Home-schooling: Your opinion?

[radishhead]

 

Well, I noticed that there was a bit of a debate going on in the other thread - and it was making it go a bit off topic - but I realise that it's something that people feel quite passionate about, so I don't see why there can't be a seperate thread to hold the debate. I'm going to outline the main pros and cons of home-schooling, and then you guys can talk about your personal experiences, and how you feel about the matter :)

What is Home-Schooling?

- Home-schooling is different to going to a public, private or boarding school. Students learn the same subjects in the curriculum as others although they can choose not to. This method of schooling is considered by some as being especially supportive of students who have special educational needs, those who are victims of bullying and even those who are moving from place to place for personal or professional reasons.

 

Reasons for choosing home-schooling

• A better education for you child (arguable, but this is what the website said)
• Religious reasons
• Disability and illness
• Special needs
• Child has been bullied
• Poor educational environments in the local area

Pros and cons of home-schooling

Pros

For students who have been bullied and do not wish to go back to school, home-schooling can help them continue their studies without the fears and abuse they faced.

For many ill and disabled children, Home-schooling is often the only way they can receive an education.

Professional students such as singers, actors and those with parents who travel a lot are often travelling to different cities and countries but still require having the same education as the others.

Cons

Home-schooling can be costly compared to public school.

Only the tutor can guarantee the level of education received, and whether or not it follows the curriculum correctly. The student must trust that the tutor is educating to the requirements set by the local authority.

As home-schooled students study alone, some may feel lonely or suffer from a lack of social, interpersonal and communication skills.

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Of course, that's a really basic outline of what it means to be homeschooled, and the potential benefits of it. Personally, I don't think that it's a good idea to take a child away from interacting with others in a learning/working environment, unless it's neccessary (ie. a disability), although I don't see anything wrong with hiring a tutor for additional learning while outside of school. 

What are your thoughts? :)