Replies

"The benefits of a one-on-one education cannot be beat"

you hit the nail on the head. Yes, Homeschoolers get one-on-one education.....and so do public school kids who's parents give a whit. My kids get one-on-one attention from me or my wife because I don't expect schools to do everything for them or me.

The statistics need to be comparing these two populations - homeschoolers, and public/private schoolers who's parent's are actively involved. I submit that these differences will be far less dramatic.

The rest of the kids who's parents don't care or can't care about their education and so are not involved in, say-helping them with homework - are going to get a crappy education, unless they teach themselves. But really, who's fault is that? You may blame the schools, but the vast majority of the blame rests with the apathetic, or incompetent parent.

No amount of funding will overcome parental apathy/incompetence as some governments are only now starting to figure out.

"The statistics need to be comparing these two populations - homeschoolers, and public/private schoolers who's parent's are actively involved. I submit that these differences will be far less dramatic."

I don't doubt that. I see too many parents who look on school as basically free babysitting. I cringe when I hear: "I just can't wait for school to start so I can get these kids out of my hair." or some such equivalent comment.

The problem you have, even as an involved parent, is that you cannot be with your child the entire time they are at public school. There are far more distractions, bad influences, and occurrences of poor socialization that take place in public schools.

I'm not talking about some kids who chew gum and talk out of turn. I'm talking about sex on school buses and drugs in the lunchroom. I'm talking about gangs and cliques. I'm talking about teachers and administrators who would rather spend their time socially engineering (brainwashing) your children than teaching them reading, writing, and arithmetic.

I'm glad you spend time helping your child. I homeschool but I have friends who do just as you do. It is the only way to get anything out of the public school system today. But all the parental assistance in the world cannot protect a child from what faces them in the schools.

A one on one teaching situation is best for any child, but a one on one situation without unnecessary and harmful distractions is even better. Homeschoolers do best because they have both.

"My kids get one-on-one attention from me or my wife because I don't expect schools to do everything for them or me." ( metmom)

All academically successful children are homeschooled. Academically successfully schooled children have parents who do everything before or after school I did academically for my kids.

The only thing the government school does is send home a free curriculum for the parents to follow.

The real advantage to homeschooling is the amount of PLAY that my children enjoyed. It is through uninterrupted play that my children learned to concentrate. Gradually, this intense play transformed itself into adult work.

My kids rarely spent more than 2 hours a day in formal homeschooling. The rest of the time they PLAYED. They built forts, dug holes, biked, skated, skateboarded, organized plays, choreographed dances, pasted, glued, and painted.

It is PLAY that made ALL the difference. They could play for hour upon hour on one project, and sometimes these projects lasted weeks, months, and in a few cases years.

By the way,,,,,I have never met a fat homeschooler who has been homeschooled from the beginning.

Also,,,,,I have never met a homeschooler with ADD or ADHD who has been in the home from the beginning.

...and public/private schoolers who's parent's are...
...The rest of the kids who's parents...

Not to nit-pick; okay I'm nit-picking: Your usage is incorrect, it should be whose, not who is (who's)

Home schooling mom of 17 years and nit-picky grammar person.