ANSWERS TO OBJECTIONS ABOUT HOME SCHOOLING copyright 1997 - Fred Worth - Permission is hereby granted to reproduce or distribute this material as long as it is unedited and provided free of charge. However, I do not want owners of other web sites posting this information. I don't mind links to this site, I just don't want anyone to upload it to their site. My reasons for that are three fold. First, there are a number of links within the articles that will be dead in those versions. Second, I occasionally update this article and don't want old versions out there. Third, sometimes my articles have been uploaded by organizations whose doctrine I don't agree with. The presence of my articles at their site gives an appearance of my endorsement. The following is a collection of some of the most common objections made to the concept of home education. Each is followed by a response. I do not claim credit for all that follows. My wife and many people from the HSTUAC home education e-mail discussion list gave very helpful input in both objections and answers. Feel free to pass this on to anyone that may benefit from it. Also, feel free to contact me with any comments or suggestions for the improvement of this list. Fred Worth Box 7783 Henderson State University Arkadelphia AR 71999-0001 e-mail worthf@hsu.edu You will note that I do not use the words "public schools." The government schools are not public anymore. There is less and less parental involvement. That is in part because some parents have abdicated their responsibilities. However, it appears that the NEA, educational elitists and the government have worked together to keep parents from having much control over what goes on in the schools. ACADEMIC ISSUES 1.) Objection - You're not qualified to teach. Teachers are taught how to teach in college, what makes you think you'll know how to teach? Why don't you leave the education of your child to the professionals? Answer - Who taught your child to walk? Who taught your child to talk? To feed herself? To share? If you taught your child to do these things then you can obviously teach. Granted, some subjects will be harder to teach because you don't know them as well as you do eating, walking, talking, etc. But you have shown that you ARE qualified to teach. Additionally, there are MANY resources available to home schoolers to help them do the job well. There are conferences, workshops, periodical, support groups, local and national organizations, websites and mail lists to help those who have made this commitment. If you are a Christian then you have another factor to consider. Proverbs 22:6 says 'Train up a child in the way he should go.' I've been told according to the intent of the Hebrew it's meaning is more accurately interpreted 'Train up a child according to his bent.' To raise a child according to his bent it could only be done in a full-time tutorial environment, in other words...home. In many endeavors, motivation is at least as important as ability. Parents have a great stake in their children's educations and therefore are going to put in a great deal of effort. Let's look at results. Statistically, (see www.hslda.org/nationalcenter/statsandreports/ray1997/index.stm) home educated children are better educated than their government school counterparts. We must be doing something right. We are constantly hearing about the poor quality of education in the government schools. That does not speak well for the professionals or the training they receive. 2.) Objection - Taking all of the home school kids out has damaged the government schools. Answer - Removing children from the government schools will reduce class sizes. We are regularly told that reducing class sizes increases the effectiveness of instruction. The teacher is able to give more time to each student and therefore improve that child's education. Also, deterioration of the quality of education in government schools is a large part of the reason that home schooling is getting so popular. 3.) Objection - Home schooling children damages the government schools by taking away needed funds. Answer - Fewer students attending requires less funding since fewer textbooks, etc. need to be purchased. Also, my primary responsibility is MY child's education. If I believe that home schooling is the best option for my child then that is what I need to do. Secondly, legalized abortion has taken more children out of the government school system than home schooling has. Perhaps those who are concerned about the funding "problem" for government schools should go after those who have aborted their children rather than those who are trying to give their children a better education. Thirdly, the number of homeschooled children is small compared to the number in private schools. Society has never complained about this "drain" on government school funds. So why pick on home schoolers? Why do educational elitists not complain about this? The reason is simple. The educational elitists are the very ones who have their children in private schools. Lastly, this argument is essentially irrelevant. Many schools that have very limited funds turn out very successful students. Increased funding does NOT translate into increased results. 4.) Objection - What happens if your child wants to go to college? Answer - Home schooled children have been accepted in (see www.concentric.net/~kmbunday/colleges_4_hmsc.html) colleges all over the country. They have been very successful in college. Home schooled children have graduated from Harvard. Home schooled children have been National Merit Scholars. Some colleges are beginning to go out of their way to recruit home schooled children because they are finding them better prepared and more conscientious. 