I have been waiting for this show to come on. The Great School Debate. I had read all the hype surrounding it from the homeschool families. Let me point out first of all...taht we are homeschooling with a 'touch' of unschooling. The first family up was a radical unschooling family and while I don't fully agree with what they do, they will be the ones to have to answer to others about it.
What I expected was a lot worse, but maybe because I had read others accounts of being in the audience, it wasn't such a shock. However, some things that were mentioned disturbed me, or rather solidified my position...
The father who came on the show saying that his daughters were going to miss out on their first crush on a teacher if they were homeschooled...yeah, that is a big thing that my kdis are going to miss out on...whatever will they do???
RaeAnne now wants to educate the girls at home, but Steve is putting his foot down. "If they’re home schooled, the kids will not get socially adjusted," he says. "My kids will miss out on prom, flirting, having their first crush on a teacher — the little stuff that helps you grow into a well-adjusted adult."
Then there was the 26 year old homeschooled girl who said she considered herself 'socially retarded'. She says one of the things she missed out on was being able to decide that she hated the girl with the purple hair because she thinks she's all that (when I looked through Dr. Phils show for today this is not even in it...she actually said that!!)
So, if my kids are going to be socially retarded because they didn't get to go through these life changing experiences, then so be it!!
wow I can't believe the dad actually said that?! that is BIZARRE! sorry I missed that episode that would have been a good one to watch.
ReplyDeleteMy Aunt up here homeschooled all 4 of her children..... ALL 4 of them are going on to or are in secondary education 1-to be a lawyer 1 to be a doctor 1 to be in the fashion industry and 1 went to Bible school to be in the ministry......pretty good eh?! but now I wonder if they had had a crush on a teacher how much further in life they would be???? hahaha
I have such mixed feeling about homeschooling vs. public/private/charter schools. Alexis doesn't particularly like homeschooling. She would rather go to school and I hate that she already resents it. I'm still looking into other possibilities for next year. UUGGGHH!! Why does it have to be so stinkin' hard?
ReplyDeleteI couldn't even watch it... everyone was sure gearing up for that show though.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big Dr. Phil fan anyways.
Did they talk about the fact that the largest group of kids recently accepted into Standford University were those who were HOMESCHOOLED?! That's an Ivy League school!
ReplyDeleteI know that the American college/university is set up better to accept homeschooling as an accredited education but here in Canada I have heard of more people having difficulties, just ask my cousin A.J. Yes, my Aunt in BC did homeschool and her kids are amazing but they did not graduate from the home school system, they spent the later grades of High School at a boarding school in BC, it was an Ivy League high school.
Our kids are in the public system because right now that is what works for our family. We were going to homeschool last year but it didn't work out and now with me working there's just no way.
I think the reasons that Dad gave were absolutely "socially retarted". Is that what the world values - teaching our kids that getting their hearts broken is ok - even encouraged?