Parent’s Taking Control Of Their Children’s Education Essay, Research Paper

Never before in the United States have

parents been so disgruntled about their children’s education. The main

reason behind this massive disruption is that public schools are not living

up to parent’s standards. Therefore, parents are taking their children’s

educations and futures into their own hands, and doing so quite efficiently.

Many parents are turning to ["an alternative"] means of educating known

as home schooling. Home schooling is simply ["education of school- aged

children at home rather than at school."] Parents are choosing home schooling

over public because public schools are not meeting their children’s academic,

individual, and handicap needs.

First, parents are choosing home schooling

over public schooling because public schools are not meeting student’s

academic needs. [Parents expect their children will learn to read, write,

and acquire basic math skills by the time they graduate.] However, public

schools throughout the United States are failing to teach these basic achedemic

skills. Recent studies show that [" Of the 2.4 million who graduate, as

many as 25% cannot read or write at the eighth grade level or "functionally

literate," level, according to some estimates."] This is a tragic statistic

for a nation claiming to be so developed. There are more opportunities

to education in the United States than any other country in the world,

yet evidence shows that the United States ranks [" at the bottom of 19

industrial nations in reading, writing, and arithmetic."] In addition,

students are ranking lower than ever on Academic Achievement Tests (ACT).

Children who attend public schools rank in the [" 50th percentile."] whereas,

home schooled children [" typically score at the 65th to 80th percentile...."]

To add to these statistics, [" in December 1989, the education press reported

the amazing news that children schooled at home seemed to be five or even

ten years ahead of their formally trained peers in their ability to think."]

These statistics prove that home schooled children are doing better in

math, science, reading and writing, compared to children attending public

schools.

Secondly, parents are choosing home schooling

over public schooling because public schools are no longer taking student’s

individual needs into consideration. Since students are taught lessons

based on an academic calendar year, they are expected to be able to complete

specific tasks by the end of that year. When students fail to meet these

expectations they are required to repeat the same grade the following school

year. For example, at the end of a school year if a student is having difficulties

reading but doing well in other subjects he or she will be required to

repeat the same grade. If students were properly tutored in the areas they

are having difficulties in they would not have to repeat the same grades.

Unfortunately public schools do not give special tutoring to students like

they once did. Teachers in the public school systems are teaching students

as though they are on an assembly line. They no longer work ["one-to-one...."]

with them. Unlike public schooling, home schooling allows parents to teach

in a style that best fits their children’s needs. For example if a child

is not prepared to move on to a higher level, the parent can continue with

similar lessons until the child understands. Also, children are not held

back in the same grade if they are lagging behind in particular subjects.

Their parents can move them to the next grade and tutor them in the subjects

they are having trouble in. Children who are home schooled also get individual

attention from their parents. They do not have to worry about waiting for

their teacher to find time to help them. In sum, parents are finding that

home schooling meets the individual needs of their children better than

public schooling.

Finally, parents of children with physical

and mental disabilities are finding that home schooling meets their children’s

handicap needs better than public schooling. A major downfall of public

schooling is that handicapped students are graded in the same style as

the rest of the students. In public schools, children with handicaps are

still expected to complete all of their assignments in the same given time

as other students. Teachers are not taking these children’s handicaps into

consideration. For example, children with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)

have trouble staying focused and are easily distracted. As a result of

constantly being distracted, they are not able to complete their assignments.

This type of grading style has become a great concern for parents of handicapped

children. Because of situations like this one, parents are making decisions

to teach their handicapped children at home. By teaching their children

at home they are in an environment that is equipped to aid in their development.

For instance, children with ADD ["are in an environment where they cannot

be influenced by the action of other children...."] and cannot be easily

distracted. In addition, they have special time to complete their assignments.

They can also have all of [" their assignments tailored to fit their abilities

and needs."] By home schooling children with learning disabilities are

given equal chances of succeeding in their education which they otherwise

would not get in public schooling.

Public schools may have been the center

for learning years ago. However, today they are not meeting children’s

academic, individual, and handicapped needs. As a result, parents are choosing

to educate their children through home schooling. Statistics show that

home schooled children are ahead of children who attend public schools

by a noticable degree. In addition, Handicapped children are having their

needs met better at home more so than in public schools. They are being

given an equal chance at succeeding in their education that they otherwise

would not have when attending public schools. In summary, parents are choosing

home schooling because it currently offers the best solution to their problems

facing the public school systems.