Lack of home schooling oversight obvious danger to children

[Phys251]

Lack of home schooling oversight ‘obvious danger’ to children, experts say

More US families are choosing to home school, meaning removing access to mandated reporters and lack of education monitoring

www.theguardian.com

For years, rightwing home school lobbying organizations in the US have successfully fought attempts to introduce regulations over the process. That means the welfare of children is not monitored and there is barely any direction over the quality of education they receive.

Part of homeschooling's appeal is its lack of oversight. This is precisely what can make it problematic.

 

[BirdinHand]

Lack of home schooling oversight ‘obvious danger’ to children, experts say

More US families are choosing to home school, meaning removing access to mandated reporters and lack of education monitoring

www.theguardian.com

Part of homeschooling's appeal is its lack of oversight. This is precisely what can make it problematic.

Schooling doesn't exist to "monitor" the health and safety of children.

Public school exists as an option for parents so that ALL children can have access to an education. Whether a family decides to avail themselves of that option is their choice.

I have no desire to demonize homeschooling families, the vast majority of them are doing what they feel is best for their children

 

[Phys251]

Schooling doesn't exist to "monitor" the health and safety of children.

Public school exists as an option for parents so that ALL children can have access to an education. Whether a family decides to avail themselves of that option is their choice.

I have no desire to demonize homeschooling families, the vast majority of them are doing what they feel is best for their children

Some homeschooling families are doing what they need to do, yes.

But it creates an inherent risk for the child that is not easily overcome. Isolation from society can create conditions that are, mildly put, problematic for the child.

 

[Stealers Wheel]

The law of unintended consequences is at play here. Public education is about more than readin' writin' and 'rithmatic. It's about socialization (getting along with others), accountability (showing up on time, handing in homework assignments, etc.) teamwork (group projects, sports, band, theater, choir, etc.) All these skills will come in handy when the child becomes an adult and enters either higher education, vocational school, or the workforce. If they have not been ingrained in the child, they will not manifest in the subsequent adult.

 

[BirdinHand]

“So when you give parents the right to keep their kids at home free from anybody looking at them, including mandated reporters, you’re taking away one of the main protections for children.”

I fundamentally disagree with this sentiment.

The vast majority of parents are doing the absolute best they can for their kids. The vast majority of parents would never harm their child in ANY way possible. The vast majority of parents would walk over hot coals, face down monsters, and give their own life for their kids.

It is unfair to make the assumption or infer that homeschool parents are trying to "keep their kids at home free from anybody looking at them".

Isolation from society can create conditions that are, mildly put, problematic for the child.

There are various homeschool co-ops around me. Those kids have better social lives than I do and are constantly going places and meeting up as different groups. I was involved with them during 2020-2021 school year because we homeschooled that year.

The vast majority of children who are homeschooled have very active social lives. I wish I could homeschool - I do. I do not have the patience and dedication to do it at this juncture but it is something that I would consider in the future for my son if and when he can work more independently.

I know homeschool families that travel all the time - and their kids get to experience SO much more than kiddos in traditional public/private schools.

Especially in a post-Covid world - MANY parents have taken the opportunity to allow their kids to do virtual schooling and/or homeschool. And many of those kids are THRIVING and advancing far beyond the age-defined curriculums of public and private schools.

Two people I graduated from college with fully embraced virtual learning and homeschooling thanks to COVID-19. All 4 of their boys now are homeschooled and they traveled the entire contiguous US last year with them. THE ENTIRE 48 states in their RV. Talk about an amazing experience. One of my closest IRL friends realized that her autistic son THRIVED with virtual learning vs. in-school experience. He's MUCH happier attending an online virtual environment vs. in-person learning where social dynamics had him being bullied due to his autism. Another woman that I graduated high school with has 2 kids that never went back to in person learning after Covid and also do online cyber school. They spend the entire spring/summer living at the beach and the fall/winter they travel extensively for scouts, wrestling, vacations...and both kids are working 2 grades ahead of where they'd have been had they stayed in "traditional" learning environments.

