Homeschooling vs Traditional School: Finding the Right Balance

I've heard people homeschooling a lot of times but if I am being honest, I misunderstood the school part of it to be just an extra class lesson done at home. I never imagined it's about parents withholding their children from school settings to teach them at home until I heard the story of a woman that homeschooled her children herself.

I was so amazed by the story, she had been a teacher at different schools for years before she got married and her experience made her believe that children learn more bad morals than the actual education in school settings so she decided to do the teaching by herself using the approved school curriculum, she had three kids.

Now, imagine teaching all the subjects to each child as they progress from class to class. Because I heard she even prepares them for final examinations, the only time the children get to be in the midst of other children. I didn't get to hear the complete story to know if the kids think, act and behave in society because of that difference.

Even though the story isn't complete, I'm surprised and excited to share that there are indeed children who were homeschooled most of the years of their lives and I believe it's goes in both ways for the effects of this, the bad and good sides. And I'll say it's the same for the traditional schooling, there's good and bad sides.

Traditional schools have been the common path for years. Children go out, meet others, learn in a structured way, and follow a set curriculum. One strong benefit is social interaction, a child learns how to relate with others, make friends, solve conflicts, and understand different personalities. These are life skills that are hard to teach in isolation. Schools also expose children to different ideas and ways of thinking, which can help them grow beyond what they see at home.

I mean, that's the setting of education I know very well and has brought up kids more in our world today. But if I must compare both forms of education for a child: Homeschooling a child in isolation with other perks and going the traditional way in social interactions and other perks and bad effects. Neither of them is perfect.

Weighing both sides, traditional schooling seems to have a slight edge for most families, mainly because of social exposure and shared learning experiences. It doesn't mean homeschooling is a poor choice. In fact, for children who need special attention or a different learning style, homeschooling can be the better path for them.

In my opinion, the best approach is balance. If it's traditional school, parents should be involved in the child’s learning. Teach them values at home, guide their thinking, and fill in the gaps the system may leave. If it's homeschooling, make sure your child still has opportunities to interact with others like joining groups and relate in life.

Because if we're being honest with how the life is going, especially with our messed up school system, the goal is not just education, but growth. A child should not only know facts but also learn how to live, relate, think and be real.