I have a terribly un PC opinion of public schooling. And I am in the mood to share it. Oh part of me knows I aught to keep my keyboard silent. After all it isn't nice to say I think I know what I am doing, and it is terrible to say I know what others should be doing. So I am not saying that.
Every family is different, and every family faces different challenges. I am very blessed that so far all the challenges we have faced in my family have been ones I understand how to deal with. Ones that while not necessarily easy, they are pretty mundane. I cannot truly understand anyone else's shoes, I have only walked in my own.
But...I still think some things are right and wrong. Somewhere there is a line of too much junk food, too much junk media, and too little sleep. That line might be different for different kids or families, but I do believe it is there. And the line of education - somewhere I believe there is a line of too much outside the family education, and too much inside. I happen to have very strong opinions on where the line is on education (Actually I have rather strong ones on junk food too, but those aren't so politically charged)
If you promise not to go trolling me in anger read on to hear about my one liner for schooling................
"Public school is to homeschooling as an orphanage is to family". A poor substitute, but beats living on the streets.
Any parent aught to be able to share much of what they know with their children with minimal effort. That is what children are designed to do...learn. So long as they are exposed to information they will learn it. Instead of hiding children away for much of the day, we should be bringing them into the real world with us.
Not that I want all children to be working from morning till night. On the contrary children need free time to explore play in their own way to internalize the most important lessons (as chosen by them). Nor am I saying that there is never a time for some classroom work.
What I am saying is that moderation of everything is very important. As a country I think we have leaned way to far on the compulsory education side.
Not all children are the same, and not all are ready at the same age for the same information. We all know this with crawling, or walking, or talking. But as a nation we have taken the 'every kid must read at age 5 or else' line. As a former classroom teacher, I understand getting kids on the same page. It makes organization easier. Even in homeschooling we all do the same history book together. Yet for those children in the classroom trying to keep all their different personalities on the same page isn't recognizing their unique abilities, interests, strengths...and weaknesses.
In my own personal (not so humble nor polite) opinion, the only use of a public school should be safety for children from a failing family life. A school room is a poor substitute for a loving learning home; it should be a refuge for any child needing one. All to often these days school is no better than a failing home life! Children who are loved at home are sent to a war zone with metal detectors, while children with drugs and fighting at home are sent to an institution with violence.
What if homeschoolers stopped treating public school as the norm? What if we started looking at it like a strange chemical food additive that we try to avoid? Or like a TV dinner? Fine for occasional use, beats starvation, but not really a proper meal to grow on. Of course fine home cooking is hard, everyone knows that. A few shortcuts are every parents dream. But some shortcuts go to far, leaving a somewhat cardboard after taste...
I don't see why homeschoolers should be on the defense. Statistically we are better educated, less likely to turn criminal or mass murder, and in general a pretty nice bunch. Oh we have our fair share of problems, no one is perfect. I know the homeschool nerd, and geek, and jock, and preppy, and....wait all those labels came from public school. They have all of them too.
So why do articles constantly put us on the 'should this be allowed' list? Instead, shouldn't we be asking if those public schools should be allowed?
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