I wish we could do it - and maybe we will in the future. Homeschooling - especially with the amazing cyber/virtual options that exist - is amazing for many families.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

I was homeschooled all the way until college because my family traveled around for my dad's work every few weeks/months.

My parent's went even further than homeschooling and me and my two younger siblings were "unschooled" which just means we didn't try to recreate school but at home and didn't follow any sort of standards or guidelines. Like we didn't do the whole "you read this at this age and do this math at this age" thing.

My mom, for her part, honestly almost taught us nothing directly. She was a math minor but besides that obviously she doesn't have any specific knowledge. What she did do was facilitate us learning. I taught myself basically all the math and programming I know on Khan Academy. Since I was never forced to read I didn't develop an aversion to it many other kids seem to have. We learned a lot of US history by learning about each place we moved to and visiting the national parks and stuff there. In the mornings we'd do things like watch Crash Course World History on YouTube.

I think I would have been miserable in school. My two younger brothers are my best friends and getting to spend all of our time together was such a blessing. A lot of my lifelong friends were other traveling families. We'd make efforts to stay in the same RV parks when we could so we could spend time with them.

Not to gas up my mom too much, but I think she basically created the best possible homeschool experience and outcomes.

I recognize all the problems that come from it, especially when it relates to child abuse or religious fundamentalists under educating their kids. But out reliance on standardized testing as the method of verifying knowledge is nearly as destructive. The US performs so poorly on international education tests because we systemically teach in a horrible way.

It wasn't until college that I experienced for the first time memorizing something to pass a test rather than learning it. You learn, remember, and understand things completely differently when you are learning for yourself and not to pass a test. When I learned algebra it was because I wanted to add something to a game I was programming on Khan Academy that kinda required it. You can't cheat when you are learning to actually do something.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

There are various homeschool co-ops around me. Those kids have better social lives than I do and are constantly going places and meeting up as different groups. I was involved with them during 2020-2021 school year because we homeschooled that year.

Maybe just over half of the kids on a robotics team I was on were homeschoolers. Because they actually had the time and freedom to fully pursue something like.

The only homeschoolers I've met with social problems are the ones who's parents pulled them for religious reasons. And even then usually it is because the parents are forcibly isolating them because they don't want their kids to be influenced by ungodly forces (non-religious kids).

 

[Nomad4Ever]

Public education is about more than readin' writin' and 'rithmatic. It's about socialization (getting along with others), accountability (showing up on time, handing in homework assignments, etc.) teamwork (group projects, sports, band, theater, choir, etc.)

You're right. Industrialized education was in no small part structured as it is to condition people for the workplace.

Now if that's the best way to learn is another question.

 

[BirdinHand]

Maybe just over half of the kids on a robotics team I was on were homeschoolers. Because they actually had the time and freedom to fully pursue something like.

Opportunities like that are why I hope the day comes when I can pull my son out of school and homeschool.

His private school is AMAZING. But there's still structure and limits because it is a school not homeschool.

But out reliance on standardized testing as the method of verifying knowledge is nearly as destructive. The US performs so poorly on international education tests because we systemically teach in a horrible way.

I've LOATHE standardized testing. It is a horrible measure of learning and I agree completely that teaching to the test is a grave disservice to education in the US.

Since I was never forced to read I didn't develop an aversion to it many other kids seem to have.

My son HATED the traditional means that we utilize to teach kids to read. It has been a MAJOR struggle. But his teacher this year has him figured out. He loves computers and building things. Guess how he's learning to read? Online programs and directions for building things. His brain is 'wired' in such a way that he needs to be motivated by something he LOVES. So computer games and intensive WRITTEN directions for building robots, etc. are what is motivating him to read.

Since we switched from the traditional path to this? His skills have SOARED and he's reading So much more frequently and better and enjoying it.


My college roommate admits he learned to actually read from graphic novels and comic books. He hated reading in school...but loved those. And it worked considering he graduated from college with us and received a Comp Sci degree.

We learned a lot of US history by learning about each place we moved to and visiting the national parks and stuff there. In the mornings we'd do things like watch Crash Course World History on YouTube.

