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Home schooling -- why is it attractive to strange people?

A

AndrewR

Lifer
Now, that's an evocative title, I know, but it's based on empirical evidence from this area of the country. It seems like the most likely candidates for home schooling (talking about the parents here) are those who have some outlandish opinions on society. Most common seems to be the religious zealots who want to insulate their kids from EVERYTHING.

I will admit that home schooling CAN work, assuming that the parents are capable enough to teach their children well and that the parents CARE enough to spend the time. However, from what my wife and I have seen, those examples are few and far between. Home schooling seems more apt to produce children who have poor educations (or terribly incomplete ones -- such as a complete lack of computer skills), very poor social skills, and a great hurdle to overcome if they ever can leave that insular environment.

School isn't just about learning school subjects. It's also a place where kids learn to interact with their peers and develop friendships. Home schooling, by its definition, prevents that from happening.

What do you say?
 
Home schooling can and does work. Why do people do it? Maybe disgust with the public schools, maybe their kids need more attention a teacher cannot give, maybe to combine religion & education into one?

I don't plan on homeschooling my daugter, but i know in the area i live, there is a large "Home-school Network", in which parents meet other parents at least weekly to discuss lesson ideas, teaching strategies, the latest school books out there, etc. I think that's a great idea in that it provides a support network for parents who choose to do this. They also have a lease on a building full of computers for students to use.
 
Ummm... Home schooling does work. Home schooled kids get higher SAT scores than kids who attend public schools.

<-- Public school graduate.
 
home schooling is for social misfits outcast from society either because they are too smart for their age or too "strange"

sure there are exceptions

but school, esp high school is more about social interaction than it is about learning
 
What do you say?

Well, we had a discussion about this some time ago which was fairly insightful.

I think that if one has attitudes that are nonconformist, one is very likely to break ties with society. When one does that, it damanges a vital part of oneself which is a consequence of living with other people. I call that our social self. With that damaged, it must be rebuilt into something better and greater. In most cases, this is not so for the reason that western culture tends to objectify and divide and not focus on the web of relationships that are in our lives.

So those who choose to deviate usually do not replace the social conformity with something better: reason for example and do turn to solutions such as fundamentalism. In effect, they rearrange their prejudices as an alternative to thought. This is never really productive since it's more of the same drivel.

Without a full overview of what it is to be alive and what it is to exist in this world, there is a tendancy to fragment and focus on a specific area. Since that is true, homeschooling is appealing because it is noncoformist to the general society and conformist to the select group that withdraw, thus creating some social cohesion in a teempt to rebuilt that relationship to a society that is necessary in life.

hope that helps, I just put what I thought without using articles to back up the ideas but they are in agreement with contemporary soc/ecology theory.

Cheers ! 🙂
 
<----- takes home school. I dun have my parents teach me, i learn it myself and may i add that i took 3 years of public high school and it stunk. All of the stupid codes and regulations. Their were a few good teachers but the majority of them jus did not give a flying flip. I would ask one for help and the answer would be. "I HAVE TOO MANY CLASSES!." So i got fed up with them telling me what i could/couldn't do and now i'm doing just fine on my own.
 
Yes indeed an evocative title to say the least🙂! I think you are right that religion seems to play a major role in parents decision to home school and I also agree that they feel they can insulate their kids from the big bad world. Another point you make is that at some point they will have to join that big bad world and at that time will likely be ill equipped to do so! Groups such as the Mennonites have gotten around this by creating closed communities which are very close to being self sufficient and require limited interaction with the outside world. Home schoolers on the other hand do not have the option of this closed community but they probably do tend to gravitate towards each other and hang in their own groups. Employment could become an issue but I'm sure they have found a work around there as well. That said I have met some home schooled kids that have done very well both academically and socially once they had to enter the mainstream but I expect this is the exception rather than the rule.
What does really bother me is the holier than thou attitude the parents take. They feel they are the only ones doing it the right way and that their kids are so damn special. Think quicker, run faster, jump higher blah, blah, blah. I think the lady doth protest too much. If their kids were all that great and they felt secure in what they were doing by home schooling them they wouldn't be so damn defensive!! Anyway that's my rant for the day LOL🙂!
 
