Home Schooling Vs. Public School

Yesterday my sister and I had a glorious day travelling to Sechelt on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast. I was there to deliver a presentation on incorporating Sign Language into preschool programs. It was a perfect B.C. fall day so our spirits were high.

While on the ferry we got into a conversation around home schooling as she has a friend who has chosen to home school her seven year old. We talked about people we knew where it was obviously successful and others where we thought it hasn’t been successful. It lead us to a discussion around the whole notion of “protecting” children from the mainstream. I’ve always been intrigued why some parents decide their children won’t be part of the regular system. The thinking being that they will have more success in life if they’re educated at home.

With our youngest child now in Grade 11, the public school system is almost behind us. It’s not a perfect system, for sure. My children have been exposed many children who have not been positive influences. They’ve had some great teachers and some who were not so great. Has it hurt them? Will they be less equipped to handle what life offers them? Would they have been more well rounded adults had we decided to keep them away from the mainstream?

My daughter is studying “Global Stewardship” in college. She’s very socially conscious and interested in the work of non-government organizations (NGO’s) and hopes one day to be a part of one. In my opinion her sensativety and tolerence towards others is partly based on her experience in the public school system. Her interest in global issues was sparked while in high school.