Sounds like my friends that traveled in the RV all of last year. Each kiddo would wind up doing a report/presentation/youtube/drone video presentation, etc. of the different places they traveled. I learned some really fascinating information from those boys on their travels and they displayed such PASSION for what they were learning because it was tangible...not just a paragraph in a book.

ou learn, remember, and understand things completely differently when you are learning for yourself and not to pass a test. When I learned algebra it was because I wanted to add something to a game I was programming on Khan Academy that kinda required it. You can't cheat when you are learning to actually do something.

YES!

Thank you for sharing your first hand experience - it is what I'm watching unfold with friends of ours raising their kids the same way. And I love hearing your outcome.

 

[Chomsky]

Ooh, boy. We finally disagree on something? About time!

(BTW - Merry Christmas!)

Schooling doesn't exist to "monitor" the health and safety of children.

No, it doesn't. But "schooling" is a component that is monitored in the interest of health & safety of the children.

Public school exists as an option for parents so that ALL children can have access to an education. Whether a family decides to avail themselves of that option is their choice.

Yes. But there is no choice in deciding to educate one's children to accepted standards.

Which, is why their needs to be reasonable standards & testing applied.

I have no desire to demonize homeschooling families, the vast majority of them are doing what they feel is best for their children

Agreed. But the only way to assure every kid is getting a proper education is to monitor the kids' progress. Which appeared to be the point of the OP.

 

[Stealers Wheel]

Opportunities like that are why I hope the day comes when I can pull my son out of school and homeschool.

His private school is AMAZING. But there's still structure and limits because it is a school not homeschool.


I've LOATHE standardized testing. It is a horrible measure of learning and I agree completely that teaching to the test is a grave disservice to education in the US.

My son HATED the traditional means that we utilize to teach kids to read. It has been a MAJOR struggle. But his teacher this year has him figured out. He loves computers and building things. Guess how he's learning to read? Online programs and directions for building things. His brain is 'wired' in such a way that he needs to be motivated by something he LOVES. So computer games and intensive WRITTEN directions for building robots, etc. are what is motivating him to read.

Since we switched from the traditional path to this? His skills have SOARED and he's reading So much more frequently and better and enjoying it.


My college roommate admits he learned to actually read from graphic novels and comic books. He hated reading in school...but loved those. And it worked considering he graduated from college with us and received a Comp Sci degree.

Sounds like my friends that traveled in the RV all of last year. Each kiddo would wind up doing a report/presentation/youtube/drone video presentation, etc. of the different places they traveled. I learned some really fascinating information from those boys on their travels and they displayed such PASSION for what they were learning because it was tangible...not just a paragraph in a book.

YES!

Thank you for sharing your first hand experience - it is what I'm watching unfold with friends of ours raising their kids the same way. And I love hearing your outcome.

This has been a well-known education strategy for a long time. Want a kid to read? Get him/her books about things they love. Any parent can do this, not just homeschoolers.

 

[j brown's body]

Schooling doesn't exist to "monitor" the health and safety of children.

Public school exists as an option for parents so that ALL children can have access to an education. Whether a family decides to avail themselves of that option is their choice.

I have no desire to demonize homeschooling families, the vast majority of them are doing what they feel is best for their children

Should home schooling be unregulated?

 

[BirdinHand]

But the only way to assure every kid is getting a proper education is to monitor the kids' progress.

See, I think US education is well behind global standards. I think we teach to tests...not to educate. We aren't measuring learning - we are measuring the ability to take a test and regurgitate answers. Not only in our K-12 traditional schooling, but we have also turned college into job prep vs. true learning as it once was more often viewed. We are trying, but we are using an antiquated road map and it is time to make some major investments and changes in HOW we educate and how we view education.

My son is 8. He's INCREDIBLY talented in STEM fields. His brain is "wired" that way. He's also ADHD and has a speech disorder that isn't *really* about speech, but more about how his brain sends signals to his body. SO much of traditional US education is just completely awful for him. Thankfully, he's in a private school where they do a LOT more small group and hands on learning...but I want to hire him a private teacher/tutor and just set them free. (He won't 'learn' from me or I would homeschool...he would THRIVE being cut lose from the 'structure' of school)

Overall, the US approach to education has been shown to just NOT work for boys in comparison to girls. Sit at a desk and performing seat work and paying attention to someone in the front of a room is completely contradictory to the way that we know little kids - and especially little boys - learn best.


