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