Home Schooling, Schooling or No Schooling? Pros and Cons

When it comes to educating your child, a number of possibilities and questions might come up for you. If you’re thinking about homeschooling, there are certain things that you need to consider; while if you’re planning on sending your kid to a more typical school there are also considerations to make as well. Every parent wants to ensure the best education for their child, but opinions differ on what that actually means. There are a lot of options out there, and of course, every child is any way different in how they learn best.

With each idea surrounding education, there are a lot of preconceived notions that may or may not be true. For instance, you might think of homeschooling as the exclusive domain of religious fanatics who want to shelter their kids from the evil influences of the outside world, and unschooling as something that only weird hippy types resort to – these are both clearly misconceptions. Similarly, you might believe that traditional schooling – particularly public schools – will not give your child the individual attention that they need to learn and grow, but this is not entirely true either. There are advantages and drawbacks regardless of whether you’re choosing between public or private schooling, homeschooling, or unschooling. You should carefully weigh the pros and cons of each, considering not only the merits of each method but also how much time and attention you can afford to give your child’s education. After all, not everyone has the time to actually homeschool their kids.

Homeschooling

Homeschooling can be a great option in some circumstances, but it’s not for everyone. Some parents lack the time and energy needed to properly homeschool their child, while sometimes children need the social environment that only a school could offer. Public schools are geared for the average student, while some students struggle and gifted kids tend to get bored – in this case, homeschooling could turn out to be a great option. If extra-curricular activities are important for you or your child, then maybe homeschooling won’t be the best choice.

Homeschooling also necessitates major lifestyle changes that you may or may not be prepared for, and so you should also keep this in mind. You’ll not only have the responsibility of organising curriculum, but also field trips and all of that. That being said, there are a lot of resources at your disposal.

Pros:

1. offers your child the individual attention that they need
2. you can customise the curriculum to your child’s needs
3. you can focus on the subjects that they need help with

Cons:

1. no chance for extra-curricular activities
2. less chance for your child to socialise
3. necessitates lifestyle changes that you may not be able to make
4. takes more of your time

Schooling

Schools offer students a lot of opportunities to learn, and indeed they’re not without their own advantages. Since schools have students of all personality types and from diverse backgrounds, they not only teach your child academics but also help in developing necessary social skills. Some students learn better in a classroom, and they’ll have the advantage of being taught by someone familiar with the curriculum. In addition to this, many schools offer a wide variety of extra-curricular activities that they wouldn’t be able to do at home. For instance, if your child wants to play sports or has an interest in theatre, they wouldn’t typically be able to engage in these activities with homeschooling.

Pros:

1. trained teachers familiar with the curriculum
2. extra-curricular activities
3. more chance to learn social skills

Cons:

1. lack of individual attention
2. the curriculum is tailored for the average student, which leaves behind kids who struggle as well as gifted children
3. more chances of bullying

No-Schooling

Unschooling might seem a little like homeschooling, but it’s basically the philosophy of “learning what one wants when one wants, as one wants” rather than adhering to a set curriculum. Like homeschooling, you’ll need to devote time and attention to your child’s education, but the approach is different. An unschooled child is led by interest, rather than schooled in a similar manner to the way they would be in the classroom. This, of course, comes with plenty of advantages and disadvantages, but it’s a great way for a child to learn organically.

Pros:

1. children learn naturally
2. an unschooled child is not subjected to an artificial learning environment
3. unschooling creates an interest in learning for learning’s sake, rather than to pass tests

Cons:

1. requires a strong commitment from parents
2. may not work for every child
3. unschooled children may have more trouble with getting into college

Teacher vs Tutor

Regardless of which type of education you choose for your child, it might be helpful to hire further maths tutor to help with things. As it turns out (which might not come as that much of a surprise anyway), teachers make great tutors. While a college student in a particular major might know that subject well, chances are that a trained teacher will come with the know-how to actually help a student succeed in a particular subject much better than someone who simply knows the topic.

Furthermore, even if a student in a classroom wouldn’t necessarily get that much attention from a given teacher, a teacher working as a tutor will willingly give the time it takes to further your child’s understanding. So, when we say which can work better between a teacher vs a tutor, the prominent answer by most will be a teacher.

No matter if you’re homeschooling or unschooling your child, or if you choose a traditional school, chances are that a tutor will help them to succeed with their studies. In this case, it’s well worth it to find a tutor who’s trained as a teacher, because of the advantages this would offer. After all, someone with a background in teaching will have the relevant experience to help any student succeed in learning a difficult subject. Some parents come with an innate ability to help others learn, but it could very well be that you lack understanding of a particular subject (this could especially be true for more advanced students) and in this case, it’s necessary to hire someone who knows that subject better. Especially if you’re homeschooling or unschooling your child, a tutor can be useful to further their education.