Public Schooling: Survival of the Fittest

From the day Junior toddles into his kindergarten class and attempts to outshine Sally and Joe in cutting, coloring and pasting, he is learning to compete with his peers in an academic arena. Some people feel homeschooled children miss out on the opportunity to compete academically and therefore are lacking important skills necessary for building a successful career.

David Imig, President of the American Association for Teacher Education in Washington, DC, feels that while there are isolated stories of successful homeschooled students, those are the exceptions and not the rule.

"I must admit three years ago I was opposed to homeschooling," says Imig. "I was opposed in the sense that I couldn't believe any parent could make the kind of commitment needed to be a successful educator to their child. Since then I have met parents and seen their efforts and I'm overwhelmed by their commitment and determination." Imig goes on to say that even the most committed parent cannot compete with the resources available to a public school. "I think a home school can never have the range and intensity of experiences that you are going to have in a public school."

"The downside is that there is the absence of interaction with other kids in a positive and a negative sense. I am not sure that just positive is what you want your children to experience. You want your children to have balance, to have the opportunity to choose good over bad," Imig says.

What Imig is referring to is socialization. The topic for heated debate among homeschoolers and public educators.

The argument that children who are homeschooled lack the opportunity for socialization just doesn't hold water with Eileen Spatz, the mother of three homeschooled children. "When people ask me about socialization I fight the urge to laugh. Not only is this a non-issue, because most homeschooled kids are very active in social groups, sports organizations, and with their schooled friends after school hours, but homeschooling allows parents more control over just who they will be socializing with. It narrows the social sphere down to associations with like-minded families, whose children we like and trust. It protects them from being exposed to the profane language and graphic sexual talk present in schools," Spatz argues.

Spatz is not alone in her beliefs about socialization and homeschooling. Many homeschoolers tend to their child's need for socialization by taking them to church or youth group functions or enrolling them in extracurricular pursuits like sports, music lessons, Scouts, or organized playgroups. Some homeschoolers opt to allow their children to take part in public school orchestras or sports teams. In fact, a recent study by NHERI showed that a homeschooled child is regularly involved in 5.2 social activities outside the home.

Dr. Judith Souweine, a noted child psychologist and author, however, believes that children learn important coping skills and self-discipline when they are faced with the challenge of negative behavior exhibited by their peers. To deny the child the opportunity to face such challenges is denying them the ability to make the correct, moral decision.

To Homeschool or Not

Homeschooling is not for everyone. Most homeschoolers agree that educating a child at home requires commitment, determination, patience, and flexibility. Most parents make the decision to homeschool their children after becoming disillusioned or disappointed with their public school system.

Ultimately the decision to homeschool must be made with the child's best interest at heart and the family's abilities and dedication in mind.