When trying to decide between homeschool vs public school, there are a lot of things to consider. You may be wondering what the differences are, and how they would affect your child’s education. If you have school-age children, then making the right choice for their education is important, and you’re going to have a lot of questions. To help you make an informed decision, let’s take a look at the key differences of homeschool vs public school.
What Should The Difference Be?
Before we get into some facts about the differences between homeschool vs public school, I want to share an important piece of information with you.
There are, as you will read below, many differences between these two schooling methods – however, many homeschool parents try too hard to replicate the public school system, within their homeschool.
Homeschool and public school ARE different, and that’s because they SHOULD be different. The public school system is designed to teach a large number of children, the same information all at once. Whereas, homeschooling is all about the ability of the parent to customize their child’s education, and have the flexibility to pause, change, or adapt things as needed along the way.
If you are considering homeschooling, or you are currently a homeschooling family, don’t forget that homeschooling is a learning process for both parents and children alike. My advice is to NOT try and replicate public school at home, as it is rarely effective. Also, by doing so, you will be missing out on many of the benefits that homeschooling can bring to your family.
If you feel this is you, but aren’t sure how to do things differently, you may need to go through a process of deschooling. If you aren’t sure what that is, click here to read my blog post all about deschooling to learn everything you’ll need to know.
There is NO “One Size Fits All”
The other point I would like to make, is that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to homeschool, or public school. Every child is unique and every family has their own dynamic that plays into the child’s well being and education.
Although there are distinct differences between each type of schooling, there are lots of varying factors that would determine the outcome of a child’s education. I am a firm believer that educational methods alone, do not dictate the educational success or mental health of a child. Rather, it’s the family unit and loving support offered to a growing child, that has the LARGEST effect on their overall wellness and future success.
Here, I am simply stating some facts regarding the differences between homeschool and public school, that you may want to consider when deciding what would work for your family.
We all want our kids to receive a quality education, and at the end of the day, hopefully what you choose will be a good fit for your child. Just remember, there are many schooling options out there, and if something just isn’t working or doesn’t feel right, you can ALWAYS change course!
Homeschool vs Public School
Now let’s take a look at some of the most important and obvious differences between homeschool, and public school. Hopefully, this article will help to answer some of your questions and clear up any confusion you may have.
Children’s Education
When it comes to a child’s education, every parent wants their child to receive everything they need in order to graduate and become well educated, productive citizens. Both homeschool and public school can provide the education a child needs.
However, homeschooling does provide a more personalized educational experience, the ability to learn life skills at a younger age, and explore topics of interest more freely. This is not a “dig” at public schooling, it’s simply a fact based upon the realities of each setting.
Homeschool: Homeschooling is all about the ability to customize your child’s education, and allow them to explore their passions and interests. Homeschooled children benefit from one-on-one attention, and the ability to learn at their own pace.
There are a multitude of various homeschool curriculums to choose from, and every homeschooling parent has the freedom to educate their child in the way they see fit. Grades and test scores are less of a focus with homeschooling, unless they are required by your provincial/state laws.
Homeschoolers can go on to attend college or university if they choose to do so, just the same as public school kids. Actually, many studies show that homeschooled children perform better in post secondary education than public schooled children, however there are many variables involved in these outcomes. Homeschooling works well for some, and for others, it doesn’t.
Public School: The public school system has to be set up in a way that can “mass educate”. A public school teacher follows the curriculum that is designed by their provincial/state government. This educational system looks at grades and test scores, to evaluate whether or not the child has effectively “learned” each concept, and leaves little to no room for the pursuit of individual interests or life skills.
Unless a child has a private tutor, it’s harder to receive one on one attention if needed because of class sizes. If a concept isn’t easily grasped, the child can “fall behind”, which can affect them in many areas both academically, and emotionally.
This form of education can effectively teach kids what they need to know in order to achieve a high school diploma. For some it works well, and for some, it doesn’t.
Peer Pressure
There is a lot of debate on the positive and negative effects that peer pressure can have on children. Peer pressure is a normal part of all social interaction, and can be either good or bad, depending on the situation. Both public schooled, and homeschooled students are subject to peer pressure, but often in different ways.
Homeschool: Homeschool students do encounter peer pressure, but are often times much less negatively affected by it. Bullying is rarely a concern with homeschooling, and the need to “fit in” is less of an issue. Homeschoolers do not have the added stress of school violence, or feel the need to follow all the latest trends just to be accepted. Because of these factors, studies have shown that homeschoolers tend to have more self confidence than their public school peers.
Public School: Sadly, cases of bullying and school violence have been on the uprise in recent years. Most kids in public education face a lot of peer pressure to “fit in”, or else face being considered an ‘outcast’. It’s no secret that negative peer pressure, bullying, and violence are big problems within the public school system today. Bullying can have a detrimental effect on a child’s self esteem, and now, not only do kids have to try and navigate being bullied at school, but there’s the added pressure of social media. There have been far too many cases of online bullying that originated at school, and was then continued on various social platforms. This is a big problem that many parents are recognizing, and therefore choosing not to send their children to public school.
Social Skills
This is the most frequently asked question when it comes to homeschooling. Many people are worried about the level of social interaction within homeschool vs public school settings, and whether or not homeschooled children can develop good social skills. Rather than directly comparing the two, lets just take a look at some facts.