5.) Objection - Your child's education will be inferior. Answer - This is simply false. (see www.hslda.org/nationalcenter/statsandreports/ray1997/index.stm) The opposite is true. One on one tutoring is easily the most effective form of teaching. No matter how capable a government school teacher is, she can not give the kind of education to each student that one on one tutoring gives. Test results consistently show that homeschoolers test at a much higher level than the government school children. Additionally, home education allows a child to receive an education that is uniquely tailored to his skills, interests and needs. Most colleges have at least some remedial courses. The purpose of remedial courses is to help students learn things they should already know. Some colleges have as much as 60 - 70% of their students in need of remediation. That doesn't sound like the government schools are doing a great job. 6.) Objection - Elementary school may be OK but you're not qualified to teach all of the high school material. Answer - There are many outstanding curricula available for teaching every course imaginable. They come with teacher's manuals and other materials that help the parent teach anything from Spanish to Calculus to Physics. Even if the parent is not well versed in a particular field of study, they can work with the child and learn together. Two people working together can learn incredible amounts of material. In areas where the parent feels inadequate they can always use the expertise of a private tutor, a relative or a neighbor to help. Also, for the Christian, we need to remember that God promises to supply all our needs and He is even more intimately concerned about the education and training of our children. As we seek Him, He truly guides according to the child's needs, which may not necessarily be what this distorted world deems important. 7.) Objection - It must be difficult to teach more than one level at the same time. Answer - Not all subjects have a particular sequence of study that is necessary. Mathematics, reading and writing have a fairly fixed order in which they need to be done. But history, science, social studies, etc. can be done in any order. Children of any age can study Ancient Egypt. Children of any age can do studies on magnetism. This is along the lines of what was done in the days of the one room school house. It worked well. When something is being done sequentially, it still can be used for children of various levels. When one child is being taught about something, it can be a review for older children and an introduction for younger children. When the ages are further apart, older children can help teach younger children. Yes, it may be more of a challenge to teach different levels, but simply being a challenge does not make it wrong or impossible. 8.) Objection - Who will recognize their diploma? Homeschooled kids won't have a real and acceptable high school diploma. Answer - As stated above, many colleges are eager for home schooled children. In any case, it would not be difficult for the home schooled child to take the GED to get a "recognized" high school diploma, if that is necessary. 9.) Objection - What about PE (phys ed.), Driver's education? Answer - At most government schools, PE is nothing more than playing games for a little while as seldom as once a week. Most children get at least as much exercise outside of school as they would from a government school PE course. Regarding driver's education, parents all over the country have taught their children how to drive without any help from government schools. Also, there are curricula available that help parents in teaching driving. 10.) Objection - What about them not having enough competition from other kids challenging them to do their best? Answer - In the average government school, children are not challenged to do their best. Teachers have to spend time trying to teach the slower students so the brighter ones are left unchallenged. 11.) Objection - How will you know you are teaching the right things and at the right times? Answer - By personal observation of your child you can notice when they are ready and able to learn something. Just like we choose toys by our children's abilities and interests, we can tell when they are ready to learn. In a classroom of 20 or more in a government school, such observation and individual adapting of curricula is impossible. Also, there are scope and sequence charts dealing with these things that are available with the text books. But each child is an individual and that is the beauty of home school. You can teach and encourage when the child is ready, not push them when they are behind or keep them back when they are ready to go ahead. 12.) Objection - How will you teach your kids the lab sciences? Homeschooled high schoolers can't have a good science course because you can't have a full lab in your home. Answer - There are many science experiments which can be done in the home with easily obtainable things to show all sorts of scientific facts. Science with known and familiar items is more likely to have a strong impact on the child and more likely to be remembered and understood. 13.) Objection - You can't possibly give the quality of education that is received by children in the government schools. Answer - First, I question whether the government schools are giving a good quality education. We are constantly hearing that our government education system is failing. If that is the case, then certainly home education looks like a good option. Even if that is not the case, the government school education is not as good as it may appear. An education involves learning how to learn. In most cases, the government school does not provide that. Most education there involves learning facts. While there is nothing wrong with learning fact, there needs to be more and the government school system doesn't accomplish that. The old saying goes, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." Sitting in a government school classroom for 13 years does not guarantee an educated student. Home education, with its capability of being personally tailored to the needs and interests of the child, is more likely to produce a child who retains a love of learning. That child will know facts. But she will also know how to find out facts she doesn't know. SOCIALIZATION ISSUES 1.) What about socialization? Every parent who makes a decision to home school can be assured that they are going hear the dreaded "S" word. "What about socialization?" Often that's the extent of the question. Sometimes there is elaboration. It seems to me that there are 3 basic implications in the question. a.) Socialization is necessary. b.) Socialization is good. c.) To be properly socialized, children must spend large amounts of time with their peers. Before dealing with these assumptions, let's first consider one important question: "What is socialization?" I looked it up in my "The Reader's Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary." 