Home schooled students are normally smarter than the average public school student, but I don't think it's right to keep kids within their home instead of letting them go to a public school where there's more people there to make friends with. I personally like public school because that's where my friends are, I'd get pretty sick of staying in my house all day instead of going to school. Dunno, that's just me.
 


<< Ummm... Home schooling does work. Home schooled kids get higher SAT scores than kids who attend public schools.

<-- Public school graduate. >>



Got anything to back that statement up?
 
I'm sure homeschoolers get better then SOMEONE. After all, there are a lot of dumb people out there.
 


<< Home schooling seems more apt to produce children who have poor educations (or terribly incomplete ones -- such as a complete lack of computer skills) >>



As opposed to public schools, where they give you 1 semester of typing? Public schools don't teach you computer skills, either.
 
Why thank you for the complement, AndrewR. I find being labeled "strange" and a non-conformist to be quite compelling. I have never found the idea of being a conformist lemming jumping off the proverbial cliff to be particularly appealing.

I was homeschooled for all twelve grades, went on to get a 28.5 on my ACT (some colleges in the real world pay little attention to the SAT), receive a full tuition scholarship to the college (and major) of my choice, and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. I now run my own business.

Why was I homeschooled:

1) I received an equal (or, IMHO, superior) education than can be provided in public school. Private-sector products and services like Hooked on Phonics and Sylvan Learning Centers (just to name familiar names) are an indictment of the public education system as a failure.
2) I learned to work, not play. I was able to complete my education in less time each day than public school allows for. Time that would ordinarily be wasted riding the bus, having recess, attending assemblies, and (dare I say) sports, can be used for other things in homeschooling. I started working while in my early teens in the time most others were still in school 7 hours every day.
3) A popular argument against homeschooling is that the homeschooled child never learns to deal with peer pressure and negative societal influences if he is isolated from it. Wrong; dead wrong. One does not have to smell a rotting corpse to know it is putrid. Although I was isolated from most of these influences, my parents prepared me to face them. Once I went to college and was exposed to them, I had no problem saying no.
4) Freedom. This is supposed to be a free country. If you do not like homeschooling, fine, send your children to the public schools. Just do not limit others freedoms to do what they think is right. If you do not like this freedom, there are plenty of other countries in this world to go that have exclusively public education. Have you ever thought that homeschooling property owners still pay taxes that largely go to support public education? They pay for a public service they choose not to use.




<< (or terribly incomplete ones -- such as a complete lack of computer skills) >>



This is laughable! Perhaps larger public schools are different -- I am more familiar with small school systems. The computer programs at small schools are ridiculous. Obsolete, broken down equipment (mostly Macintosh), poorly administered networks, and incapable instructors fill the public education computer centers I have seen.

I learned more about computers and networking through correspondence courses and self study than most small public school computer teachers know.


With this being said, homeschooling is not for everyone. Many have abused it by saying activities like cleaning the house or going to the zoo are educational. Also, many homeschooling students have no idea how to pace themselves in college.

I caution against the stereotyping of homeschool parents and students.
 
I was homeschooled through middle school (6-8th grade). It was a good experience, but sometimes I wish that I hadn't been. I was ahead of most people in terms of education upon entering high-school (my dad is really smart and a good teacher), but in terms of social skills I sucked. In fact, I am a freshman in college now and I still suck socially, though I am getting better.
 
I've seen home schooling help and harm people. Most of the help comes from the fact that the kids are much more academically successful. They are harmed, however, by the fact that they have far less everyday interaction with other kids their age. My roomate was home schooled and then dropped into public in 7th grade. He told me he had a horrible time because he was new and didn't know how to be "mean" like most other kids are at that age. Eventually he got better, but even at 23 now he still has hard times leaving his "comfort zone".

