by Maricel Orona

Created on: August 24, 2008

Both homeschooling and formal education have their positive attributes, but in todays society formal education is a far better choice for children of all ages. While homeschooling has the advantage of helping a student feel comfortable and perhaps learning more in a familiar enviorment. Formal education offers the advantage of learning how to interact in the world, which is full of all sorts of social situations. For example a child begins homeschooling after starting school because they are uncomfortable with strangers. Eventually they have to go to college or get a job they would be unfamiliar with how they should act with collegues customers and fellow students.

While their education didnt suffer their social skills more than likely would. If they had continued with their formal education they would have eventually solved any problems they would have had with strangers on their own. Along with future problems like how to negotiate problems succesfully with others in a working enviorment or how to make small talk, create lasting relationships with others, dealing with peer pressure,and ultimately just being able to feel comfortable in their surroundings. Formal education offers students the chance to interact with others, developing independance and crucial social skills.

Recieving a formal education often ensures that students are exposed to a variety of situations that would otherwise be nonexistant in homeschooling. Most of them would be considerd negative in most peoples eyes. Things like drugs, pregnancy, learning disabilities, illnesses, poverty, and people from different walks of life. While these are all viewed negatively every one of them can help someone grow and learn as a person. If a students classmate became pregnant that student would witness the troubles and hardships the pregnant classmate expieriences further encouraging the student to be safe when dealing with sex using protection or even practicing abstinenense.

Many people would argue at this point what if the student has the opposite reaction and feels encouraged to have a baby of their own. I personally feel a students decision on those matters should start at home. If that students parents are actively involved in the students life showing them right from wrong they would have no reason to feel encouraged to have a child. Parents give the guidelines to a childs morals while school offers them the experience to make their own decisions, if their early teachings are well made their decisions should be to.

Homeschooling is a great way to ensure that a pupil is fully equipped with an education that covers a wide range of topics teachers feel are personally necessary to the students education, but it often lacks the formidable advantage formal education offers, fully developed social skills that are necessary in every day life.

Learn more about this author, Maricel Orona.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.