'Socialization' is the noun form of the verb 'socialize.' Socialize 1.) To place under group or government control; especially, to regulate according to socialist principles. 2.) To convert from an antisocial to a social attitude; make friendly, cooperative, or sociable. 3.) To convert or adapt to the needs of a social group. 4.) To take part in social activities. Let's consider the answers to the implications of the socialization question for each of these definitions separately. * To place under group or government control; especially, to regulate according to socialist principles. - Socialization is necessary. ABSOLUTELY NOT!! This form of socialization is in direct opposition to the ideals of freedom and independence on which the United States was founded. Scripturally this is also unacceptable. Nowhere in scripture does it tell parents to give control of their children over to the government or any other group. - Socialization is good. Again, ABSOLUTELY NOT!! We do not need, nor should we want, a nation full of children who think exactly alike and behave exactly alike. I truly believe that our current forms of government education are designed to pour all of the children into the same mold. Our government school system is patterned after the German system that was used to produce the "good German" citizens that helped bring us World War I and World War II. - To be properly socialized, children must spend large amounts of time with their peers. This one is certainly true. If this is the kind of 'socialization' we are seeking then keeping children in groups of children is the best way to do it. Separated from adult influence children are more likely to be molded into the form the government desires. * To convert from an antisocial to a social attitude; make friendly, cooperative, or sociable. - Socialization is necessary. When raised properly, most children will grow up fairly friendly, cooperative and sociable. So putting kids in some artificial setting for this purpose is unnecessary. - Socialization is good. When not raised properly, or when for other reasons children become unfriendly, uncooperative and unsociable, it is a good thing to try to reverse that pattern. - To be properly socialized, children must spend large amounts of time with their peers. Being around other children is not going to help with this kind of socialization. If a large number of children are together, it is typically the bad examples that are followed rather than the good examples. One of the strongest memories I have of my government school socialization is hiding behind the building during lunch so I wouldn't be beaten up by the school bullies. That was not helping me or anyone else become friendly, cooperative or sociable. Indeed, much time is spent in government schools in trying to help students resist peer pressure. What is peer pressure if not the 'socialization' that government schools provide? * To convert or adapt to the needs of a social group. - Socialization is necessary. Yes, it is necessary that children learn to adapt their behaviors in order to meet the needs of many social groups. The family only functions well when all members convert or adapt to the needs of the family. The church only functions well when all members convert or adapt to the needs of the church. The country only functions well when all members convert or adapt to the needs of the country. - Socialization is good. It depends entirely on what the needs of the group are and who defines those needs. If the "needs" of the group are independent thinking, responsible adults, then, yes, socialization is good. If the "needs" of the group are likeminded automatons, then, no, socialization is not good. - To be properly socialized, children must spend large amounts of time with their peers. Again, constant exposure to the immaturities and abuses of other children does not effectively bring about the good aspects of this form of socialization. Peer pressure brings conformity, not individuality. And it brings conformity in superficial or harmful ways. Everyone dressing the same and piercing body parts the same does nothing to help family, church or country. Being pressured into using tobacco, alcohol or drugs does nothing to help family, church or country. * To take part in social activities. - Socialization is necessary. In this form, socialization is not only necessary, but unavoidable unless one chooses to become a hermit. Going to church is a social activity. Going to the grocery store is a social activity. Every time we come into contact with other people we are participating in social activities. - Socialization is good. Yes, this kind of socialization is good so long as the social activity is not destructive to mind, body, spirit or property. - To be properly socialized, children must spend large amounts of time with their peers. Since most social activities that people will encounter in life are not exclusively with children, it is not helpful if the majority of their social activities as children are exclusively with children. Clearly there is positive socialization and negative