should instead encourage parents to take over more of their children's early education. Perhaps in some future day, we will have a situation in which the majority of our parents have the knowledge, time, and interest to educate their children all the way to adulthood.
Quite often, home schooling is superior to institutional education; when done right, it definitely works. Unfortunately, we are not yet to the point that it will work for all children, and for all parents. - 16928
However, not all parents are prepared to take over the education of their children. They may not have the education themselves to do this; they may not have enough time; and most unfortunate, many of them simply aren't interested.
Given those three, it seems that schools are still necessary. And without a doubt, schools are still important for the foreseeable future: educational attainment in formal schools correlates strongly with every quality-of-life indicator. As it has been said, "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."
It would be wonderful if all parents had those the three fundamental educational resources, knowledge, time, and interest. But it is rare that parents have all three. And almost no parent has the comprehensive educational mastery necessary for a complete education. Even the best-educated parents frequently seek teachers for some subjects, whether the arts, math, sciences, foreign language, or some other.
And even if the rare parent were able to cover all of the necessary disciplines, limits still exist: there are no home-schooled college students.
Should home schooling be the ultimate target of our educational systems? Should we begin designing a community wherein one parent stays at home, not so much as to cook, clean, and do housework, as to home-school future generations? Whereas the current trend is for educational systems to intervene earlier and earlier in our children's education, perhaps as we become better educated, we should instead encourage parents to take over more of their children's early education. Perhaps in some future day, we will have a situation in which the majority of our parents have the knowledge, time, and interest to educate their children all the way to adulthood.
Quite often, home schooling is superior to institutional education; when done right, it definitely works. Unfortunately, we are not yet to the point that it will work for all children, and for all parents. - 16928
About the Author:
Joseph N. Abraham MD is president & founder of The American Public School Endowments and booksXYZ.com, the Nonprofit Bookstore Supporting Schools & Education. booksXYZ.com lists over 2,000,000 books, including paperbacks, hardbacks, and audio books. Dr. Abraham is also the author of Happiness: A Physician/Biologist Looks at Life, an innovative self help book examining Zen, biology, and fulfillment.
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