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Quote of the Day: Commiting a great truth to memory is admirable; commiting it to life is wisdom. -William A. Ward
Here is an article (admittedly pretty old) which I stumbled across, which states the concerns expressed by the National Assosciation of Elementary School Principals about homeschooling:
http://familyfun.go.com/parenting/learn/school/feature/dony119concerns/dony119concerns.html
I thought it would be a kick to address their concerns one by one... From the article: NAESP ASKS PARENTS TO CONSIDER THAT HOMESCHOOLING MIGHT: The "s" word again ("socialization.") It's true, kids need to be around other kids, and other people of all ages. Most homeschooling parents are very aware-- having been asked "What about socialization?" hundreds of times by concerned friends and relatives-- that their children need both structured and unstructured interaction with people. Fortunately, church, scouts, Four-H, playgroups, the park, the neighbor's kids, and a hundred other things (even a simple trip to the mall, a trial for anyone's social skills this time of year) provide a plethora of such opporotunities. 2. Isolate the student from other social/ethnic groups Yes, this happens. I myself didn't know a single African-American person by name until I was in my early twenties, and I DID go to public school, and a public university. I still have never met any Asians, although I knew many Hispanics well... Therefore although I agree it is helpful to know people of many backgrounds, I don't see that public education guarantees this... 3. Deny students the full range of curriculum experiences and materials In my experience, the reverse is the bigger risk. Our homeschooling curriculum is far broader and more challenging than that which is being taught in our local public school (I am basing this on the education being received by my stepson in public school). My child has gone rock-climbing, disected owl-vomit, done his math in Mayan, listened to opera, grown his own salad (what was left after the deer jumped the fence anyway), developed archery skills and begun intensive study of a foreign language. None of those opporotunities are available to him at the public school. 4. Provide education by non-certified and unqualified persons This is true by the standards of the NEA, who feel that they themselves should have the monopoly on education. That is an inexcusable belief to hold in a democracy. Every healthy human being has the capacity to both learn and teach, and should be encouraged to do both. 5. Create an additional burden on school administrators whose duties include the enforcement of compulsory school attendance laws To use a very inelegant expression, "t.s." 6. Not permit effective assessment of academic standards of quality See my responses to numbers four and five, respectively. 7. Violate health and safety standards My home is healthy enough to live in, just not to learn in? Give me a break. My home is well-ventilated, cheerfully decorated with pictures reflecting my child's culture and family, has ample natural light, is EXTREMELY CLEAN, has central heat and airconditioning, lots of plants, and is an awful lot easier to get out of in case of fire than many outmoded public school buildings. It has fewer germs, too. It's earthquake safe, has no Legionnaires disease lurking in the ducts, and no metal detectors needed at the door. I could go on endlessly... Asbestos? No. Lead-based paint? No. Bullying? Indoctrination? Okay, okay, I'll stop... 8. Not provide accurate diagnosis and planning for meeting the needs of children of special talents, learning difficulties and other conditions requiring atypical educational programs Exaclty the opposite is true. I know my child better than any other teacher ever could. I am intimately aware of his needs and abilities. I have sat through many I.E.P. meetings, which are an opporotunity for me to explain to the "specialists" (all of whom have NEA approved teaching credentials, of course) the physical causes and educational ramifications of my son's condition.
Well, there you have it ladies. Some of these concerns of the principal's organization are inarguably valid, although in my opinion, not any MORE valid regarding homeschooling than those same concerns are for a child in the public system! |
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