Home Schooling

It was good enough for Che Guevera, for Abraham Lincoln, and to a certain extent Queen Elizabeth II. In the UK at least, home schooling is popular (whereas in some Western countries it is illegal), and home study in students enrolling on further education courses is growing also alongside the growth of online education. So what are the pros and cons of home schooling?

One of the most typical criticisms of home schooling - and to a certain extent home study - is the limited socialization with a peer group. This can restrict the individual from influence by differing gender, racial, class, and cultural backgrounds and may have the implication of leading the student to have a one-sided point of view (as according to Rob Reich in The Civic Perils of Homeschooling).

In opposition to this however, others argue that learning environments with many other students may not be the most worthwhile for all. Despite not being the most popular reason for home schooling to be undertaken instead of traditional school-based learning, in a 2003 US poll 30 per cent felt that school was a 'poor learning environment'.

In line with the growth of home study in higher education, home schooling in the US has found a growth in acceptance over the last few decades. In 1985 Gallup polled the attitude of American voters towards homeschooling and 73 per cent were opposed, but by 2001 this figure had dropped to 54 per cent. However, home schooling is not without its controversies as many non-state school systems arguably are. In Washington DC, a mother was charged with murdering her four children after withdrawing them from school education, and many blamed the fact that her being allowed to take them out of school had led to the lack of detection. However, it must be acknowledged that such negative press has been attributed to traditional schools in the past also.

As with home study in higher education, as well as home schooling in children, logistical reasons such as convenience and lack of transport can have a major part to play. Quite simply, education at home cuts all travel costs that may be incurred by driving or travelling on public transport for lectures, seminars or lessons. If the student lives a great distance away also, the journey may well take too long or prove inconvenient. 23,000 of those asked in the 2003 poll cited this as their reason for home schooling.

There are many more reasons for and against education at home. However, the fact remains that certain students achieve better in certain environments at all levels of education, and the wellbeing and happiness of the individual must be of the utmost importance.