Having a Choice Benefits Everyone
Should students and parents have a choice of where their students should attend their education? Having a choice is only fair because some schools offer curriculums that other schools do not have, some schools have a better teaching staff, and some parents want to homeschool their children. Diane Ravitch is a research professor of education along side of George H.W. Bush administration. According to her choice of school has failed over the years, especially through charter schools. Charter schools began as an aid for students who needed special attention and now they are a competition for public schools. All of this competition makes homeschooling sound like a very smart choice. People will constantly be against homeschooling and others will be on board. Homeschool advocates agree with homeschooling because statistics for SAT scores and percentiles are higher, and they typically have better social skills than public school students.
One critique about homeschooling is that parents may not be qualified to teach their kids and that it requires a certain set of skills. What those people do not know is that the parents follow a certain set of rules of textbooks and curriculum material. Patricia, author of Homeschooling Infographic: Homeschooling by the Numbers, provided four charts from DegreeSearch.org that prove homeschooling is a prestige choice for students. The first chart shows that homeschooling scored higher on reading, mathematics, and writing than both religiously affiliated schools and public schools. The second chart proves that homeschooling ranked higher in the average public school percentiles in every subject, including social studies and science. Ravitch mentions, “We must ensure that every student has the benefit of a coherent curriculum, one that includes history, literature, geography, civics, science, the arts, mathematics and physical education”. (24) It seems to be that homeschooling receives more knowledgeable about all subjects and not just math and reading.
The second critique about homeschooled children is the lack of social skills they develop. Non-advocates say that students are missing out on development and not getting the opportunity to be dispersed in with other children. This is another point that can be proven in many ways. Home school students are “better socialized than most high school students… ‘I know that sounds counterintuitive because they’re not around dozens or hundreds of other kids every day, but I would argue that’s why they’re better socialized,’ Kelly says”. (Sheehy 2012) People may say that homeschoolers don’t get the extra curricular activities that public school students get. Well,
they are wrong in that aspect too. There are clubs and athletic teams for homeschooled kids, which gets them out socializing. Another benefit to homeschooling is that students do not spend their whole day in a classroom. This gives them ample time to go out and explore the world and experience real life opportunities, more than public school students can.
Overall, homeschooling has many benefits over attending public schools. And the answer to those who do not agree with homeschooling: that is why we have a choice.
P. (2013, August 05). Homeschooling Infographic SAT Scores Homeschool vs Public School Stats. Retrieved June 03, 2016,
Ravitch, D. (2010, June 14). Why I Changed My Mind. The Nation, 20–24.
Sheehy, K. (2012, June 01). Homeschooled Students Well-Prepared For College, Study Finds. Retrieved June 03, 2016,
