Homeschooling Pros and Cons

In nations with organized public education systems, homeschooling is generally the exception rather than the rule.  There are numerous reasons that a parent may choose to homeschool a child as opposed to sending them to a public school, anything from religious beliefs to security concerns.  Of course, because homeschooling is not the norm, many parents encounter social opposition to their decision to keep their kids out of the public mainstream.  There are numerous homeschooling pros and cons, which vary from situation to situation, and which can probably never be listed in their entirety.

Pros

Some of the most prevalent pros when it comes to homeschooling pros and cons have to do with parents controlling the education their child(ren) receive.  For example, some of the most common public school curriculum’s contain required science classes that each controversial topics such as evolution and/or intelligent design.  Still other schools expose their students to political topics or other social issues that their parents do not wish them to be taught in a public venue.  Finally, sexual education is another big reason that parents keep their kids out of public schools.  When you homeschool your child, you have much more control over their moral upbringing.

Additionally, many public schools fall behind the curve when it comes to educational curriculum.  Often times, when considering homeschooling pros and cons, parents of homeschooled kids often see that their children test above grade level in the core subjects when compared to public or even private schooled kids.

Cons

When considering homeschooling pros and cons, the number one reiterated con has to do with consistency in education.  There are a lot of concerns when it comes to the quality of education, as homeschooling is simply very unregulated.  This leaves children open to being totally swayed by the views of their parents, regardless of whether or not those views are accurate or will be beneficial to the child.  And without outside influences that come along with being taught in a public manner, children are not free to make the accurate choices.

Legality

The legal requirements that go along with opting to homeschool vary by country and state, and depending on where you live, the list of homeschooling pros and cons can be greatly swayed by the local laws and statutes by which you must abide.  In some states, homeschooling your child is as easy as submitting a notarized form to your school district offices – and you can choose the curriculum and testing requirements.  In other states, you must go through a much more rigorous process and may even have to use state mandated curriculum materials and have your child pass regularly scheduled exams.