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Wadood Ahmed

Aqib Ali

SS100

22/10/2018

Is home schooling better than the conventional schooling system?

A debate that concerns every child who is about to start their education. Homeschool vs

Conventional school has become the biggest educational question for many parents. On one

hand, there is a purposefully built center with specialized teachers, on the other parents

themselves undertake the responsibility to educate their children. To a small degree, it can be

argued that a school is the better option as the child learns to socialize better, however, after an

in-depth examination it becomes evident that homeschooling is far more beneficial for the child

due to a number of reasons. As a result, homeschooling has seen a rapid increase in its popularity

and it is estimated that “Since 1999, the number of children who are being homeschooled has

increased by 75%” (Lawrence). The main reason that parents choose homeschooling is that it

eradicates, to a great extent, the disadvantages of our schooling systems. Therefore, parents

should homeschool their children because it provides a safer environment, allows for better

learning and strengthens the relationships with the family.

Firstly, homeschooling guarantees emotional and physical safety to ensure that a student

is in the right mental state to learn. At home parents can be certain that their child is comfortable

and stress free during learning as they can provide shelter from many external extremities. On

the contrary, our schooling systems have become a source of trauma and stress for a majority of

students. According to a research by the US government, it was found that “28% of U.S students
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in grades 6-12 [have] experienced bullying” (“Facts About Bullying”). Furthermore, data

gathered by Brian D. Ray shows that “An estimated 10% (or more) of public and private

schoolchildren experience sexual maltreatment at the hands of school personnel” (Ray). Such

alarming percentages raise a lot of questions regarding the environment that schools offer. As a

result of these experiences, children face mental health issues which includes anxiety, depression

and an increased sense of loneliness. There have been many cases of suicides for which the root

cause was found to be bullying and this is proved by the research that discovered that “at least

half of child suicides in Britain are related to bullying” (“Bullying and Suicide”). Therefore, for

the emotional stability of children, homeschooling is the better choice.

Secondly, homeschooling allows for not only efficient but also effective learning. This is

made possible because of the fact that homeschooling saves time. Children do not have to travel

to their schools or study together with as many as 40 other children which creates distractions for

them and they are unable to learn properly. Besides, schools use a standard that may work for an

average student, however, in reality every child has his own strengths and weaknesses. Thus,

parents can personalize the course that helps the child to focus on his weaknesses and overcome

them. Consequently, the data consisting the GPA of undergraduate students from 101 different

countries was found to be immensely in favor of the homeschooled students, stating that the

undergraduates who were homeschooled had a mean GPA of 3.45 and the mean GPA of

undergraduates who had received traditional schooling had a mean GPA of 2.69 (Fowler and

Almasoud 3). Moreover, upon comparing the SAT scores of 13,458 homeschooled children it

was found that their mean score was approximately 10% higher than the mean score for all

students (Ray). These results justify that homeschooled children are better academically than

their counterparts in schools.

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Lastly, homeschooling creates healthy, strong bonds with the family as children spend a

lot of time together with their parents. During the learning process, children learn to

communicate with their parents effortlessly and communication is the most important thing in a

good relationship. On the other hand, parents who send their children to school often complain

about the lack of communication with their child. With each progressing day, these children

become distant and stop confiding in their parents. However, due to homeschooling children

develop trust in their parents and start to take their advice with utmost importance. As a result,

the rebellious behavior typically found in teenagers is nonexistent in homeschooled teenagers. A

thorough research concludes “that the overall effect of homeschooling on children and youth is

to prepare them for healthy and virtuous relationships within and outside of their families”

(“Homeschooling”). Relations with family are absolutely crucial for children and this is

emphasized by a health counselor, “When kids have dependable, reliable, consistent and stable

relationships with their parents, they have a secure base from which they can explore and

experience their world, leading to healthy growth and development” (qtd. in zeiger). So,

homeschooling constructs strong relationships with the family and children benefit from this

throughout their life.

