An old debate: Homeschool vs. Public School

In a recent topic on phatmass, one poster had this to say:

....it seems to me you have the typical view of the homeschooler, the stereotype, which I get alot here at school. "oh you were homeschooled, you didn't have a life. You didn't learn from real teachers, how could you learn? You didn't interact with other kids. You are socially stunted. You didn't have opportunity." Its all carp. I am happy that I was not sent to public school. Most of the peeps i know that did, ended up hating learning, and I believe the best thing homeschooling did for me is teach me to value it above everything else. On top of that, I got self-discipline, self-reliance, and a top notch education. I am currently pursuing a degree in Chemical engineering and hopefully go for a ph.d. (My advisor says its do-able anywhere between 8-10 years of total college) Public schools might give loads of opportunity, but one persons success (yours ) doesn't make the system a success

And since I have an opinion on most things, I too had something to say...
And using your line of thinking (and speech): Homeschooling might give loads of opportunity, but one person's success (yours) doesn't make the system a success. I, like Balthazor, have seen plenty of kids go through homeschooling and come out a total flop. Socially and academically they are not where they are supposed to be. And before you jump and say that you are fine and that not all homeschoolers are that way, let me assure you that I understand. Not all kids that come through public school are where they are supposed to be academically and socially. But you have to apply the same principles and efforts both places.

Before I get much further, I pretty much recognize that most people will assume that their way of doing things is better than the person who does it differently. I find myself in the middle. I believe in both systems but only because I recognize the following:

In both systems the child must work for an education. It is not handed to them. Certain standards must be met in order to advance through the system. While some would claim that homeschooling gives a 'better' education, there are still minimum standards for getting through the curriculum. (This is where I would use the example of friends who have homeschooled and are not at all advanced academically and possibly not at all where they should be academically.) It honestly doesn't matter whether you are at home or at a school (private or public) when it comes to self-reliance and self-discipline. If you want the best education out there, you must learn to be self-reliant and self-disciplined. You have to make sure you complete your work on time to the best of your ability, utilizing all possible resources. No one takes your hand and helps you through it. You must be responsible for completing the work and, if you desire, doing more than is expected to make sure that you're learning - and learning as much as you can. (By the way, I have noticed that a lot of homeschooled kids think that they got 'top notch' education but if you were to compare their syllabus to a syllabus of some schools, they would be blown out of the water. I'm not saying that I don't think homeschooling can be top notch, just that you must not come into this assuming that because you succeeded to a fuller degree than someone from public school that you automatically 'win'. This goes back to the bolded portion at the top.) We, the children who were not homeschooled, did not automatically lose when our parents decided (for whatever reason) that we would go to private/public school, just as you, those who were homeschooled, did not automatically win when your parents decided to teach you themselves. It is absolutely necessary that the parents be involved in the younger years in helping their children to succeed and in helping to give them the tools necessary to succeed on their own. Teaching good study habits early on will make all the difference in later years. As the child gets older, it is still important to have parental involvement but at some point, it becomes the primary responsibility of the child to make use of what he has and to succeed with that to the fullest extent.

Let's take an example. You give a homeschooled child the best curriculum in the world. He has an articulate teacher with the patience of Mary. But he does not have the drive. He does not make use of all of the wonderfully advanced tools he has. His parent/teacher may push him to try and try and try, but if that child does not wish to succeed, he will not. On the other hand, you have a child in public school. It's mediocre, comparably. This child wishes to have the best education he can get. He listens and takes notes in class and does all of his work, turning it in on time. He utilizes the resources around him: the library, free hours with his teachers, the counselors, etc. He does well. Why? Because he does have the drive; he does wish to succeed.

Although it may seem like homeschooling provides a child with more opportunities than public school, that is not always the case. Often times, public schools offer children opportunities that would not be readily available to homeschoolers or that homeschooling families may not be able to afford. (Public school families wouldn't be able to afford it on their own either, but because they are in the system, they are able to make use of these resources.)

In the end, I believe that both ways of schooling have great opportunities for success, but it is all relevant. If a child wishes to succeed, he will. If he does not, he will not.

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And I must say that I give a lot of credit to those who can afford to stay home with their children. I applaud those who make the financial sacrifices in order to teach their children. I commend their efforts and respect them for their reasonings. Some of the coolest parents I know stay home with their little saints!