You often only hear about this sort of thing in the "manosphere" where they are trying to "spin" it...but it is an issue.

Are We Failing Our Boys? – The Crisis In Education

Are you asking if there is a crisis looming? Are boys falling behind? And if so, what’s happened to our boys to make them fail and fall behind?

www.armyandnavyacademy.org

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1073203.pdf

And Merry Christmas to you and your family also!

 

[BirdinHand]

Should home schooling be unregulated?

I don't see a reason for it to be regulated. You can't "graduate" from homeschool and receive a high school diploma without showing that you've met XYZ criteria. You can't get into a college without being able to demonstrate a standard of learning.

We don't prevent kids from dropping out of high school when it comes to traditional schooling, we rarely even retain kids that don't meet academic benchmarks for more than a year - so why hold homeschoolers to a different standard?

I'd venture to guess that outside religious cults? The vast majority of homeschool kids outperform students in public schools and even some private schools.

 

[Chomsky]

I was homeschooled all the way until college because my family traveled around for my dad's work every few weeks/months.

My parent's went even further than homeschooling and me and my two younger siblings were "unschooled" which just means we didn't try to recreate school but at home and didn't follow any sort of standards or guidelines. Like we didn't do the whole "you read this at this age and do this math at this age" thing.

My mom, for her part, honestly almost taught us nothing directly. She was a math minor but besides that obviously she doesn't have any specific knowledge. What she did do was facilitate us learning. I taught myself basically all the math and programming I know on Khan Academy. Since I was never forced to read I didn't develop an aversion to it many other kids seem to have. We learned a lot of US history by learning about each place we moved to and visiting the national parks and stuff there. In the mornings we'd do things like watch Crash Course World History on YouTube.

I think I would have been miserable in school. My two younger brothers are my best friends and getting to spend all of our time together was such a blessing. A lot of my lifelong friends were other traveling families. We'd make efforts to stay in the same RV parks when we could so we could spend time with them.

Not to gas up my mom too much, but I think she basically created the best possible homeschool experience and outcomes.

I recognize all the problems that come from it, especially when it relates to child abuse or religious fundamentalists under educating their kids. But out reliance on standardized testing as the method of verifying knowledge is nearly as destructive. The US performs so poorly on international education tests because we systemically teach in a horrible way.

It wasn't until college that I experienced for the first time memorizing something to pass a test rather than learning it. You learn, remember, and understand things completely differently when you are learning for yourself and not to pass a test. When I learned algebra it was because I wanted to add something to a game I was programming on Khan Academy that kinda required it. You can't cheat when you are learning to actually do something.

I get what you did, applaud it, and respect it.

Nothing beats a desire to learn.

But, I have concerns:

- What if the kid isn't a natural "learner", doesn't take self-initiative, doesn't enjoy reading or learning?

- Who provides advanced understanding & explanation, that would ordinarily come from a learned person?

- Who enacts & directs the curriculum, to ensure the child gets a complete education.

But of all this, my biggest concern is that no one person has the knowledge base to instruct an ambitious child in everything.

I find it hard to believe any one parent (or couple) could provide the depth & breadth of knowledge & assistance that a good school can offer.

And finally, you claim you taught yourself mathematics. Have you ever tested yourself, to know your level of proficiency? Perhaps through ACT/SAT? And if you are proficient, do you believe all children can perform at your level of auto-didacticism?

I'm finding it hard to believe all kids can become fully proficient in math & the hard sciences, auto-didactically. I know I couldn't! And when it comes to math, I thank God I was blessed with several excellent instructors and a killer tutor! Seriously.

 

[reflechissez]

Lack of home schooling oversight ‘obvious danger’ to children, experts say

More US families are choosing to home school, meaning removing access to mandated reporters and lack of education monitoring

www.theguardian.com

Part of homeschooling's appeal is its lack of oversight. This is precisely what can make it problematic.