socialization. Yes, children do need positive socialization. They do not need negative socialization. Let's examine what would be classified as "Positive Socialization." Let us also consider whether these traits are more likely to be instilled in a government school environment or in a home school environment. * Learning how to get along with people. By this, I mean learning how to get along with a variety of people of diverse backgrounds in diverse situations. The artificial, age-segregated government school classroom does not afford any such opportunity. All that children learn there is how to interact with the same 25 or so children of the same age, with one adult thrown in as a balance. In a home school, in addition to the classroom learning, children will often accompany their parents during errands and chores during the day. They will encounter people at the grocery store, hardware store, post office and all of the other settings that they will encounter throughout life. They will see people of all ages and all backgrounds. They will see them in all kinds of situations. Clearly, if you want a child who will grow up knowing how to interrelate with a wide range of people then home schooling is the best choice. Home school wins. * Learning how to treat people with respect. I attended government school. I do not recall my interaction with my peers as a positive force in learning to treat people with respect. I recall slower students being called "retard." I recall people with acne being viciously ridiculed. I recall children from poor families being ridiculed for not having the best clothes. I recall smart children being ridiculed for being smart. I recall children being beaten up for no reason. I may be missing something but that doesn't seem to me a good way of teaching children to treat people with respect. When children are the primary source of socialization then childish values will be transmitted. Mature adults are necessary to teach the proper values. A government school teacher with a classroom of 25 or more children can not overcome and counteract all of the negative behavior of the students. A home educated child is in constant contact with an adult who can give careful attention to the behavior of the child, reinforcing the good and correcting the bad. Home school wins again. * Learning to conform to standards of good behavior What standards of behavior are learned through contact with children? Good ones or bad? Watch a group of children. Does the behavior of the crowd get more greatly influenced by the example of the good child or the badly behaved child? Crowds tend to follow the lowest examples. I honestly think this is why so many churches see their youth begin to rebel and walk away as they reach their teens. The positive training that took place in the home and church during the formative years gets worn away by constant exposure to the negative behavior of government school classmates. Jonathan Lindvall deals with this VERY well. He points out that in scripture we are told that "foolishness is bound in the heart of a child." (Proverbs 22:15) So when a child gets his main interaction from other children then he grows up as a companion of fools. Those who get their main interaction from fools grow up to be fools. Home school wins again. Now, let's examine what would be classified as "Negative Socialization." Let us also consider whether these traits are more likely to be instilled in a government school environment or in a home school environment. * Developing peer dependence. We all naturally want the approval of those around us. Children who are in government school are around other children most of the time. Therefore they look to other children for their main source of approval. In order to gain the approval of a group, it is necessary to conform to the behaviors and norms of that group. Thus, government school children, by the very nature of the design of government school, will grow up dependent on their peers for approval. It doesn't really matter that they are eventually told to "resist peer pressure." That would be like putting a child in a room filled with candy and letting them eat all they want. Then a few years later you start telling them not to eat it. The habits are developed and will not easily be changed. In home education, the primary source of approval is the family. The family values and behavior are transmitted. Those values are dictated and patterned by the parents. Home school wins again. * Drug abuse. Alcohol abuse. Tobacco use. Profanity. Promiscuous sex. Other anti-social behavior. The standards of the group become the standards of the individuals in the group. If a child is constantly in a place where these behaviors are exhibited then the child is likely to participate in them or at least view them as acceptable even though they are not. How many of us have heard "good" kids use bad language? If they hear it enough they become accustomed to it. It they become accustomed to it they become accepting of it. If they become accepting of it they start using it. In a home where those behaviors are not accepted or exhibited then the children are much less likely to accept or exhibit those behaviors. Home school wins again. * Cliques. There is nothing wrong with having a close group of friends. However, there is something badly wrong when the attitude becomes that of a clique. That attitude is "If you're not one of us you are nobody." All of us who attended government schools remember cliques. Some of us were in them. Some of us were not. In neither case does the child benefit. The government schools, with the patterns of behavior discussed above, are a fertile breeding ground for cliques. Home school wins again. Government school provides virtually nothing of positive value to the socialization of children. What little it does provide is more than outweighed by the negatives that come with it. Home education is a far superior method for developing a mature, responsible, law abiding adult. Yes, some children do go to government school and come out as fine young adults. But that is IN SPITE OF the government school socialization, not BECAUSE OF it. Now let's consider some other specific objections to home schooling that are related to the socialization question. 