Even though homeschooling has many benefits, however, many argue that it hinders the

social development of a child as he is not exposed to his surroundings as much. This claim is not

substantiated properly because it is a misconception that homeschooled children always stay at

home. Instead, homeschooled children are able to go on trips and out of their homes more often

because of the time they have on their hand. They are able to take part in a wide range of

extracurricular activities and even learn additional skills. On the other hand, most of the children

in schools are unable to build confidence in themselves as they are unable to speak publicly and
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this develops shyness. Due to bullying, peer pressure and poor performance in academics,

children tend to have a low self-esteem. Therefore, “Homeschooled children, especially girls,

have a higher self-esteem because they don’t have to suffer their peers’ judgmental behavior”

(Pandey). Homeschooling also allows parents to properly instill social and moral values in their

child, but this is not possible in a school where children are only taught academics. A research

concludes that, “There appears to be, therefore, a convergence of evidence from three different

perspectives––parental report, objective observers, and self-report––that homeschooled

children’s social skills are exceptional” (Medlin 6). So, as a matter of fact homeschooled

children are much better at socializing later in life due to the importance and attention they

receive in early years.

Although sudden changes in schooling conventions are highly unlikely, however, parents

must be made aware of all the consequences of sending their child to a school. The emotional

pressure and physical abuse that a child has to deal with in school can be avoided by accepting

authority over the child’s education. Additionally, parents can help children conquer the subjects

they feel difficult, hence, prepare them with the tools to do well academically in Universities.

Homeschooling delivers a great opportunity for parents to be able to connect with their children,

gain their trust and increase their dependability on the family. The way parents care the most for

their children, therefore, it is important for them that they not only receive better education but

also become better human beings that contribute to society. In conclusion, a single method may

not prove beneficial for every child, but if parents can ensure that their child receives the

required education then homeschooling may be the better substitute to conventional schools.
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Works Cited

“Bullying and Suicide.” Bullying Statistics, WordPress, 7 July 2015,

www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html

“Facts About Bullying.” StopBullying.gov, www.stopbullying.gov/media/facts/index.html

“Homeschooling - Family Connectedness And Relationships.” History, Development,

Children, and Social - JRank Articles, Net Industries,

family.jrank.org/pages/793/Homeschooling-Family-Connectedness-

Relationships.html

Fowler, Samantha & Almasoud, Sahar. “The difference in the academic achievements of

homeschooled and non-homeschooled students.” Home School Researcher 32.1

(2016): 1-4. Print.

Lawrence, Julia. “Homeschooling Ranks Growing Nationwide.” Education News, 21

May 2012, www.educationnews.org/parenting/number-of-homeschoolers-

growing-nationwide/

Medlin, Richard. “Homeschooled Children’s Social Skills.” Home School Researcher

17.1 (2006): 1-8. Print.

Pandey, Aradhana. “5 Amazing Ways Homeschooling Improves Parent-Child

Relationships.” Cleverly Changing, WordPress, 18 Apr. 2016,

cleverlychanging.com/2015/11/homeschooling-improves-parent-child-

relationship
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Ray, Brian. “Child Abuse of Public School, Private School, and Homeschool Students:

Evidence, Philosophy, and Reason.” National Home Education Research

Institute, 23 Jan. 2018, www.nheri.org/child-abuse-of-public-school-private-

school-and-homeschool-students-evidence-philosophy-and-reason/#_edn10

Ray, Brian. “Homeschool SAT Scores for 2014 Higher Than National

Average.” National Home Education Research Institute, 7 June 2016,

www.nheri.org/homeschool-sat-scores-for-2014-higher-than-national-average/

Zeiger, Stacy. “Parent-Child Relationship Problems.” LoveToKnow, LoveToKnow Corp,

kids.lovetoknow.com/child-behavior-development-parenting/parent-child-

relationship-problems