Homeschool vs Public School
How do the two compare? Do the benefits on one outweigh the other? If you ask any homeschooler, their answer will be a resounding YES (in favor of homeschooling)!
Public School
In theory, public school is absolutely, 100% free. I have to admit, free is enticing. As I write this though, I think of the adage, “You get what you pay for.” There are many downsides to public school. Just a few of these are listed below:
- Parents have no control over what their children are learning.
- Parents have no control over what their children are exposed to during the day.
- Their children may not be getting a good education.
- Public schools do not teach to the individual student.
- Public school teachers tend to teach to the middle.
- This means that gifted kids get bored and kids who are struggling get left behind.
- Teacher cannot take into consideration and teach to an individual student’s learning style and interests.
- Often teachers focus on disruptive kids, meaning no one but the trouble makers get attention.
- Class sizes are often very large in public schools. This really means that your child doesn’t get the help s/he needs when your child needs it. Because of this, when my kids were in public school, I invested in after-school tutors. So, in essence, public school wasn’t free – I was supplementing it.
- I was a substitute teacher in the public school system at one point, and quite honestly, I was stunned by how little learning occurs in school. My guess – 1 ½-2 hours a day (at the most) is spent in educational activities.
One of the only advantages of public schools that I can think of, is that kids can participate in extra-curricular activities, such as sports and clubs. But then again…..so can homeschoolers (see below).
Homeschooling of course, is another option (and in my opinion, the BEST option).
Why is homeschooling the best option? For some or all of the reasons listed below:
Homechoolers have more family time than non-homeschoolers. This equates to bonding time – parents with kids and kids with their siblings. From what I’ve seen, I truly believe that homeschool families are closer than non-homeschooling families. But I admit, I might be biased regarding this.
A homeschool education is just better than a public school education. Why?
- It’s individualized. Your child is not one of 20 or one of 30.
- You can’t beat a 1:1 ratio! Even if I’m teaching all of my kids together, the ratio is 4:1.
- You’re teaching to your child’s learning style. Public school teachers can’t do this. I have a visual, an auditory and a kinesthetic learner. I make sure their lessons address their learning styles. (Don’t worry-this isn’t difficult.)
- You’re teaching to your child’s interests. Because of this, your child isn’t bored – s/he is intrigued.
- If your child has strengths or weaknesses, you can address them. Right away.
- Homeschooled kids have more time and more opportunities to be in their community. (Because of this, socialization is not an issue!) My kids interact with other adults and with kids of all ages, on a daily basis. In public school, kids mainly interact with kids their own age.
Here’s a great infographic comparing public schools and homeschooling:
I really believe there is no comparison – homeschooling is the better option. It’s the BEST option.
