“The Rise of an Alternative Education” Some of the most well-known writers, inventors and other public figures were products of homeschooling. From Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb, Charles Dickens who wrote “Moby Dick”, and Benjamin Franklin who was one of the Founding Fathers of The United States. During their time, public school was not as readily available as it is today. Public education eventually became a staple in the education system so much so that families were fighting to get their child in to public school. It seems that now, you turn on the T.V. and hear nothing but negative things about the public education system. As a result, many families are turning to the type of education that these well-known public figures once learned from; Homeschooling. Some positive points of homeschooling is that parents are able to keep their children safe from violence that sometimes a public school provides, working with a child individually helps to bring out a child’s strong points and help them fix their weak points, and parents can continue to raise their child with good morals and ethics. Violence in public schools vary from bullying to school shooting. Bullying in public schools has increased tremendously over the years. For example, a 12 year old boy named Joel Morales from Harlem, New York, killed himself after enduring bullying not only in one public school but in two. He was teased because of his intelligence, height, and the death of his father. He was a very smart boy, but now the world will never know what he was capable of because he couldn’t deal with the constant harassment he faced at school every day. (Wilson and Linderman, “Family of Boy, 12, Who Hanged Himself Points to Bullying”, NYTimes.com) The Columbine High School Massacre, the 1999 school shooting that lead to 13 deaths and 24 injuries at Columbine High School in Colorado, is another example of the violence that students might potentially face in public schools.( Parents fearing for their child’s safety feel as though homeschooling is the answer to this violence. Many students actually enjoy learning when they do not have to deal with being picked on or bullied or even scared that a classmate can pull out a gun at any minute. Parents have a better sense of safety for their child knowing that they will be able to learn to their full potential because the child does not have to deal with negativity or violence.
When Kisautaq Leona Okakok was a deputy director of the North Slope Borough School District in Alaska, she wrote “Serving the Purpose of Education.” In her essay she says, “Educating a child means equipping him or her with the capability to succeed in the world he or she will live in.”(Okakok 78) Homeschooling can help a child better display their talents. This allows the child to have a better understanding of what career they can go into. In a public school environment, teachers have more than one student to tend to. This leads to some students who need extra attention to be left behind. Also, students who might have the potential to go down one career path might ultimately decide to choose a career path that is not suitable for him or her because their talents were not displayed to their full potential. In a homeschooling environment, the child will have the full attention of the teacher making it easier to see their strong points as well as help make stronger their weak points.

It is extremely important for parents to raise their children with a good sense of morals and ethics. Al Ghazali, a famous 11th century Islamic scholar, stated it best in his writing “Manners to Be Observed by Teachers and Students”. He said