Homeschooling.

[Rose]

I said often because every single homeschooled person I know, except for--as of maybe two months ago--me, is religious.

Do you think the fact that over 3/4 of the world is religious might have something to do with that?

Actually, that's what surprises me, because homeschooling isn't really that common.

I don't quite get what you're saying. Are you saying only homeschooled kids are religious on a regular basis? I'm pretty sure that a lot of the kids in public schools are religious and they just don't say anything about it.

[noops]

No, I think he's saying that religion tends to be one of the main factors in homeschooling; that homeschooling is usually done for religious purposes. Because some parents feel that they're children wouldn't get the same type of religious nurturing if they went to a regular school.

Now, that's not to say all homeschooling is like that; my experience is certainly different than, say, gloomp's.

Also: Lots of kids in the public school system are religious, but there's a good chance that they'll end up not being so religious, due to the... Nature of public schools. You know, what with sex, ahem "wild parties", and other such things. I have friends who go to public schools, and they're definitely not religious, even though they were raised to be, and their parents are.

[otters]

Do you think the fact that over 3/4 of the world is religious might have something to do with that?

Actually, that's what surprises me, because homeschooling isn't really that common.

I don't quite get what you're saying.

Yeah, that part wasn't entirely serious.

[Rose]

You know, what with sex, ahem "wild parties", and other such things.

Trust me, the same stuff goes on in private Christian schools, too. I get what you're saying though.

[Pikman]

If I were ever for some inexplicable reason forced to teach a theology class, I would be very tempted to make the course text be this.

I would attend.

As would I.

From the public school point of view, I would prefer the kind of unstructured system gloomp is talking about. School moves ridiculously slowly for me. Even worse, I have fairly limited control over my final schedule, so even though I plan to take all the classes I want to, I still have to deal with not getting into classes for whatever reason.

[origami_alligator]

I wouldn't say that homeschoolers are socially inept, as (at least where I am) there are a few homeschooling groups with events and misc. Also, homeschoolers I meet tend to be at least a little smarter than public schoolers, but I don't really know, as I am not the social type, and don't hang out with them.

You're not making a very good case. :/

I think something that home schooled children lose is a healthy dose of peer pressure and frequent interaction with others their own age. I knew a few kids who were home schooled until sophomore year and they were very flustered in social settings and were not well-adjusted to conversing among people their own age. You could hold a conversation with them but it took a little more effort than seemed necessary.
It wasn't really a problem as much as something I just happened to become aware of.

[ENT474]

Homeschooling tends to make it hard to contact socially. But, the classes and other things are freeform, and you can (basically) do most of the stuff you want to. For the social part of homeschooling, homeschools, etc. allows multiple families to be taught.

[jean-luc]

From my experience working with young children, the negative impact homeschooling has in terms of social aptitude is most significant for those at the primary (elementary) school level, and it may be entirely null at the secondary (high) level. I know several homeschoolers around 15-17 that seem perfectly normal, but on the other hand, I've had a very frustrating time working with 8-10 year olds that have very poor social skills and a great deal of trouble interacting with new people. Curiously, in my experience, a significant number of young homeschoolers have serious issues with their parents. I figure this is a result of the same behavior issues that resulted in the children being homeschooled - a lot of parents with behaviorally challenged children think the solution is homeschooling. Personally, I think this is quite detrimental, particularly considering that the public school system here provides ed counselors and psychiatrists, when homeschooling parents either can't or choose not to.

On the whole, I disapprove of home schooling along with private schooling, because I believe that the socioeconomically diverse population of a public school exposes students to diversity that quite simply makes them better people (more tolerant and understanding of other groups), while homeschooling and private school, while it doesn't necessarily socially isolate, does restrict social interaction to members of the same economic strata (which generally also means the same racial and social groups). Unfortunately, some people consider diversity a bad thing, thinking that the diverse community at a public school will somehow corrupt their child. To be blunt, I think these people are wrong and doing a disservice to their children.

[jean-luc]

When you say you're opposed to private schools, do you mean that you want to make them illegal?

Good heavens, no. I just don't think they're a good idea - there's a huge difference between that and thinking they should be illegal.

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

On the whole, I disapprove of home schooling along with private schooling, because I believe that the socioeconomically diverse population of a public school exposes students to diversity that quite simply makes them better people (more tolerant and understanding of other groups), while homeschooling and private school, while it doesn't necessarily socially isolate, does restrict social interaction to members of the same economic strata (which generally also means the same racial and social groups). Unfortunately, some people consider diversity a bad thing, thinking that the diverse community at a public school will somehow corrupt their child. To be blunt, I think these people are wrong and doing a disservice to their children.

Yeah, but sometimes the academics at public schools are not very good. In my experience this correlates very closely with the economic status of the area a public school serves.

So the question boils down to: are you willing to sacrifice education for social awareness?
I, personally, would rather my child be a well-educated asshole than a stupid hippie.

