by Gail Dennehy

Created on: July 14, 2009   Last Updated: July 25, 2009

What does college offer students today? A well-grounded education and preparation for life. What does it demand in return? Personal responsibility and the ability to focus on individual study.

Individual study is the key and often the downfall for public school children who proceed to college. Coming from classes that contain anywhere from twenty-five to forty students, they have seldom experienced or been encouraged to participate in independent study. The schools do say that they offer opportunities for this type of education but, in fact, the simple number of students involved with one teacher demand a rigorous and set curriculum. A room with thirty children would soon descend into anarchy if they were allowed to each go their own way. By comparison, students who are schooled at home often create their own schedules and curriculum based on their interests and abilities.

There is a great deal of wasted time involved in moving thirty or forty children between classes, too. Given a forty-five minute class, the first five and last five are spent organizing papers and books and settling down. Then the teacher must pass around handouts or get all the students on the same page of the same book, another five minutes wasted. A good one third of the time of each class is thus spent on organization and behavior. The focus of the child schooled at home is on the work. His schedule isn't dictated by bells or time spans mandated by a board of education.

Socialization is often seen as the main difference in the two types of education, however, group interaction is not the primary focus of a college education. The time home-schooled children spend in independent study prepares them for the demands of college academics. Since they are more used to studying and functioning as individuals, rather than members of a group, they are better able to deal with the loneliness and challenges of living apart from family and friends than the public school students who were part of larger groups.

Many public school children come from working families. Their parents are away or exhausted when they finally see their children. Teaching ethics such as personal responsibility requires time and attention that is often lacking in both classes and home environments. Parents who home-school have made the choice to be involved with their children daily in a positive and deep relationship. The attention they can give their children is intense and can include ethical training. In fact, the teaching of ethics such as personal responsibility is often one of the deciding factors in home education.

So, who is better able to find success in college? I believe that a home-schooled child who has studied independently for years, is far better prepared to attend and succeed in college. Our public schools are failing in many ways and this is one of the most serious. It's time public school started encouraging independence and individuality in America's students. It's crucial if this country expects to compete in the future.

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