I get your point; I agree that there should be oversight. Most of the responses to you in this thread are not addressing what you said.

 

[Stealers Wheel]

See, I think US education is well behind global standards. I think we teach to tests...not to educate. We aren't measuring learning - we are measuring the ability to take a test and regurgitate answers. Not only in our K-12 traditional schooling, but we have also turned college into job prep vs. true learning as it once was more often viewed. We are trying, but we are using an antiquated road map and it is time to make some major investments and changes in HOW we educate and how we view education.

My son is 8. He's INCREDIBLY talented in STEM fields. His brain is "wired" that way. He's also ADHD and has a speech disorder that isn't *really* about speech, but more about how his brain sends signals to his body. SO much of traditional US education is just completely awful for him. Thankfully, he's in a private school where they do a LOT more small group and hands on learning...but I want to hire him a private teacher/tutor and just set them free. (He won't 'learn' from me or I would homeschool...he would THRIVE being cut lose from the 'structure' of school)

Overall, the US approach to education has been shown to just NOT work for boys in comparison to girls. Sit at a desk and performing seat work and paying attention to someone in the front of a room is completely contradictory to the way that we know little kids - and especially little boys - learn best.


You often only hear about this sort of thing in the "manosphere" where they are trying to "spin" it...but it is an issue.

Are We Failing Our Boys? – The Crisis In Education

Are you asking if there is a crisis looming? Are boys falling behind? And if so, what’s happened to our boys to make them fail and fall behind?

www.armyandnavyacademy.org

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1073203.pdf

And Merry Christmas to you and your family also!

In fairness, things have gotten much better since I was in school.

Back then, teachers could hit students at their own discretion. There was a kid named George in my class back in 4th grade. The teacher, Mrs. Norris, would literally wail on George every day because of his disruptive behavior in class. Looking back, I suspect George probably suffered from ADHD as well as being a kinesthetic learner, things teachers knew nothing about back in the 60s.

Fortunately, adults hitting kids is frowned upon these days and we know a great deal more about learning disabilities and the spectrum than we did back then. I feel like I got through that without becoming a complete psychopath only by the grace of God.

 

[CaughtInThe]

A lot of homeschooled children are in for a major shock when they get to college.

It's the ones where their parents keep them home and basically teach them from the Bible.

 

[j brown's body]

I don't see a reason for it to be. You can't "graduate" from homeschool and receive a high school diploma without showing that you've met XYZ criteria. You can't get into a college without being able to demonstrate a standard of learning.

We don't prevent kids from dropping out of high school when it comes to traditional schooling, we rarely even retain kids that don't meet academic benchmarks for more than a year - so why hold homeschoolers to a different standard?

I'd venture to guess that outside religious cults? The vast majority of homeschool kids outperform students in public schools and even some private schools.

So should public and private schools be unregulated? Allow anyone to teach? Let them teach as they please?

Seems like they would benefit from some regulations.

"...homeschool program with organized lesson plans — tend to score higher on academic tests than children from conventional schools, while children in “unstructured” homeschool environments without organized lesson plans tend to score lower than children in conventional schools. ...it may be the mother’s educational level that drives the higher test scores, not homeschooling itself."

Link

 

[BirdinHand]

So should public and private schools be unregulated? Allow anyone to teach? Let them teach as they please?

Seems like they would benefit from some regulations.

"...homeschool program with organized lesson plans — tend to score higher on academic tests than children from conventional schools, while children in “unstructured” homeschool environments without organized lesson plans tend to score lower than children in conventional schools. ...it may be the mother’s educational level that drives the higher test scores, not homeschooling itself."

Link

I think the way that the US approaches education is fundamentally flawed.

I've said that numerous times in numerous threads.

Every child is different. Their aptitudes are different. The way they will learn best is different. What level they will achieve in learning is different. We approach education from a one-size-fits-all mentality and it is SO limiting.

Education started out MUCH more individualized - and we turned it into an 'industry'.

