| Why Parents Choose a Home School Education An | | | | decision to give a child a home school education. The |
| increasing number of children today are receiving a | | | | person taking on the responsibility of homeschooling |
| home school education. The reasons for making the | | | | must be certified to be a home teacher, the |
| choice to homeschool their kids varies from family to | | | | curriculum must follow the state curriculum, and the |
| family but there are three main reasons why parents | | | | text books and other educational materials to be |
| are removing their children from the public school | | | | used must be approved by the state. Although this |
| system and giving them a home school education. | | | | might seen like undue interference in what is a |
| The first reason is that the public education system | | | | matter of personal choice, the state has a |
| in the United States is struggling to provide a proper | | | | responsibility to ensure that all children receive an |
| education for the nation's children with out of date | | | | adequate standard of education and checks will be |
| text books, run down school buildings and inadequate | | | | made to ensure that any child being kept away from |
| equipment. Provision of a home school education | | | | public school is being properly educated. A home |
| enables the parents to have control over the quality | | | | school education might mean that a child is deprived |
| of the educational materials used by their children and | | | | of certain opportunities which would have been |
| the general conditions in which they are educated. | | | | available within the public school system. There could |
| The second reason is that parents wish to assume | | | | be difficulties in providing facilities for athletic children |
| more control over the influences their children will be | | | | to realize their potential. Musically talented children |
| exposed to. This is often on the basis of religious | | | | could be similarly disadvantaged. In some states there |
| grounds but, very often, it is simply because a home | | | | is provision for children receiving a home school |
| school education will ensure the child learns the values | | | | education to take part in amenities such as being able |
| upheld by the family and is taught from an early age | | | | to attend sports lessons and join after-school clubs. |
| what behavior is appropriate. Unfortunately, many | | | | However, the level of assistance provided to |
| public schools have a poor reputation for instilling | | | | homeschooling parents is not uniform and varies a lot |
| good discipline in students. This often results in badly | | | | from state to state. The final potential disadvantage |
| behaved children disrupting lessons and preventing | | | | to affect children receiving a home school education |
| their peers from getting the full benefit of classes. | | | | is that they will not develop the social skills which will |
| Discipline and the upholding of proper standards of | | | | be important as they grow up. Social interaction with |
| behavior is an important part of a home school | | | | their peers and with adults outside the family is |
| education. The third reason many parents choose to | | | | essential if a child is going to grow up with a properly |
| give their children a home school education is fear for | | | | balance personality and a reasonable level of social |
| their safety. Violence is on the increase everywhere | | | | skills. These developmental issues can be fairly easily |
| and the public school system has not escaped this | | | | overcome if the child lives in a state where |
| trend. Violence in the public education system is | | | | homeschooling parents are given support and the |
| getting worse and the individual acts of violence are | | | | child receiving a home school education is accepted |
| more serious. Since the shocking events at Columbine | | | | into classes and extra-curricular activities. The decision |
| High School there have been further tragedies | | | | to keep a child out of the public education system is |
| involving firearms where teachers and students have | | | | not one any parent would make lightly and any |
| been injured or killed. A home school education | | | | weighing up of the pros and cons must take into |
| ensures the safety of children who would otherwise | | | | account the level of support the state will provide. |
| be seriously at risk of harm. The Disadvantages of | | | | However, if the public school system continues to |
| Opting For Homeschooling Providing a home school | | | | deteriorate, the number of children receiving a home |
| education is not simply a matter of parental choice. In | | | | school education is bound to increase. |
| most cases the state education board of the state in | | | | Tammy Carter reviews Home School Education at |
| which the family resides will have to approve a | | | | HomeSchoolResourcesOnline. |