I used to live in California, and the school system there sucked...horribly. A friend of mine was home schooled by his mom for the most part, but still sent to public school twice a week. This way he benefited from his mother's superior teaching as well as ample time to interact with other kids.

 


<< School isn't just about learning school subjects. It's also a place where kids learn to interact with their peers and develop friendships. Home schooling, by its definition, prevents that from happening. >>

I disagree. Traditional schooling is about academics, not creating properly socialized members of society, though that can happen. But given all the school shootings recently and cause/effect studies concluding the primary reason these nutcases go off is due to oppression by their peers, I have to wonder if public schools are the best environment for interaction, making friends, etc.

We all live in a society. Unless home school "educators" are locking their kids up in their rooms all the time, the kids will get out and, hey, socialization will occur. Also, I've heard that in general students of home schooling perform better than public school students. It all depends on the quality of education, as you said.

Public schooling in many places sucks so it's no wonder parents are looking to other options.
 
But given all the school shootings recently and cause/effect studies concluding the primary reason these nutcases go off is due to oppression by their peers, I have to wonder if public schools are the best environment for interaction, making friends, etc.

Exactly what is the percentage of school shootings relative to the number of schools in the country? Please, if you're going to argue, don't take extreme exceptions and attempt to paint them as the norm.

As opposed to public schools, where they give you 1 semester of typing? Public schools don't teach you computer skills, either.

At least at a public school, you have the opportunity to use a computer. There is this high school senior who is working in the same place as my wife on a temporary basis who has never used a computer before in her life. Yes, she's home schooled and the oldest of five kids in that family.

I am not saying that home schooling cannot work -- my wife's aunt and uncle home schooled their two kids for one year while they took them around the country to visit historical sites (and to catch them up on their studies since their previous year of school had been poor). It worked wonderfully, and those kids are better for it. However, they also went right back into school and are doing great.

Insulating your children from the entire world only sets them up for a fall when they actually have to come face to face with it at a later date. You cannot hide reality forever.
 
this topic has been discussed ad nauseum before, so i'll just answer the subject line's question.

because schools cater to the majority... 😛
 


<< Please, if you're going to argue, don't take extreme exceptions and attempt to paint them as the norm. >>

Hey, dude, you're the one who took your own limited observations of home schooling and decided it was "attractive to strange people" and "more apt to produce children who have poor educations".

Did you want to invite open opinion in this thread or is this just a playground to take punches at others?
 


<< 3) A popular argument against homeschooling is that the homeschooled child never learns to deal with peer pressure and negative societal influences if he is isolated from it. Wrong; dead wrong. One does not have to smell a rotting corpse to know it is putrid. Although I was isolated from most of these influences, my parents prepared me to face them. Once I went to college and was exposed to them, I had no problem saying no. >>



The social skills we're talking about is not just the ability to 'say no'. It's the ability to socialize, interact with, get along with, work with, relate with [etc] their peers. Although your parents can provide the foundations for you to learn this and learn it well, it is NOT something they can teach you -- it's something you have to learn from experiencing.

A very crucial part in a human development is people interacting with other people their age - everything from learning how to share and play together to learning how to work as a group with peers and learning how to deal with the opposite sex. That's why, as a general rule, people who went to same-sex boarding schools have a much harder time dealing with relationships later on, people who are only children have a harder time with sharing and privacy issues, etc.

Sure there are exceptions, but even if they catch on quickly, they're still behind in social skills when they get out in the world. The point, though, is that these are the exceptions and not the rule. To me, if parents are truly worried about their child getting the best overall development possible, send them to a school with other kids to learn their social skills, and help them with their work at home and make sure they're doing well.
 
I went to public school until 6th grade, and then church school for 7th and 8th. THen I was homeschooled for a few years until I got my GED when I was 16. My parents weren't really book smart so I learned absolutely nothing. It's not good when you're trying to learn basic algebra and when you don't understand your parents just tell you to look in the book because it shows you how to do it. My mother was completely unable to teach me anything. All she did was buy text books and tell me to learn by going through the chapters. Unfortunately, this did not work at all. When I decided to get a CS degree at 19 I had HUGE hurdles in front of me. I had to take six math classes that didn't count for anything before I could even take Calc I. I've learned a very lot in a few years at college, but it always bothers me to think about how much better off I could be right now had I had a competent education when I was younger.

