Homeschooling : A Viable Option

This cartoon is showing that there is more

good than bad about homeschooling.

  However, there will still be people who will fight against it.

Is Homeschooling a Viable Option?

My homeschooling experience as a teenager was good.  It was the best option for me as I was miserable in public high school.  I was in charge of my own work for the most part but my mother made sure I did it.  When I was sixteen I got my G.E.D.  I didn’t go to college right after that, instead I got a job.  I think my experience in public school and my experience with homeschooling shaped my opinion on it. 

Now I am homeschooling my children.  At first it was for religious reason but now it is more for their good.  My father-in-law is a public school teacher and I hear about how bad it is from him.  He has to teach a test and that’s it.  Schools are overcrowded and there aren’t enough supplies for everyone. 

In 1998 there was approximately 850,000 homeschooled students, today that number has reached 3,000,000 (Lips, 2009).  I think that it is interesting that so many families are choosing to homeschool.  Several years ago there weren’t many resources for families wanting to homeschool.  Now there is an abundance of resources out there.  There are many things you can find for free or at a low cost.  You can buy whole curriculums at a lower price than private school and there is also the option of private tutoring for families who can afford it. 

It is a fact that schools cannot accommodate the amount of students they have.  Imagine if all those homeschooled students were to enroll.   Would the public school be able to handle it?  The number of homeschooling students is saving the taxpayers 9,900,000,000 each year (Lips, 2009).  The percentage of homeschooled students will likely grow increasing that number.  Technological and societal trends may make homeschooling a viable option worth pursuing (Lips, 2009). 

Homeschooling has always been an option but it used to be the main education in America.  George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were both homeschooled.  Over time it became less popular, but since the 70’s and 80’s homeschooling has gradually gained popularity again (Lips, 2009).  With the resources that are available now homeschooling is definitely a good option for families that can do it.  It has a positive impact on the family as well as the community.  I believe that homeschooling is better for children because it gives them the attention that they need.  It gives them one on one instruction and they are not held back by other students. 

Obviously it is my opinion that homeschooling is a good option.  I was homeschooled and my children will be homeschooled.  I believe that homeschooling gives children more opportunities to pursue things that interest them.  It gives them the freedom to further explore ideas and theories because they aren’t held back by time constraints.  They also have the freedom to advance as quickly as they can so that they are never bored. 

I gave a few of the reasons I chose to homeschool.  After I researched homeschooling I found an article that gave some basic information on homeschoolers.  The article “Homeschooling: The Sleeping Giant of American Education”, Showed that homeschooling is on the rise and tells why this is good for tax payers and schools.  It is a very informative article.

Lips, D., & Feinberg, E. (2009). HOMESCHOOLING: The Sleeping Giant of American Education. USA Today Magazine, 138(2772), 22-24. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.