The Argument Against Homeschooling - Pros and Cons

When thinking about an argument against homeschooling, several come to mind. Homeschool parents have to deal with many issues and obastacles. Hopefully they have a supportive network of friends and family members, but sometimes that is not the case.

Issues used as an argument against homeschooling:

argument against homeschooling
  1. Curriculum - Many people think that homeschool curriculum is not as good as public school curriculum, parents are not qualified to choose it, you need a teaching degree to be able to choose it, and that it is too expensive. These are all valid issues but really not a good reason to choose public school over homeschooling. Think about how much parents teach their children even before they think about school. They teach them to walk, talk, eat, use the bathroom, play with other children and lots of other skills. Did they buy a curriculum to teach them these things? No. They might have consulted a few books, but they did what comes naturally when it comes to teaching their children what they need to know. Homeschooling is just basically an extension of what the parent is doing already. There are many ways to homeschool for free or almost free, so expense should not be an issue.
  2. Laziness - People think that parents will not not make their children do their work. Let me tell you, if parents make the decision to homeschool, they know that in most states they will have to answer for what the child knows at the end of the year. Their child will either have to take a test or be assessed by a public school teacher. I don't think too many parents want to have that on their shoulders. Most of the time the opposite is true - parents are so afraid that they are not doing enough.
  3. Socialization - This is probably the biggest argument against homeschooling. The truth is, though, that if you spend any time with a range of homeschool students, you will see that they are usually very well adjusted socially. They spend time with siblings, parents, grandparents, and people in the community. Let's face it, if you can get along with your siblings all day, you can get along with anyone. There are many socialization opportunities for homeschoolers.
  4. Sports - In most states homeschool students cannot participate in high school sports unless they take at least 5 classes. Some school districts allow younger students to participate and some don't. Anyone can participate in community sports such as biddy basketball, wrestling, football, soccer, etc. Many homeschool support groups have sports teams such as soccer and basketball leagues. Upwards is a great Christian organization that allows younger students to play soccer, basketball and cheerleading in a positive atmosphere. Some families pay for lessons like ballet, baton, gymnastics, and others.

Whatever your argument against homeschooling, make sure you keep in mind that you choose the school option that is best for the child. The child is the most important person here and has the most to lose or gain when it comes to homeschooling.

As with parenting, there are many pros and cons, but we choose to be parents anyways. We choose to take the good with the bad because we know we will have a richer life because of it.

On a more positive note, here are some positive things about homeschooling: