Ravings of a Lunatic on Homeschooling.

I just got back from my youngest sister's graduation. I'd have to say that the 18 hour drive there and back was far more interesting than the ceremony itself. Well, other than the 4.7 minutes my family took to share how proud they were of her and let her know that she had good things to look forward to. But honestly! Five minutes out of three hours. Lets see... that's a ratio of 1:36 which I do beleive is worse than watching baseball!

NOTE: Daryl also blogged about Katie's grad over here and this entry is largely sympathetic to his so you may want to read his first.

Albeit a bit grudingly, I have to admit that I agree with some of his points about home schooling and the resulting mediocrity. I used to have a lot of respect for parents who are willing to buck the system and put the time into their kids but that's pretty much gone now. After watching that grad ceremony I began to wonder how they could think that they could possibly be a math teacher, a science teacher, a physics teacher, an english teacher, a social studies teacher, a music teacher, a computer teacher, a biology teacher, a french teacher, a chemistry teacher, a phys-ed teacher, a *fillintheblank* teacher and still provide the breadth and depth required to educate a young adult. Did I mention typing teacher, art teacher, shop teacher, home-ec teacher, outdoor-ed teacher, economics teacher, sociology teacher, band teacher, etc.

I mean, really, all the teachers I know went to University for at least four years just to be qualified to teach! Most of the ones who are my friends today went longer than that and you know what? Unless they're elementary school teachers they only teach one or two subjects! Which subjects do they teach? How about the ones that they majored in while in University! Can you honestly tell me that a person can do a better job than the public education system simply because they are the parent of their child? You expect me to believe that they can actually pull it off with any amount of finesse and quality? Maybe at the elementary school level... possibly at the junior high level. But high school? Heck! Most of the students I was in school with had a hard enough time learning all the different subjects! How can a parent without any further education be able to teach all those subjects? If I said I couldn't do it, does that make me inferior?

Now some parents will say that the reason why they should home school is that the public system is too crowded and the teachers are too overworked to really provide their child with a proper education. They'll point out tons of flaws in the system and then when teachers go on strike, the home school parents will point to them and say "I told you so!"

But please, take a step back for a moment. How many teachers spent four years of university (and all that tuition) for the money they would make in the education system? None. Zero! Teaching doesn't pay that well and honestly, nobody is that naive. How many of them got into teaching for the chance to work with the youth, to help shape future generations, to spend their time where it really counts? Probably most of them (the old adage that "those who can't do, teach!" likely covers the rest), and yes they were that naive. But really, were their ideals so different than that of the home-school parent?

Let me ask the home school parents this: Since you're so willing to buck the system and work your ass off to give your kids a mediocre education, why be elitist and withdraw from the system when you could put that same effort into the system and make it better for all your kids? (You do have more than one right?) Why not rally all the other home school parents (all the same ones who helped you plan the three hour grad ceremony) and re-work the system? Why not go to the teachers and show that you value them, their idealism and their abilities and get them on board? Why not make a difference for everyone? After all, that's one of the values that you want to instill in your child isn't it? That they can make a difference?

Another question for you? Where do home schoolers get exposed to the synergy found in the public system. I'm talking about the ideological conflict that occurs when people of differing backgrounds, different upbringings and contrasting opionions get together for a group project and hash out who's doing what. How will the heated discussions about politics and religions and interpretations of literture and history happen? Sure, children disagree with their parents all the time but what about the opportunity to disagree with their classmates? What about learning how to function in the real world (and I'm not talking social skills here). How is a home schooled child going to learn to work as a team? Do you really think that you can have them be the only student in their "class" and still come out knowing what its like to be part of something bigger than themselves? Like a soccer team, a band, a huge fundraiser?

Can a parent really pass those things onto their child when its clear that by homeschooling they don't value them? And if homeschooling is so great, why is then that they have to get together with other homeschoolers to provide that "well rounded" education that they prize so highly? How is that any different than putting kids in school? Heck, out here the home schoolers even use the schools' gymnasium's, library and other facilities. Don't get me wrong, I think thats a Good Thing but isn't it also an admission that home schooling can't cover all the bases? And do my taxes go to cover that home schooled child's use of the public facilities? (The answer is yes, they do.)

Okay, enough is enough. If I really wanted to make this blog entry worth the time I spent on it then I probably should have argued against Daryl's opinion instead of penning this lame excuse. I do disagree with him on one point though. The grad band. Yes, they were horrible. Yes they butchered some wonderful songs, especially the Fisherman song and Trading my Sorrows, but honestly, at least they tried. I'm pretty sure they knew how bad they were and yet they got up in front of all those people anway. That's courage. And if I said I've never butchered a song in front of a huge room of people, I'd be lying. In fact, even after I'd been playing bass for about six years I blew an entire concert with a lapse in judgement. I had purchased a six string bass about a month earlier and decided to use if for a concert before I had fully adjusted to it. Trust me, I won't make the same mistake again but I'm a better musician now for having made it. Those kids are too.

The real blame is on the parents for making a bad decision on behalf of their children. By taking them out of a flawed but functional system they've taught their children how to withdraw and avoid instead of setting a real world example and showing their kids how to adapt and survive in the real world.