1.) Objection - Your child won't know how to interact with people of different backgrounds. Answer - Very few home schoolers teach their children in a vacuum. Most attend church, play in little league or do other things that bring them into contact with people from other economic, social or racial backgrounds. They encounter those people in varied situations. They encounter people of more diverse backgrounds since they are not spending all day in an age segregated environment. Additionally, they may even be more likely to develop friendships with people of different backgrounds since they won't need to deal with the peer pressure to conform to the behavior of "their" group. 2.) Objection - Your children will be sheltered. Answer - Children are supposed to be sheltered. That is the whole purpose behind parenting. If a toddler tries to put his hand on the burner on the stove, we stop him. That is not "sheltering." It is protecting the child. When children are protected from the negative influences so prevalent in the government schools, they will grow up more emotionally healthy. They will grow up more firmly established in the values of their parents. That way, when they do need to make value decisions later in life, they will have a firmer base on which to make their decisions. When banks train tellers to recognize counterfeit money, they do not show them counterfeit money. They make them very familiar with real money. Then, when they see counterfeit money, they will know it is not real. Likewise, if children are immersed in positive values they will be more able to recognize negative values later. Also, from what are they being sheltered? Gang violence. Drugs. Bullies. The latest educational fads. Ungodly philosophies. Immoral sex education. They are not ready to be exposed to those things and therefore they shouldn't be. We don't ridicule a florist for keeping a young, tender plant in a green house to shelter it from things it can not handle. Why should parents be ridiculed for shelter young, tender children? 3.) Objection - Your children won't know how to deal with the real world. Answer - I have never been in a situation, outside of government school, where everyone in the group is the same age and is forced to do the same things. I have always been in groups of people of various ages. Age segregation is not the "real world." In the "real world," people who can excel are not held back until the people who are slower catch up. That is how things are done in government schools. 4.) Objection - Your children will grow to be too dependent on you. Answer - A little more dependence is a healthy thing. We see too many children who are disrespectful of parents and all authority. As they get older they care less about their parents and families. Close knit families and consideration for others are things that are necessary for a strong, stable society. Everyone needs something or someone to depend on. Better that the child depend on his parents and the values that will be passed down in such a relationship than depend on the government and its values. 5.) Objection - Your child will be lonely or not have any friends. Answer - It is true that home school parents might have to go to a little more effort to give their children opportunities to meet other children. But it is also true that with the government schools not being a factor, the parent is better able to monitor the kinds of friendships that their children develop. Since home schoolers tend to be active in church, clubs, etc. their children are not likely to lack for contact with their peers. Many homeschoolers are active in home school support groups. Those groups provide further social activities. 6.) Objection - The child will be socially stigmatized. Answer - Differences are usually criticized out of ignorance or jealousy. To combat this, simply help the child to realize that what is being done is good for her. 7.) Objection - The child will not be able to interact when swapping stories about school once he has grown. Answer - This is not true at all. The home schooled child will have his own stories to share. There are many other home schooled children so there will be many other children with similar experiences. Further, in my experience, such swapping of stories in society is rare. Typically, the stories swapped are negative in nature. 8.) Objection - Your kids are socially younger than their government school peers and this is due to the fact that they aren't in government schools. Answer - Home school children will not be forced to act more mature than they really are to try to protect themselves from being mocked. They are permitted to enjoy their childhood by not being exposed to things that rob them of their youth and innocence. They will not be forced to become prematurely independent. Independence will come after they have developed the moral and emotional maturity to handle it. My experience shows me that home schooled children tend to be more respectful, more self-confident, more mature and more capable than government school children. 9.) Objection - The kids won't be able to learn how to fail or succeed in front of other people. Answer - They will fail or succeed in front of their teacher just like government school children do. They will fail and succeed in front of their friends, siblings and family members. In home school, however, the failures are not going to be ridiculed by others, causing the children to become less likely to take risks. Also, most people do not home school in a vacuum. Home school children typically participate in church activities, little league, etc. PARENTING/FAMILY ISSUES 1.) Objection - Families today need two incomes so you're robbing your family if you stay home to home educate your kids. Answer - A differentiation needs to be made between families' needs and families' wants. It is sometimes true that a family may need two incomes to meet their needs. In many cases, though, it is possible for one parent to stay home if the family is willing to give up some luxuries. Besides, is there really any comparison between the "need" for extra income and the need for a nurturing environment provided by a full-time stay at home mother? How much is that nurturing environment worth to a child? However, even if both parents work, it is still possible to home school. 2.) Objection - You need time for yourself. Mothers who homeschool their children won't have enough time to fulfill their own needs. It will drive the mother crazy to have the kids with her 24 hours a day and have no time to herself. If you are not happy with YOUR life because you are always sacrificing for the kids, your family won't be happy. Answer - Home schooling does not take eight hours each day. Even during the home schooling time, there are times that the children will be working on their own. Some time for the parent to be alone can be available. But, again, even if it isn't easily available, good decisions sometimes mean sacrifice. Also, home schooling is a family decision. It is not something that is just placed on one person's shoulders. If mom does most of the schooling and needs some time to herself then dad, other members of the family or friends can watch the younger children for a while. Lastly, the emphasis on time for ME is a fairly recent phenomenon in American history. Previous generations were more willing to be self-sacrificing for the good of the family. RELIGIOUS ISSUES 1.) Objection - If all Christians take their kids out of government school then their will be no Christian influence left in the government schools. Who is going to witness to the unsaved kids in the government schools? Answer - Children are generally not mature enough to act as missionaries. We don't send physically immature people into a war situation. Neither should we send children into a spiritual warfare situation for which they are not prepared. It is typically the Christian child that gets influenced by the other children rather than the other way around. Also, consider that many of the home schooled children may not yet be saved -- do we send the lost to teach the lost?? Also, we as adults must really struggle to be a witness in job situations with lost bosses and co-workers. Many Christians work hard for weeks or months to get the courage to say something to one co-worker -- Is this a job for children who are new converts? 2.) Objection - You are brainwashing those kids with all that religious nonsense! Homeschooling is the Devil's tool to tear down churches and Christian schools. You are not supporting the ministry and are hurting the cause of Christ. Answer - Some objections to home schooling are reasonable questions. Others, like these two, are simply an insulting attempt to manipulate people into doing what the other person wants. Such a person fits the description in Proverbs of a fool. In that case, it is best to take the advice of Proverbs 26:4, which says "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself." MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES 1.) Objection - This is a new idea. How do you know it will work? Answer - Home schooling is not a new idea. It is how education was done in Biblical times. It is how many of the founding fathers of the United States were educated. Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Edison were home schooled. So we know it will work because it has been working for centuries. Government schools are the new idea. It is an experiment that is not proving to be very successful. 2.) Objection - Your child won't be able to participate in high school athletics. Answer - That may or may not be true, depending on the area where one lives. However, even if it is true, making right decisions often involves sacrifice. I would rather see my child get a quality education in a loving Christian atmosphere than have him play football. Additionally, what percentage of students really get to play high school sports? Only the best make the team. And only the best of those actually get to play. But there are many ways (little league, recreation leagues, etc.) to participate in sports without being on a high school team. 3.) Objection - The shared government school experience is essential to our nation. Answer - The nation was doing just fine before the "government school experience" began. Government schools did not start becoming common until well after the founding of the United States. 4.) Objection - What if they *want* to go to government school? Answer - Suppose children *want* to do cocaine? Does that mean they should be permitted to do so? Children are not allowed to make all of their own decisions for the simple reason that they are not mature enough to do so. They are often unable to assess all of the necessary information to make the right choices. That's what parents are for. It is their responsibility to make those decisions for their children. 5.) Objection - Is that legal? Answer - Home schooling is legal in every state of the United States and in many other countries. There are varying restrictions, depending on where one lives. 6.) Objection - Government schools were good enough for us, so they should be good enough for our children (implied here was also, "They should be good enough for your children, too!"). Answer - Outhouses were good enough for earlier generations of my family but that doesn't mean I should get rid of my indoor plumbing. Also, the people teaching, the children going to school and the curricula in use are not the same as they used to be. Besides, I don't want what's "good enough" for my child. I want what is best for him.