Comments on: Note to homeschoolers: Don’t be psychotic!

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 05:40:20 +0000

Hi there, very interesting response, and I mostly agree. It’s amazing how many people hear the term “homeschooling” and automatically pigeon-hole what it means.

I was homeschooled until I was 11, and I think it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It encouraged me to think outside the box, work independently, motivate myself, and fostered a strong interest in community involvement and community development.

Where I grew up (NSW, Australia), we would have once or twice yearly homeschooling camps, where parents and children would get together for a couple of weeks and facilitate and participate in workshops and activities, share stories and experiences and just generally have fun. In fact, a lot of my education then was as much outside as it was inside the home. I hear from friends overseas that there are just as many, if not more, camps for homeschoolers in the states (and other places), so for anyone to insinuate homeschooling can be isolating doesn’t understand the opportunities it presents.

Having said that, I’m glad I went to school when I was 11, because it gave me new experiences in socialising and learning. But it’s the combination of homeschooling and formal education that I think has helped me excel in tertiary education and helped me to follow my career. I find the further I get in my life the more I refer back to skills I developed through homeschooling. To me, it’s not about the style of education, it’s about the people involved. My parents let me choose when I went to school, and allowing me (a child at the time my most standards) to decide has made all the difference.

By: Dana

Dana — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:14:44 +0000

I am sorry you had such a bad experience, but believe me, I know a lot of people who feel their lives were messed up by public education. That is part of why some of them have chosen to homeschool.

I do not adults who were homeschooled, all of whom loved the experience and most either are homeschooling their own children or plan to homeschool their children when they have them.

Studies on the subject are not really as scientific as one would like to use to prove anything, but they suggest of the 7000 + homeschooled adults surveyed, that most of these adults appreciate their homeschooling experience and plan to homeschool their own children.

Certainly it does not work for every child, but neither does the public school nor private school.

If you and your siblings were physically abused, that is the real issue, not homeschooling. I am terribly sorry that happened to you. I used to work with abused and neglected children (all of whom were in public schools and all of whom struggled significantly with relationships with others) and it is a horrific experience for any child.

By: christina

christina — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:21:10 +0000

first of all do any of these parents who are homeschooling their kids know anyone who was homeschooled? well i was and let me tell you credentials or not homeschool is always abusive, whether the parents are deeply religious, and spankers which is a form of physical abuse, that is why it is no longer endorsed by the scientific community, maybe you should look at the studies before getting all vigilanty about saving that too; the social isolation is always enough of an abuse, even if you have a homeschooling group, your children will NEVER learn how to interact with strangers or access the kind of person they are interacting with, something that is neccessary on a daily basis for any adult, every homeschooled kid i knew, and believe me i’m one of them, has turned out with severe social issues of one kind or another, my sister is a sociopath, she feels no emotion, compation, or empathy, this can happen through alot of avenues, but she developed it from being spanked at an early age, being homeschooled and isolated exacerbated the issue and in our homw she was rewarded for manipulating people, and she would pit people against each other for her own pleasure, my brother, who was the most sociallized out of the three of us and the least physically abused, has depression, cannot communicate with outhers well verbally or otherwise (being homeschooled creates an environment where one can literally be so controlled they feel uncomfortable having their own thoughts voicing their own opinions and developing normally) at 18 going on 19, he has never been on a date has had one friend throughout high school who is my sister’s bf, and will not hug or make even normal eye contact with me, his cousin or anyone except his mother, his condition has not improved even though he has been in a normal school evironment since the age of 14, he has deteriorated to this point, homeschool is not a safe place for children because of how they develope, one cannot integrate into society the way they should, i’ve personally been date raped so many times and different ways its not even funny, isolation. thats the problem with homeschool, credentials are an excuse, the people who want it are trying to protect us, before this happens, no one wants to see their child be suicidal, but its very common for homeschooled kids, spanking or not i never could have developed properly in the environment i was given and i haven’t, i can function, but thats it…
i have NEVER seen homeschooling work, and if you can find one person, and i mean that a child who has been homeschooled became an adult is living on their own and they don’t think that it crippled them, now… that would be f*cking miracle

homeschooling is like handing your child lit dynamite and never telling them when to throw,
and i say that from experience.

By: Vicki

Vicki — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:26:51 +0000

Quoting: “homeschooling is for the well off and leaves the poorer people to the mercy of public schooling”

I have heard versions of this statement many times in my short experience with homeschooling and it always makes me chuckle. If the public schools are “THE” place to get an education, how would it be an advantage for me to school my children at home, no matter my income? If public schools really are that much better, wouldn’t the logical argument here be to keep the “rich” kids out of the school system to better improve the chances of the “poor” kids?

By: writer2b

writer2b — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:56:45 +0000

Hi, I just stopped in via the carnival of homeschooling. Interesting post! Thanks for sharing this.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:39:52 +0000

Thank for the information Gilbert. I have questioned his research and sources but that seems to be end up being interpreted as me questioning his state of mind. Weird.

By: John Connell » Blog Archive » Home-Schooling and Child Abuse

John Connell » Blog Archive » Home-Schooling and Child Abuse — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:08:07 +0000

[...] the criticism that Stephen received from some American home-schoolers, his basic statement is difficult to disagree with. If you [...]

By: Solomon

Solomon — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:49:25 +0000

Dana, Thank you for your views. I wanted some books on some tips to parents to help inculcate values: I want my child to be truthful and never say a lie; I want him to be a hard worker, etc.
I’ll dutifully check those blogs that are there in the sidebar and update my knowledge.
Anyway, I became a fan of your blog, probably I’ll learn more from you. For the questions you asked me about child and teacher, I’ll reply you later. I’m from India and I can see from Indian education perspective. May God bless YOu!

By: Gilbert Babin

Gilbert Babin — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:23:39 +0000

Stephen’s posting are a beautiful example of how technology can be dangerous. Because he has access to more technology than most people he has become a loud voice on the Internet. Although he believes in democracy profoundly he has become like many others before him, by wanting to do good, a modern form of a tyrant.

Stephen himself certainly is not certified in any way to make educational comments. He certainly could not be hired as a school teacher because he doesn’t have the degree. He is not a parent and has not been involved in home schooling. Even his own high school experience seems to have left him very bitter. Probably ahigh school dropout who got his GED, wiggled his way into a university, used to Internet to fit in socially etc.

I like Stephen because he is very gentle and speaks strongly of what he believes in. He is also very original and pleasantly opiniated. Unfortunately he is a late comer in the field of K12 education and has not seen enough to form a proper model of US and Canadian education.

Stephen is not the problem. Those that give him a strong voice are the problem. NRC is also a big part of the problem when they finance activities of this type.

This said Stephen has a very strong mind and many times he will hit on something worthwile to resolve. He tends to shoot at everything and I think one day he will actually solve some problems.

I strongly encourage people to question his credentials. He is provocative..but otherwise he would not be invited to give talks..would he.

Gilbert

By: Dana Hanley

Dana Hanley — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:08:20 +0000

Thank you. : ) It wasn’t intended to be snarky, but I can be at times. More so when I don’t think there is any chance at discussion, but I think Stephen is interested in dialog. So I’m curious what his response shall be.