Harvard’s Bizarre Take on Homeschooling

[Peeps]

Interestingly, cost is really the only reason to consider an Ivy or other top tier school

In the last few years, I’ve seen such anti-God, anti-family stuff coming out of the Ivy League schools that I would not want to be there or have an impressionable young adult be there for long. I think it would be discouraging and gloomy to be in a place with so little hope and optimism about the human condition and future.

One thing about homeschooling–if done well, it trains a person in apologetics, debate, reasoning, etc. A good homeschool will constantly play devil’s advocate with a child or teen, helping them to learn to be prepared with facts/sources/history, etc. to defend their own beliefs and not just say, “Well, if you believed in God, you would understand.” Yeah, right–like that will go over good with a Harvard professor steeped in humanism, etc.

 

[redbetta]

In the last few years, I’ve seen such anti-God, anti-family stuff coming out of the Ivy League schools that I would not want to be there or have an impressionable young adult be there for long. I think it would be discouraging and gloomy to be in a place with so little hope and optimism about the human condition and future.

Not to mention the snobbery that permeates the cultures of these institutions. Really, in my experience, if you do not have pre-existing connections at these institutions or come from the wrong culture, you are unlikely to go far at these places. If you are a poor kid who got in on scholarship and never have had access to all of the opportunities that the typical Ivy student had growing up, good luck getting involved in things outside of class like research because EVERYTHING has a application and most these kids enter college with resumes more impressive than that of most adults. Which stinks because college is when you are really supposed to start building your resume.

I wound up having to take whatever I can find outside of school during my summers because it was so hard to get relevant experience at school. This is the main reason why I regret going there as opposed to a less fancy school despite how cheap it was.

 

[Peeps]

I’m inclined to think that more young adults will not go to college at all, but will opt for some kind of technical school where they can learn a trade and earn a certificate to work in that trade.

These jobs are so abundant (not now, because of COVID-19, but once the restrictions are eased–and they will be eased–those jobs will be there). And they pay well, and they allow a person to be “physical” rather than just sitting at a desk or a bench all day/evening. And they also are rather social–lots of co-workers, opportunity to walk around the work site and visit with people, etc. Finally, some of these trades make it possible for a person to start their own business, which is a dream of many Americans.

People who work in trades do not have to be ignorant of more esoteric subjects. I know several auto mechanics (own their own thriving auto repair shops) who are also very musical. My brother is a welder, but in his off time, he reads history and visits historic site in our area (he’s especially interested in Native American history). If a person can read, they can learn.

 

[redbetta]

I think a major change has to come from parents because many of them are still convinced that college is the tried and true safest way to a comfortable life. A lot of them won’t even let their kids consider not going to college. Such was in my case.

 

[Peeps]

I think a major change has to come from parents because many of them are still convinced that college is the tried and true safest way to a comfortable life. A lot of them won’t even let their kids consider not going to college. Such was in my case.

I tend to agree with you, especially when it comes to girls. Parents are so afraid that their girls will end up with no job that can earn them a decent living, and that they will always be dependent on a man-not necessarily a good man, but just someone who can provide a living for them.

But I think that there are many opportunities for girls/young women in the trades, and frankly, I think that girls/women should seriously consider jobs that allow them to stay home with their babies and toddlers. JMO–I was fortunate to be able to do this because my husband was willing to carry the expenses on his paycheck.

 

[redbetta]

It would seem that the comments section on the original article on Havard Magazine’s website have been prematurely closed. I couldn’t imagine why.

 

[Cruciferi]

Point is, kids usually miss out on quite a bit when they’re homeschooled.

Such as?

And no wonder. Socialization is as much an education as their formal curriculum.

Oh, we’re going down this tired road…

Consider that when many of us who go to college also find our spouses there.

Personally, I don’t know anyone who met their spouse at college. Dating at my college was limited at best and now it’s nonexistent.

She ended up cohabiting with a guy 20 years her senior

Okay… What does that have to do with homeschooling?

and her brother JUST got married.

To be blunt, it sounds like you’re prejudiced against your cousins and using that to support your bias against homeschooling.

Gently, in your scenario there’s still a dictator. It’s just you.

Do your research. Most states require a State Certified Teacher to look over academic progress and curriculum.

 

[Retsel]

It’s always about the trail of money… and the extremes they go to protect it.

Btw - Shame on harvard for trying to steal millions of PPP that was meant for small business. Only after being called out by President did they see the wrong in what they were trying to do.

 

[heidi_storage]

Parents are entitled to make educational decisions for their children, just as they are entitled to make medical decisions for their children. Sufficiently egregious neglect or abuse in either category could lead to the loss of that right.

I think some basic regulation is a good idea. The problem is that regulation of any kind tends to be executed either in a cursory, pro forma manner that does not protect against abuses, or in a heavy-handed, stifling manner that wraps people up in red tape and enacts unnecessary barriers. Some of the former homeschoolers advocating for more regulation come from states with theoretically strict requirements that, in practice, were met in a slipshod manner.

I think that at the very least, homeschooled children should be visited once a year to ensure that they haven’t been murdered and stuffed into a freezer. I also don’t think it’s a terrible idea to require participation in statewide reading and math tests. My two cents.

 

[heidi_storage]

“Socialization” could easily be listed as an advantage of homeschooling, especially during middle school. Parents who take any sort of care at all can create much more positive, helpful social situations than the Lord of the Flies that middle school can be.

 

[JimG]

Indeed; the homeschooled kids I have known seem to have better social skills than their public school peers, whose socialization is often restricted to their own age group.