[otters~1]

So the question boils down to: are you willing to sacrifice education for social awareness?
I, personally, would rather my child be a well-educated asshole than a stupid hippie.

Ew, no. Far better to be someone everyone likes to hang out with than a socially inept but smart person who's incapable of communicating ideas and thoughts.

[SlappyMcGee]

So the question boils down to: are you willing to sacrifice education for social awareness?
I, personally, would rather my child be a well-educated asshole than a stupid hippie.

Ew, no. Far better to be someone everyone likes to hang out with than a socially inept but smart person who's incapable of communicating ideas and thoughts.

Like the President!

[lord_day]

On the whole, I disapprove of home schooling along with private schooling, because I believe that the socioeconomically diverse population of a public school exposes students to diversity that quite simply makes them better people (more tolerant and understanding of other groups), while homeschooling and private school, while it doesn't necessarily socially isolate, does restrict social interaction to members of the same economic strata (which generally also means the same racial and social groups). Unfortunately, some people consider diversity a bad thing, thinking that the diverse community at a public school will somehow corrupt their child. To be blunt, I think these people are wrong and doing a disservice to their children.

I went to private school, and don't think that any of what you said applies to myself, or the other people at my school. Granted, that school wasn''t as socioeconomically diverse as most states school would be, but that didn't make us less tolerant or less understanding of others groups. As far as I can tell, there is no difference between my state school and private school friends on that front.

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

a socially inept but smart person who's incapable of communicating ideas and thoughts.

You were doing fine until you got to that last part.
How the hell does the last bit follow?
It has only ever been my experience that stupid people I talked to are incapable of discussing particulars about meaningfully complex topics. A smart but socially inept person might not know the "right" thing to say, but that's a socializing problem and not a communication problem. They can communicate perfectly well what they intend to; they just lack the realization that it's probably not a good idea to do so.

Besides which, as a well-/privately-educated person, I think of my social skills as a superset of those of a less educated person. I can fit in effortlessly among the upper class and high academia just as I can with the lowest common denominator in the same categories. In fact, while I prefer the former, I frequently interact with the full spectrum.

But maybe I'm the exception rather than the rule.
...even though I totally rule, and am exceptional.

[Yoshimo]

I've actually been in four school systems, one of which was just homeschooling, so it has it's merits, definitely. I was socially isolated, which really blew ass when I transfered to a private school, but I was about a grade ahead of everyone else, academically. And it was fun to eat pancakes during lessons. Very laid back. Again, that very thing probably made me the procrastinator I am today.

Pros:

Paced teaching
Pancakes
Leisure

Cons:

Social isolation
Laziness

[Tanner]

And it was fun to eat pancakes during lessons.

I gotta get me some homeschooling!

[乳头的早餐谷物]

I've actually been in four school systems, one of which was just homeschooling, so it has it's merits, definitely. I was socially isolated, which really blew ass when I transfered to a private school, but I was about a grade ahead of everyone else, academically. And it was fun to eat pancakes during lessons. Very laid back. Again, that very thing probably made me the procrastinator I am today.

I suppose good English lessons weren't one of "it's" merits.

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

I'm mostly apprehensive about homeschooling because most of its supporters appear to be detached from reality.

If you're looking for the relevance:

Schlafly brags on Conservapedia that he has homeschooled 185 children, all of whom do exceptionally well on standardized tests.

[noops]

I don't know any homeschoolers like that. I live in a more... Hippie oriented community, though.


Actually, now that I think about it, the homeschoolers I know are pretty sane compared to the publicly schooled folks I associate with. This one guy I know actually was talking about how the world is only two-thousand years old, or some shit. Though I think that it was mostly due to ignorance, rather than a bad schooling environment, which aren't necessarily the same thing.

[Vyacheslav]

I think he was saying something along the lines of the world revolves around Christianity, therefore, it's only existed since the days of Jesus.

[Rose]

I think he was saying something along the lines of the world revolves around Christianity, therefore, it's only existed since the days of Jesus.

I just lost my faith in human intelligence.

[Amadeus]

Seeing how little actual important information you learn at school, it seems like more of an excuse to get kids to socialize than anything... and homeschooling totally denies the kid of that. Unless you just don't enjoy socializing, or your favorite past-time is memorizing a thousand digits of pi.

Edit: Actually though, I have a pretty good friend who's homeschooled, but he swims on a club and for the highschool year round, plays guitar in a band, and does in a lot of other socializing-oriented activities, and he's turned out alright.

[Vyacheslav]

I know a girl who was home schooled and she went to art classes with me. She's going to one of the nation's top 100 colleges and she likes metal. Therefore, (to me, at least), she is a prime example of a normal home-schooled kid. Then there's that history teacher I had in high school whose kids were home schooled and they attended Irish dancing lessons...

[Tanner]

When did this thread become the "Home School Kid Story Hour"?

[SlappyMcGee]

The only kid I ever knew was this fat motherfucker who once punched me for stealing a french fry and thinks that the new Simpsons are way better than the old simpsons.