Two sides to every story

The most recent Federal Government study concluded that about 2.2% of the K-12 students or 1.1 million students were being homeschooled in the United States as of spring 2003, according to time4learning.com. While this may be true, the real question lies in whether or not these students are given the same opportunities as those in public schools when it comes to developing intellectually as well as socially.

There are several disadvantages to withdrawing children from public schools for a homeschool education. The first disadvantage would be the opportunities that the students would be deprived of that are available in public schools. These opportunities could include difficulties in finding athletic facilities for children to participate in sports as well as music education programs.

The greatest disadvantage to those who receive homeschool education would be the lack in the development of social skills. This is the most crucial element to a child’s life due to the fact that they will use these skills as they grow into young adults. According to ezinearticles.com, “Social interaction with their peers and with adults outside the family is essential if a child is going to grow up with a properly balance of personality and a reasonable level of social skills.”
Amanda Underwood, a sophomore Business major at Piedmont College, says, “I agree that homeschooled students should at least be involved in some kind of sport or club outside of the house. This would allow them to develop socially, therefore making the transition into college much easier.”

Around 8 percent of Piedmont College’s student body consists of homeschooled students. While Piedmont reaches out to these students many other colleges throughout the state of Georgia do not. Cindy Peterson, Director of Admissions, says that Piedmont reaches out to those with a homeschool education. Several faculty members have also said that Piedmont’s homeschooled individuals are self-motivated and become leaders among the campus community.

With homeschooled students at Piedmont proving many of the states’ statistics wrong, it is easy to say that there are two sides to every idea. Homeschooling, just as any public education system in the state, has its problems. Nevertheless, a person must always analyze both the pros and cons of a program before jumping to any conclusion about the matter.