BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — According to Education Week, as of June, there have been 22 school shootings in the U.S.
In view of the above statistic and last month’s horrifying murders of 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas elementary school, a number of parents are increasingly wary about sending their children to public schools.
Some may even be weighing the option of homeschooling.
Benefits of homeschooling
Homeschooling can be a great option for students who require more flexibility and/or accommodations than a local public school is equipped to provide. In fact, according to Lifehack, one study of 20,000 homeschooled children revealed that homeschooled students scored better on tests. A separate study indicated that the homeschoolers in the SAT test were scoring around 67 points more than the national average.
Some of the benefits of homeschooling may include:
- Students are able to learn at their own pace– Homeschooling can be adapted to every student’s academic needs, whether they’re ahead, behind, strong-willed, creative, challenging, quiet, gifted, or active.
- Special needs and situations are accommodated- Parents can prioritize a student’s mental, emotional, behavioral, and physical health. Homeschooling also works well for military families, families who travel, and families contending with illness and challenging work schedules.
- It can encourage increased community interaction/volunteerism: If lesson plans are created with a focus on community engagement, this can allow students to spend time volunteering in local activities with peers and people of all ages and backgrounds.
Challenges that may come with homeschooling
Some educational experts say that homeschooling comes with its fair share of challenges, which may include:
- Lack of social interaction/increased isolation– In most cases, homeschooling fails to expose students to the daily socialization of sitting beside a peer and sharing the typical in-person, school experience.
- Absence of curriculum structure– In a public school setting, teachers are required to create a curriculum with a specific structure that keeps students on task. But, if a homeschool student isn’t provided with such structure by their parent or by a virtual teacher, they’ll be left to decide for themselves what to study and when. When this occurs, if the student is not fastidious, their education may suffer.
- Financial burden– In a public school setting, laptops, computers, and other equipment is often provided by the school. There is also the option of taking the school’s music lessons, dance classes, and other arts and/or sports classes with minimal payment for equipment and gear. But when a homeschooled student needs access to laptops, computers, and equipment/gear for arts and sports-related lessons, these costs may be up to the parent to cover in full. In addition to this, most homes are not equipped with sports facilities like swimming pools, tracks, gyms, and courts. So, getting a child into a gym or other facility that has all of these features may be an added fee for parents.
Resources for parents
As parents consider whether or not to homeschool their children, there are resources that can help them make a final decision.
Several are listed below: