Home Schooling versus Public Schooling
Melody Holden
COM/170
December 1, 2014
Joanne Mac Eachran

Home Schooling vs. Public Schooling

Many people think that homeschooling is not a good idea for children. They believe that children who are homeschooled are not exposed to the same things that children that go to a public school are. Your child's education is essential in order for them to reach their full potential in life. Children do not understand the importance of education, so the responsibility falls upon the parents. There are several differences between homeschooling and public education, and parents should consider what is best for their child's needs before enrolling him/her in school.
With home schooling, the parent gets to control what a child learns and when they learn it. They can move at the child's pace and development. Not all children are on the same level and therefore, learn at different paces. The parent can tailor the instruction to fit the child's dominant learning styles. They can also protect their child from the negative influences they may encounter outside the home. With all the bullying going on now a day, the child will not be afraid to ask for help or question the lesson being learned. They will not have to worry about being picked on for asking questions or being smart.
Compare those benefits to those of public school where the teachers are well experienced in the subjects they are teaching. Public education allows the parents to have a full-time job while the children are in school. There is free transportation, after school activities that the children can join, and they can go to school with their friends from the neighborhood.
Pros of public school are that it is free for every child to attend with the government funding the schools. The teachers are required by state to be certified and are held accountable to the state that is of higher authority. Public schools are often able to provide services for students with disabilities at no cost as a part of the Exceptional Student Education program.
Cons of Public Schooling are the large class sizes. Due to state funding there are fewer teachers, so it calls for a larger student to teacher ratio. With that in mind, there is less supervision for the children. This gives the children more advantage to bully others or act out. In public school, academically advanced students are often not challenged as well as they could be due to the teacher having to work with all students, and often average or lower students need more work. These more advanced students cannot move ahead until the rest of the class can do so. Pros of homeschooling are, the one on one experience the child gets with the parent. A lot of children crave that one on one and don't always get it. Today with this generation the assurance of safety plays a significant role in why some parents pick homeschooling. There has been a lot of violence going on in our schools, so with homeschooling; the parents can assure their safety. They also have the emotional stability at home and can freely learn about their religious beliefs. Many families feel their religious and spiritual beliefs are an important part of who they are. Homeschooling provides the opportunity for parents to incorporate their beliefs into their daily lives. With homeschooling, there is more family ties. The families are closer together; the children are well behaved, respectful and considerate of others. The parents can teach their morals and raise them the way they were raised. Kids who are homeschooled don't have to worry about peer pressure and a spiteful competition so their self-esteem won't have to suffer. Parents with children who have been the target of peer pressure have resorted to homeschooling to protect their kids from the harmful effects of harassment.
Cons of homeschooling are that it can be time consuming for the parent and the child. Depending on how fast a child learns and at what pace