 

[Peeps]

Again–I’ve met many hundreds of homeschooled children and teens over the years, and I have been wowed by their confidence, good manners, ability to carry on a conversation, and their friendliness with their own peers! Most of the homeschooled children seem to have a hundred friends, and they make new friends everywhere they go!

My husband and I know quite a few ice skaters who were/are homeschooled, and they are truly amazing. One young lady was able to skate during the day (when there are less people on the ice), and do her schoolwork during the rest of the day. She graduated from high school at age 16 (satisfied all the State of Illinois requirements) and then entered the local community college and graduated with her Associates Degree by the time she was 18. She’s now in a four-year college, but because she spent those two years in the community college (and lived at home), her debt is pretty much non-existent. She also coached for pay during her high school and college years (learn to skate classes–yes, I kind of think it’s not the best way to do Learn To Skate–it should be taught by experienced coaches so that they can “recruit” children into the sport proper–JMO as a long-time figure skating devotee and the mom of two grown daughters who have never stopped figure skating).

Not bad–she’s very well-socialized and has a two -year head start over her non-home-schooled peers. And considering that her speciality in figure skating is “Spotlight Skating,” which means dressing up in elaborate costumes and performing a dramatic or funny program–she is definitely creative and confident!

This is just one example of outstanding home-schooled students that I know. Most of them have some kind of sport or art that they are involved with that takes a lot of their time.

I know one family that has home-schooled all eight of their children, and now that most of them are grown (the youngest is in high school), it’s obvious that they turned out very well. One of the children is in law school and planning to enter politics–hooray!! I hope that many other homeschooled young people will do the same, and take the country back for the family again!

 

[ImQuiet]

-snip-

So I knew several homeschooling families like the ones you are describing. The kind who had the wizkid who was very talented at the extracurricular they did, and who was very hard-working, got excellent grades, etc. etc.
The one thing they all had in common save one was that they all hated what they were doing (save 1 or 2 of them) 90% of the time they were just doing what their parents asked of them and trying to get it over with so they could have some free time away from school or activities.
Granted my experience is anecdotal, but hey, so is yours.

 

[Peeps]

The one thing they all had in common save one was that they all hated what they were doing (save 1 or 2 of them) 90% of the time they were just doing what their parents asked of them and trying to get it over with so they could have some free time away from school or activities.
Granted my experience is anecdotal, but hey, so is yours.

That’s interesting.

I have met homeschooled students who were not allowed to pursue any interests (fundamentalist Protestants afraid of worldly contamination), and yes, the instant they turned 18, they were OUTTA THERE!

But the same thing happens when kids are in public schools–they hate the violin lessons or the travel hockey team or working on their Eagle Scout requirement–and when they are of age, they quit with joy!

Along with many homeschooled children, I have also met outstanding musicians who are in public schools and doing really well in both school subjects and their music.

I think that parents should follow the “natural bent” that each of their children has, and involve that child in the schooling type and the extracurriculars (if any) that the child is inclined towards. There are children who thrive in the diverse and often confrontational environment in the public schools–it certainly is a good training ground for children who are “bent” towards law, politics, the mission field, the ministry, or owning their own business.

And there are children who hate the constant challenges they come up against in the public schools, and are much happier in a “safer” environment. This is the child who will grow up and probably never be “out there” unless God grants them a special gift for the time and occasion. There are lots of people who never write a letter to the editor, who are not committed to any one political cause or party, and who stroll through life with the greatest joy, not even noticing those who are critical of their beliefs and practices. (I wish I could be like that, but I’m not!).

 

[choose_to_love]

“college as tried and true”

I think that is beginning to change. I know of one young man, who had good grades through high school, entered what in our state is called a technology college, got an associate’s and welding training, and is now a welder. He makes a good wage and could easily support a family.

Another family we know, the brother of our godchild is going to the same type of school and, as I understand it, he will earn an associate’s degree and be trained in either carpentry or enough residential construction to work in that industry. I think it is similar but not exactly like the apprenticeship programs the trade unions have.

I believe our local power company also offers a combined work/associates degree program with a local community college, wherein the student goes to class and works with the power company, and at the end of the process is a lineman with the power company. One can certainly support a family on a lineman’s salary.

 

[Hume]

“college as tried and true”

I think that is beginning to change.

You’ve a point there.

with the adoption of NAFTA in the 90s, the careers where a person could make a decent living right out of high school moved to Mexico (and, by example, China and other foreign locales).

This caused a shift where the domestic decent paying jobs that couldn’t be performed by cheap, foreign labor typically required college degrees. This led to the recent college boom which had the double-effect of churning out higher numbers of college grads, saturating the market for those jobs, causing the general freeze and slow growth in earnings growth for most degree-requiring jobs we’ve seen for most of the last 30 years.

Starting pay for a teacher in my district in 1990? $20k. 2020? $29k. Certainly not keeping up with inflation.

Some degrees have held decent growth - mostly those in technical fields, as you alluded to. And since some technical careers don’t require college degrees per se, these have shown to be good careers to go into. An HVAC guy with some hustle can make as much as most CPAs these days.

But, paradoxically, the best jobs still require degrees. Law school, while not as “worth it” as it used to be, still requires a JD. The best paying medical jobs require doctorates in nursing, medicine and associated disciplines. PAs make a good wage without a doctorate, but it’s still a masters-level education. 6 years minimum out of high school.

What’s certain is that we can agree that “going to college for the sake of going to college” is dead. Costs too much, benefit just isn’t there for many bachelors programs.