Public Schooling VS Home Schooling 公共教育与家庭教育之比较.docx

Public Schooling VS Home Schooling 公共教育与家庭教育之比较Public Schooling VS Home Schooling “Going shopping, working out whenever you want, pursuing your career, interests and hobbies will make a concession to your familys education and needs.” Betty, a mother in California, complained. She was home schooling her three children. Since home schooling has been a rapidly-growing trend in America, more parents choose home schooling rather than public schooling. However, as far as I am concerned, the disadvantages of home schooling overweigh the advantages due to its harm to social development, childrens lack of overall abilities and familys huge cost. To start with, home-schooled children lack necessary social skills. They study at home alone and have little contact with other peers. They have little awareness of teamwork, competition, conflict management and problem solving. When they step into society, they will feel unease cooperating with various people. For example, a girl was home-schooled. When she became a teacher and had to give lecture to her students, she always felt timid. Because she had never faced so many people at home. It took her quite a long time to get over her timidity. While in public schools, children gather together to study and play. It gives them more chances to show themselves in front of people and makes children much more sociable. Whats more, home schooling may lead to the lack of overall abilities. Since not all parents are experts in all subjects, they may only teach their children the subjects in which they are adept. As for aspects they are not good at, their children will hardly have access to. For instance, a history teacher named Charlotte was very interested in Physics, but she was home-schooled by her mother. Her mother always taught her such subjects as history, philosophy, etc. So Charlotte could only be a history teacher when she grew up, since she had poor knowledge of physics, though she truly loved it. Therefore, home-schooled children are lack of overall abilities while in public schools, children can learn knowledge of all subjects. Public school teachers are experts in certain subjects and they add up to a rich knowledge system. Last but not least, the family has to devote a lot to home schooling. At least one parent, usually the mother, should be full-time teaching the children. They have to sacrifice their own career and need to plan and organize lessons all by themselves. They have little freedom, as it mentioned in the first paragraph. Another reason is that only one parent can go out to make a living for the family. But the basic supplies of home schooling such as textbooks, computers, etc, which are originally provided by public schools, cost too much. Statistics have shown that the average cost of home schooling is hundreds of dollars per year. So there is no doubt that family burden becomes heavier. Some people may argue that childrens safety can be guaranteed if they are at home, since there are many reports about school gunshot, car accidents and other tragedies happened at school. However, staying at home is not necessarily safer than that at school. It would be easier for a kidnapper to attack the children and parents at home than to attack a group of people at school. Whats more, public schools hire lots of safeguards who can protect children well with their professional skills. Last but not least, once children go out, they will face all kinds of danger, no matter where they study. We cant just avoid going out in order to avoid car accidents. Nowadays, though more parents are gradually turning to home schooling, we should be aware of its drawbacks. Public schooling has its immense benefits and still should be advocated for a long time.