EDIT: My parents were trying to shelter me from everything "evil" in the world. So I was always at home never socializing with anyone, so I was rather timid and shy around people when I started going to college. I still am too shy and self concious, but nowhere near as bad as I once was.
 
I think HS can only work in some limited cases.

1. The parent has to be not only smart, but also be able to teach their child.
2. the parent has to stay at home.


I thikn the social part can be taken care of. What if the parents send their kids to community sports and music programs?


I dunno. I took every grade in public school and have found it to be very good, at least in high school. I get to take the courses I want, my teachers are smart and capable and I learn a lot of stuff.
 


<< Now, that's an evocative title, I know, but it's based on empirical evidence from this area of the country. It seems like the most likely candidates for home schooling (talking about the parents here) are those who have some outlandish opinions on society. Most common seems to be the religious zealots who want to insulate their kids from EVERYTHING.

I will admit that home schooling CAN work, assuming that the parents are capable enough to teach their children well and that the parents CARE enough to spend the time. However, from what my wife and I have seen, those examples are few and far between. Home schooling seems more apt to produce children who have poor educations (or terribly incomplete ones -- such as a complete lack of computer skills), very poor social skills, and a great hurdle to overcome if they ever can leave that insular environment.

School isn't just about learning school subjects. It's also a place where kids learn to interact with their peers and develop friendships. Home schooling, by its definition, prevents that from happening.

What do you say? >>




Sorry, I was homeschooled most of my life and look at me. I got 100% straight A's, I'm a part time graphics and web designer, among other things, and I was as respected as an adult from the time I was 12-13 because of my ability to actually carry on a decently intelligent conversation and didn't talk like most of the public schooled assholes at the time.

So !😛!

🙂
 
I'll elaborate a little.

I was homeschooled up to 5th grade, where I went to school for that year. I HATED it. The kids were, to say the least, STUPID. I was the "smart" kid, and the kid everyone wanted to be like. I was twice their size, as well, which just made them want to better-up me and either pick on me or do better. Niether worked.

The principal and higher staff acted as if I was an asshole. When the problem-child of the class would try to sock me one, I'd laugh at him and walk away. They kids would literally pound on me like retards and CRY because they couldn't hurt me. Who got in trouble? Me.

The teachers hated me as well, because they didn't agree with the schooling that I had had up to that point, and treated me like I was something under them. I was the only one who could actually TALK to the teachers, while the others kind of "mumbled" at them and stared at the ground 99% of when they saw them, unable to carry on a conversation.

Needless to say, I left when it was over. I went into high school 2 years later. The teachers wouldn't help, and gave me a "Fvck you, I'm busy" act every time I needed something. Some of them would grade me according to how they agreed with my veiws, as well. If they didn't think I should've been homeschooled all my life, then well, "Damn, that word there looks wrong, let's take off a few points. Oh, look at that. He rounded to TWO decimals when I like it to be 3." -1!

When they'd find out I was homeschooled, they come out and blatantly say, "Wow, I didn't know that. I don't think of you the same as I did before now. Sorry to hear that about you." and make me feel like a reject or something.

Am I anti-social? A bit. I hate people. OK, a lot. People drive me insane, and when I go out in the world, all they do is piss me off. I can just go to the store, and it pisses me off. I like being this way. People ask me about myself, and when they find out, they act strangely and half the time they don't believe me.

I prefer to be alone most of the time. I have developed several skills on my own I wouldn't have had if I'd been pent up in school with stupid people half my life.

Now, I have many hobbies that aren't common among people. I like to sculpt clay models, paint them, etc. as well as airsofting and of course, computers.

Still think homeschooling is st00pid?
 
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