The Best Education?

[Gentle Lamb]

What is the best sort of school to put your child in? Overall is it better to home-school? How can you ensure that a child has a well rounded education that is academically rigorous, well balanced, and encourages them to learn to the absolute best of their ability?

 

[PloverWing]

Our family weighed a lot of options when deciding how to educate our children. Here are some of the pros and cons we found.

Home schooling advantages: Education can proceed at each child's pace, faster or slower as they need. The curriculum can be customized to each child's interest. You can include as much religious education as you want.

Home schooling disadvantages: The parents need to be experts in a variety of subjects, and be able to teach a variety of subjects. (Can you and your spouse teach high school chemistry? foreign languages? calculus? your child's chosen orchestra instrument?) Children get limited exposure to groups of children of diverse backgrounds. Education places significant time demands on the parents; it may be difficult for the parents to have full-time jobs and still home school.

Private Christian school advantages: Includes religious education in the curriculum. Includes teachers who are experts in their various subjects. Children get to spend time around groups of other children.

Private Christian school disadvantage: Costs money.

Private Christian school caution: Make sure that the curriculum is academically rigorous. Make sure that the school isn't teaching religious beliefs you disagree with.

Public school advantages: Includes teachers who are experts in their various subjects. Children get to spend time around groups of other children, including children of diverse backgrounds. Free.

Public school disadvantages: Does not include religious education in the curriculum.

Which option you choose depends somewhat on the quality of the public and private schools around you. All can be good choices, depending on many specific considerations. My children went to public school, I went to a private Christian school, and my daughter-in-law was home schooled; all proved to be good experiences overall, with a few drawbacks in each case.

 

[mama2one]

I'd say it would depend on YOUR particular schools in your area
not all school districts are rated excellent & some schools are struggling academically
we visited several schools & got tours....we also spoke with several teachers & parents

 

[timf]

There is a book "The Underground History of American Education" written by John Taylor Gatto that exposes many of the problems with education. Here is a page that outlines why education (state sponsored) is different than learning (what the individual does).

Christian Pioneer - What is wrong with Education?

 

[Gentle Lamb]

Great input, I appreciate the variety. So much to think about, pros and cons with each option. Thanks everyone.

 

[shaniboek]

Our family weighed a lot of options when deciding how to educate our children. Here are some of the pros and cons we found.

Home schooling advantages: Education can proceed at each child's pace, faster or slower as they need. The curriculum can be customized to each child's interest. You can include as much religious education as you want.

Home schooling disadvantages: The parents need to be experts in a variety of subjects, and be able to teach a variety of subjects. (Can you and your spouse teach high school chemistry? foreign languages? calculus? your child's chosen orchestra instrument?) Children get limited exposure to groups of children of diverse backgrounds. Education places significant time demands on the parents; it may be difficult for the parents to have full-time jobs and still home school.

Private Christian school advantages: Includes religious education in the curriculum. Includes teachers who are experts in their various subjects. Children get to spend time around groups of other children.

Private Christian school disadvantage: Costs money.

Private Christian school caution: Make sure that the curriculum is academically rigorous. Make sure that the school isn't teaching religious beliefs you disagree with.

Public school advantages: Includes teachers who are experts in their various subjects. Children get to spend time around groups of other children, including children of diverse backgrounds. Free.

Public school disadvantages: Does not include religious education in the curriculum.

Which option you choose depends somewhat on the quality of the public and private schools around you. All can be good choices, depending on many specific considerations. My children went to public school, I went to a private Christian school, and my daughter-in-law was home schooled; all proved to be good experiences overall, with a few drawbacks in each case. And in general, I prefer schools because it's better for socialization. And you know, after school, there is a university, and a kid has to be prepared for it because it may be hard to be a student after years of homeschooling. I have no homeschooling experience, but still, for me, it can be hard to focus on my studies because of different reasons. But you're always surrounded by other students who can help you somehow. For example, when I was struggling with writing a paper on Hidden Figures, it was my groupmate helped me out. She recommended me this page https://eduzaurus.com/free-essay-samples/hidden-figures/ where I found a lot of useful examples, and then we went to the library to work on the task together. And it was much easier. And when you study at home, you miss such opportunities, and sometimes you can even give up. So that I'm for "formal' educational options, but it's just my personal opinion and experience.

I agree with you. Each education has both pros and cons, and it's hard to say what is the best. Each student is different, and for someone, homeschooling is better, and for someone, "formal" education is an option. And also it depends on the city you live in, and which educational opportunities are better. My cousin's son was in homeschool for a year, but then we went to school because it was hard for him to study at home.

 

[tturt]

Usually socialization is a consideration Some states allow some social activities on campus while the academic classes are off campus.

Another factor is there's a lot of bullying in schools

Some online classes for home schooling have teachers who are in constant contact with these students.

Then there's the windows of time when they're on their own - no matter which system is chosen - and something happens that changes their lives more than anything else forever. This needs high consideration imo.