I don’t believe it is right to ban homeschooling as I realize that there are many instances where homeschooling can be much better than what is received in public school, especially if the public school is not that good. I also know that there are parents who are very good at teaching their children. Ideally, I would have loved to have had a private education at home with private teachers, instructing me in philosophy, at least 3 languages, critical thinking, art, music, literature, math, etc. (although we did get the private music and art lessons.) I dreamed of it when I was around 11 after reading about how certain people of affluence in the past were educated. I did receive something similar to that when I was a very little girl and my parents sent me to a private girls’ Catholic school, but that got to be too expensive. Although, I’m very thankful that I was able to have that experience and good start in my educational life. Then I had wanted my parents to send me to a boarding school when I was about 15 because I wanted to be around a knowledge environment. Of course, none of that happened - my parents would not have afforded it, nor would they have wanted to send me away to a boarding school. And I’m happy now that did not occur, although I still would have loved the private education.
At the same time, based on my cousins’ situation when they were homeschooled, I wish that there was some way to test the competency of the parent who is in charge of the homeschooling. Both of my cousins were “taught” by a mother who really could care less about their education. She’d give them a few sheets to do and then lay on the couch, watching television the rest of the day. They were born-agains and complained about the educational and moral state of the public school in their area, which was probably true, but their education and morality was not much better, if worse, if they stayed in the public school system. Both were never really supervised because the parents believed that since the other children they were allowed to associate with were also homeschooled they didn’t need the supervision, got into drugs and alcohol, one got pregnant at 15 and both had a very difficult time throughout their 20s. They seem to be doing well now (one is in early 30s, other in late 20s), but there was a lot of resentment towards their parents, especially their mother, for what they didn’t receive in terms of education and parenting.
Now, I’m NOT saying that all homeschooling is like this. As I said before, I know that there are some very good parents out there who can do a better job with their kids than what is offered at public schools, and perhaps what happened to my cousins are the exception to the rule. But those two kids were victims of a private home system just as much as any kid attending a poor public school are victims.
All that said, banning homeschooling, I believe is wrong.
