homeschooler

The myth of socialization

Perspectives From a Home-schooled Child

Posted: April 27, 2002
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2002 WorldNetDaily.com

By looking at the e-mails to the editor this week, questions about home-schooling are still in play. Along with doubts about the home-schooling atmosphere and educational results, there is large concern over whether home-schoolers are properly socialized.

These concerns are spread throughout America, accusing home-schoolers, because they are educated at home with a loving parent, of not learning the necessary socialization skills required in later life.

I, as a home-schooler, am tired of my intelligence being insulted every time I turn around. Probably the most fabricated or misconstrued idea about home-schooling is that the child is inhibited from obtaining essential socialization skills.

The largest group spreading this disinformation is the National Education Association. In its 2000-2001 Resolutions, it writes, "The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience."

In a letter to NEA President Bob Chase, the National Home Education Network wrote asking what their resolution regarding home schooling was based on. He replied, saying, "During the 1998 [Representative Assembly], delegates approved the policy on homeschooling. They were concerned that homeschooled students were not provided a comprehensive education experience because they did not have an opportunity to interact with students of different cultures, economic status or learning styles." In other words, because I stayed at home with my mother, brother and sister and not several hundred other children down the street, I will fail.

It is obvious that home-schooling has stepped in the way of the NEA's agenda, and because of the fact that home-schoolers make up less than 1 percent of the American population, groups such as the NEA are able to spread this obvious disinformation and deceit.

The premise of the war against home-schooling is that children do not obtain the needed socialization skills. By agreeing with that, you have to concede the point that public schools, private schools, etc., are the only source for socializing.

Ever hear of church, sports, community events or neighbors down the block? Many home-schoolers, such as myself, play sports, go to church, attend community events, play musical instruments and many other things.

Maybe if public schools learned from home-schoolers and focused less on socializing in class and focused more on learning, the average test score for public school students might be greater than 50 percent.

Critics state that the majority of home-schoolers are antisocial. In contrast, dare I suggest that, in proportion, there are more antisocial students in public schools rather than home-schools.

With one-on-one learning action with parents, many home-schoolers are able to communicate far better with adults, compared to their public-schooled peers – leading to a greater success in the future.

Because of the rough peer pressure (pressure to have sex, use drugs, commit crime, cheat on tests, or pressure to commit other unethical behavior) and social situations, many are left out in the cold by other pupils – unlike the alternative choice of home-schooling.

Tied to the antisocial claim is that home-schoolers will most likely fail in later life – quite humorous. Even if you were to concede that home-school students are antisocial in grade school, saying that they will fail in later life because of it is nothing short of absurd. Just because a person is not a part of the "group" in their childhood does not mean they can't communicate in the present or future.

Although home-schoolers make up less than 1 percent of the population, you find home-schoolers winning the national spelling and geography bees, as well as being Rhodes Scholars, doctors, politicians, presidents, founding fathers and much more.

The start of the public education system only began in the previous century, but using the NEA's logic, all people educated before 1900, including all the founding fathers, government officials, doctors, lawyers and people from all occupations were not given a comprehensive education experience and not properly socialized.

So, stop the spread of this deceit and disinformation. The NEA says that I have not obtained the necessary socialization skills (or communication skills), but I just communicated information, facts and my beliefs to you.

Kyle Williams is 13 years old, home-schooled and lives in a rural community in America's heartland. His column title, "VERITAS," is Latin for "truth." He particularly enjoys following current news events – and writing about them – and is extremely interested in politics. Kyle believes he may one day have a career in journalism. For now, he offers his unique perspective to the readers of WorldNetDaily.

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