Many believe that traditional schooling is the only place children learn socialization skills – but that just isn’t true! The entire socialization myth was born out of a misconception of what homeschooling actually is. Many people who don’t understand homeschooling, think that children are isolated inside their homes, and alone all day long. This, of course, is ridiculous and entirely untrue!
Most homeschoolers are out and about all the time, participating in field trips, homeschool co-ops, and extracurricular activities such as music, dance, art, and more!
In fact there has been extensive research done on the benefits of socializing children with people of all ages, not just their peers. Dr. Raymond Moore, author of over 60 books and articles on human development, states in his book, The Hurried Child – “The idea that children need to be around many other youngsters in order to be ‘socialized’, is perhaps the most dangerous and extravagant myth in education and child rearing today.”
After analyzing over 8,000 early childhood studies, he goes on to conclude that, contrary to popular belief, children are best socialized by parents – not other children.
What Does This Mean?
So what does this mean for homeschool vs public school when it comes to social skills? It simply means that school, by far, is NOT where optimal social skills are developed. When children are spending the majority of their time only with their peers, they are missing out on some very important life lessons and social interactions, that can be gained from experiencing life surrounded by people of all ages.
Obviously, public school students who have active lives outside of their school environment can still have access to these types of socially diverse situations, but likely not nearly as often as homeschooled students.
In July of 2000, the Discovery Institute published an extensive report on homeschooling written by Senior Fellow Dr. Patricia Lines. After conducting several controlled studies on the social behaviours of homeschooled and non-homeschooled children, the conclusion was that the homeschooled children seemed to have less behavioural problems, and the conclusion was, as Dr. Lines states, “There is no basis to question the social development of homeschooled children.” You can read the full article written by Dr. Lines, here.
Lifestyle & Daily Schedule
One significant difference between homeschool vs public school families, is the overall lifestyle and daily schedule lived out by each. Personally, our family has experienced both sides – we haven’t always homeschooled – and I can say with great enthusiasm that I MUCH prefer the homeschooling lifestyle!
Homeschool: Homeschoolers have lots of flexibility, and the freedom to put whatever they want into their daily schedule – for the most part. They can decide when they want their school day to start and end, change it up if needed, and take days off whenever necessary.
There’s little to no rushing around in the mornings, since trying not to miss the bus or make it somewhere on time is really not something homeschoolers deal with.
Most homeschoolers are reportedly more rested and carry less stress.
They also have have the ability to schedule appointments or lessons during the daytime hours when places are typically less busy, and go on vacations any time that works for them.
Furthermore, the homeschooling lifestyle means there is always a lot of time spent with family, and this can really help strengthen family relationships. It also means that homeschooled kids are more exposed to the realities of everyday life, such as grocery shopping, cleaning the house, trips to the bank, etc. They see their parents live out adulthood in a much more up close and personal way, which in turn, teaches them many different life skills.
Lastly, because of the flexibility homeschool provides, children have the freedom of time to play and explore their interests on a deeper level.
Public School: Public school families have a stricter schedule to stick to, and have to plan their lives around the school schedule. Vacations, appointments, lessons, etc all have to be scheduled during the evenings or weekends – which can create a very full schedule when factoring the school hours into this as well.
Families who utilize the public school system are usually separated from each other during school days, with one or both parents at work, and the children at school. This leads to less family time together, and may contribute to some stress or distance within family relationships, although this is not the case for everyone.
Children in public school have less free time to explore their passions, and get lost in the art of “play”.
Many public school children are less rested, and carry more stress due to school related anxieties such as negative peer pressure, bullying, and the pressure to ‘fit in’.
Summary
The fact of the matter is, homeschool and public school are two entirely different educational methods, and there are many people who would argue for one way or the other. Personally, as someone who has experience with both methods, I tend to believe that homeschooling – especially in today’s world – is the best option overall.
With homeschooling, children can learn at their own pace, and have access to multiple different curriculums/online resources. They aren’t limited to the government curriculum, and can utilize whatever means available to broaden their minds. Homeschoolers typically deal with less negative influence from peers, and have the confidence and critical thinking skills needed to navigate peer pressure when it arises. Of course, this doesn’t mean they don’t make wrong choices – we ALL do that! But they don’t have the same constant pressure to conform that children in public school do, which leads to higher levels of independent thinking.
Both homeschool, and public school, if done intentionally and purposefully, can result in highly educated and well adjusted children. However, in today’s culture, there seems to be more and more reasons why parents want to avoid public school all together. That being said, I am well aware that not every family is able to homeschool, and not every child will thrive in that setting. Like I said earlier, all children and families are unique, and what’s most important is that the child is loved and supported.
I will also add that academic performance has its value, but it is not everything. Doing what you can to nurture the moral and spiritual character of your children is the most important task as a parent. As Christians, homeschooling has many incredible spiritual benefits that not only help build Godly character within your children, but bless the entire family unit. If this is of any interest to you, check out my post all about the spiritual benefits of homeschooling.
As a parent, all you can do is make the choice that is the best fit for your child, be willing to make changes when necessary, pray, and trust God for the outcome. He loves your children even more than you do, and they are in good hands when being held in His.
Blessings!
~Maryann
I could not resist commenting. Very well written! https://Ukrain-forum.biz.ua/
Thank you!