I view individualized education as the best type of education and learning. I appreciate why we have public and private schools and I'm not advocating for removing those (enhancing, yes). But there's a reason that the majority of your highest levels of society throughout the entire course of history have utilized private tutors and learning vs. public or private educational institutions for early childhood education at a minimum and often until the high school if not university level.

 

[ttwtt78640]

The law of unintended consequences is at play here. Public education is about more than readin' writin' and 'rithmatic. It's about socialization (getting along with others), accountability (showing up on time, handing in homework assignments, etc.) teamwork (group projects, sports, band, theater, choir, etc.) All these skills will come in handy when the child becomes an adult and enters either higher education, vocational school, or the workforce. If they have not been ingrained in the child, they will not manifest in the subsequent adult.

Unfortunately that “socialization”, in many public schools, has come to include ‘social promotion’, where gaining a year of age automagically gets a ‘student’ promoted to the next grade level.

 

[j brown's body]

I think the way that the US approaches education is fundamentally flawed.

I've said that numerous times in numerous threads.

Every child is different. Their aptitudes are different. The way they will learn best is different. What level they will achieve in learning is different. We approach education from a one-size-fits-all mentality and it is SO limiting.

Education started out MUCH more individualized - and we turned it into an 'industry'.

I view individualized education as the best type of education and learning. I appreciate why we have public and private schools and I'm not advocating for removing those (enhancing, yes). But there's a reason that the majority of your highest levels of society throughout the entire course of history have utilized private tutors and learning vs. public or private educational institutions for early childhood education at a minimum and often until the high school if not university level.

I don't think you have answered my questions you are responding to here.

 

[j brown's body]

Unfortunately that “socialization”, in many public schools, has come to include ‘social promotion’, where gaining a year of age automagically gets a ‘student’ promoted to the next grade level.

I don't think that has to do with socialization, which involves people relating to one another.

 

[Chomsky]

See, I think US education is well behind global standards.

Depends upon the school. I've got some awesome public schools around me, some of the best in the nation. My own district is top-flight, and can pretty much keep-up with . . . the next mention in my response . . .

. . . Private schools, Prep & otherwise!

"Public" is not the only game in town. In fact, despite my local district being very good, and my paying commensurate property taxes for it, my kids spent k-12 in the Catholic/Catholic-Prep system.

I'm willing to place my kids' education alongside any others. Not all schools suck.

I think we teach to tests...not to educate. We aren't measuring learning - we are measuring the ability to take a test and regurgitate answers. Not only in our K-12 traditional schooling, but we have also turned college into job prep vs. true learning as it once was more often viewed. We are trying, but we are using an antiquated road map and it is time to make some major investments and changes in HOW we educate and how we view education.

But if we don't test, how do we measure the kids' knowledge bases?

Critical thinking & "learning" is vitally important. But so is knowledge!

There's certain things you need to know & understand to be "educated".

My son is 8. He's INCREDIBLY talented in STEM fields. His brain is "wired" that way. He's also ADHD and has a speech disorder that isn't *really* about speech, but more about how his brain sends signals to his body. SO much of traditional US education is just completely awful for him. Thankfully, he's in a private school where they do a LOT more small group and hands on learning...but I want to hire him a private teacher/tutor and just set them free. (He won't 'learn' from me or I would homeschool...

Ah, do you see my concern? As I stated above to Nomad4Ever , I find it hard to believe any one parent has the knowledge & skillset to properly educate their kids to the level a good school has.

My fear is what happens to the exceptional kid? The high-flyer that needs, wants, & can handle advanced instruction? If the parents can't provide that, it would seem-to-me they're knee-capping the kid, not allowing him or her to reach their full potential.

Ditto for the arts & other activities like athletics & debate. What parent could possibly have all these advanced skills, much less be proficient in teaching them?

he would THRIVE being cut lose from the 'structure' of school)

I get that. He needs, and deserves, the environment best suited for him. That's why I like the Montessori Method, and wish it was available in latter years - including in high school!

But structure is only one thing. Again, my concern is in adequate home resources.

