Many families in the United States are welcoming the idea of homeschooling because of its benefits, making this type of child education propagate at a strong pace. However, John B. King, Jr., U.S. President Barack Obama's Secretary of Education, raised some concerns about home-education.
In an event that was hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, Secretary King reportedly aired his concern that some homeschooled children might have missed the instructional experience they could get in a traditional school. Although he did not disregard that many homeschool families have done it well, he pointed out the lack of opportunities for socialization of the children.
There are many reasons why families opt for homeschooling. These include varied educational philosophies or religious views and beliefs that children do not progress within the structure of traditional school, according to the news site Parents.
Unlike these families who welcome the idea of homeschooling, there are some who are still hesitant because of risk and the possible disadvantages. Middleschool Net explored the negative aspects of home-education, namely: (a) time, as it is a full-time commitment so it would be difficult for working and single parents; (b) cost, because buying the newest curriculum and teaching materials can be expensive; (c) lack of facilities, which includes laboratories for chemistry subjects, swimming pools and running tracks for physical education; and (d) patience, as parents may tend to become too domineering or impatient.
Contrary to Secretary King's controversial comment, President Brian D. Ray, Ph.D., of the National Home Education Research Institute, explained that students who were home-schooled have more options compared with the ones in traditional school, New American reported.
Ray added that based on 30 years of research, there were proofs that students who were homeschooled performed significantly better on every metric. In consonance with that, it was reported in The Conversation that families who homeschool were more receptive to the individualized needs and interest of the child while taking advantage of the learning that naturally happens in home and community setting.
So what do you think of homeschooling? For some tips how educating children at home is done, check out the clip below.
