Advantages and Disadvantages of Homeschooling
Homeschooling: A Comprehensive Overview of Advantages and Disadvantages
Attending educational establishments is a common practice for most children. However, certain situations or conditions may deprive children of going to school, thus requiring some other options. The following paper examines homeschooling as an alternative way of education, outlines its advantages and disadvantages, as well as discusses personal experience examples of the usage of this practice.
The advantages of homeschooling derive from the disadvantages of the regular school system. Since there is no need to comply with the school regulations on this issue when studying at home, both students and parents can choose and manage the studying process curriculum. It is possible to decide what a child learns and whether such information is needed, as well as control and adjust the pace of learning according to a child’s capabilities. Unlike regular school, there are no such distractions and negative factors at home as bullying, peer pressure, or boredom from spending time in the classroom. As a result, the student is more likely to have a positive attitude toward studying. Furthermore, homeschooling ensures that a child will not have any health issues related to dieting because there is no school cafeteria for food, which might bring certain consequences. Finally, such a method of studying allows for building strong and healthy relationships between the student and parents since most of the time a child spends at home during the day.
At the same time, homeschooling has several disadvantages because this type of education differs from the regular one. First, a child loses an opportunity to engage in sports and extracurricular activities, which might result in weak cooperation skills. Besides, studying at home without a teacher’s supervision might lead to decreased motivation and poor academic performance. At home, more distractions, such as television, the Internet, and even a bed, may also contribute to a lack of motivation to study. It should be mentioned that homeschooling can be a difficult task for parents because they must spend their time learning the effective ways of teaching and the best curriculum to follow. They also might lose an opportunity to work. Thus, the alternative cost of homeschooling is high. Finally, when studying at home, a child loses the possibility to enjoy some of the elements of regular public schools, including class trips and exchange programs.
The concept of homeschooling, with its advantages and drawbacks, is not a pure theory. I know someone who has to use this education system for a certain reason. It was the decision of my friend’s parents because they were strongly confident that at every school, there is always bullying and peer pressure, and they loved their son too much to allow him to go through it. Some might think homeschooling is too unconventional and cannot provide a high-quality education. However, my friend says that he has never complained, and even though he does not see his friends as often as he would if he studied at a public school, he compensates for this disadvantage by meeting with them after classes. Besides, my friend thinks that studying at home is easier since he can do it anywhere in the house and at any time of the day.
Homeschooling might be perceived both positively and negatively. However, my personal experience demonstrates that it can benefit a child, and the quality of education is not worse than that obtained at school. For those in similar situations, discovering effective strategies for success is key. Our page on 'Tips on How to Pass Exam Successfully' offers valuable insights and methods to excel in exams, regardless of the learning environment.
Finding motivation for studying at home and avoiding distraction is challenging but essential for a child's progress.
Statistics On Homeschooling
What do statistics on homeschooling indicate about college? Will your homeschooled child find it harder to gain entrance into college, or will he or she struggle academically once there?
Examine these statistics and observations, and wave goodbye to your concerns!
- On the SAT, Homeschoolers score 67 points above the national average. Homeschoolers also outperform all other students on the ACT.
- The conclusions of Dr. Rhonda Galloway, BJU English professor, after researching 180 first-time, homeschooled BJU students: “In my study, they did as well as, if not better than, the other students..."I think the edge home-schooled children have over conventionally educated students - whether Christian or public - is that they’re not afraid to ask questions; they speak their minds and must be readers because they’re so involved in the self-teaching aspect."They’re more independent. When they have a question not answered in the classroom, they’ll go out and find out more or pester the teacher until she finds out.”
- 68% of US universities now accept parent-prepared transcripts.
- Stanford University, in the fall of 1999, accepted 27% of homeschooled applicants. This is twice the acceptance rate of publicly and privately schooled students. We also recommend you buy a letter of recommendation to use for such an application.
- Homeschooled students at Boston University had an average GPA of 3.3, and Kennesaw State University confirms that the GPA’s of their homeschooled students are significantly higher than the average.
- “Homeschoolers bring certain skills: motivation, curiosity, the capacity to be responsible for their education - that high schools don't induce very well” Daniel Golden, Wall Street Journal.
What Dr. J. Wile, Ph.D., Noticed About His Homeschooled Students at the University Level:
- They were much more eager to learn.
- They sought me out for help and (mostly) additional instruction.
- They were not afraid to tackle a problem not covered in class.
- They were more mature when taking responsibility for their own learning.
- They read the book!
Conclusion
Serious schools are recruiting homeschoolers.
They want good students and know how to find them.
Statistics on homeschooling indicate that your homeschooled child will have a much better chance of being accepted at Princeton, Stanford, or Harvard than a student with a public or private education.
And - to top it off - they will also have a much better chance of being near the top of their class!