I know what my kids had available at their schools. I simply see no way I could have supplied all that. I'm extremely grateful to have access to academic institutions that were able to provide those resources to my children.

Overall, the US approach to education has been shown to just NOT work for boys in comparison to girls. Sit at a desk and performing seat work and paying attention to someone in the front of a room is completely contradictory to the way that we know little kids - and especially little boys - learn best.

Interesting. My son went to an all-boys' traditional Catholic Prep, one of only several "boys only" still around in my area.

Upon interviewing with them, I wasn't thrilled with the "all-boys" aspect, even while they tried to convince me "boys learn differently than girls". However I let my son make his own choice, as every one of his several prospect schools were very good, so I figured his happiness & enthusiasm would be the over-riding factor in his academic success,

Turns-out the kid thrived there, and I think I underestimated the effect of "boys learn differently"!

You often only hear about this sort of thing in the "manosphere" where they are trying to "spin" it...but it is an issue.

Are We Failing Our Boys? – The Crisis In Education

Are you asking if there is a crisis looming? Are boys falling behind? And if so, what’s happened to our boys to make them fail and fall behind?

www.armyandnavyacademy.org

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1073203.pdf

And Merry Christmas to you and your family also!

From what I saw of my son thriving in an "all-boys" environment, the above might be right.

Thanks for the great conversation. (as always!)

 

[Nomad4Ever]

But of all this, my biggest concern is that no one person has the knowledge base to instruct an ambitious child in everything.

I find it hard to believe any one parent (or couple) could provide the depth & breadth of knowledge & assistance that a good school can offer.

My mom didn't instruct me in everything. Or much of anything for that matter. She found other resources for learning and made sure to encourage us in anything we took interest in. The Crash Course youtube channel where I learned a lot of history is used heavily in real school classrooms. Khan Academy is basically the singular best place to learn math online. I also learned a lot of econ 101 stuff on there as well as programming.

Before the internet I'm not sure how a parent could properly homeschool their kid to be honest. But these days there are more than enough free and paid online resources to fill in any gaps.

And finally, you claim you taught yourself mathematics. Have you ever tested yourself, to know your level of proficiency? Perhaps through ACT/SAT? And if you are proficient, do you believe all children can perform at your level of auto-didacticism?

I scored somewhere in the 90th percentile for math and the 98th percentile for reading/writing comprehension, as well as getting a nearly perfect score on the Army aptitude entrance test.

I'm finding it hard to believe all kids can become fully proficient in math & the hard sciences, auto-didactically. I know I couldn't! And when it comes to math, I thank God I was blessed with several excellent instructors and a killer tutor! Seriously.

It wasn't auto-didactically. If you go on Khan Academy you'll see it actually teaches you. And my mom made sure we spent a certain amount of time learning. We weren't like child prodigies studying math voluntarily late into the night or anything like that. She had to motivate us to sit down and learn stuff plenty of times.

But the main thing is she didn't care what we were learning. If she wanted me to get off my damn Nintendo DS and do something productive it didn't matter if I was learning math, or chemistry, or reading history. I'd just learn whatever was interesting to me.

But, I have concerns:

- What if the kid isn't a natural "learner", doesn't take self-initiative, doesn't enjoy reading or learning?

I don't see how school solves that. Getting your times tables pounded into you then memorizing a few facts you'll forget within a week for your history test isn't a better result. Obviously different kids might require different amounts of motivation and prodding to learn stuff. And as long as the parent is providing that structure and motivation I don't think that's worse than a teacher doing it.

- Who provides advanced understanding & explanation, that would ordinarily come from a learned person?

Somewhat explained already, but I think you can learn most stuff up to a highschool level online. Only once you reach the college level I think that kind of specific and specialized instruction is required.

But even college functions much differently (and better imo) than grade schools. You are encouraged to think a lot more in college. It is American grade schools that under perform massively. Our colleges are world class.

- Who enacts & directs the curriculum, to ensure the child gets a complete education.

The parents.

It isn't like our public schools are the best a deciding what a complete education looks like. I promise you I learned a much more complete understanding of history than the Eurocentric and heavily US sanitized version of history public schools teach.