Judit Koncz: Homeschooling

“Less is sometimes more” says the proverb. Nowadays parents can choose among different school types and teaching methods. But how can they decide which one is the best for their child? Which one fits their needs, and which one can they really profit from? Reaching a decision is very difficult, because all school types and teaching methods have both positive and negative sides. Some parents think, homeschooling is the best way for teaching their children, but it has pros and cons too.

Homeschooling has a lot of advantages. It is an effective way of teaching, for it is individualized. Children have the opportunity to learn in their own tempo, giving them time to understand and practice everything. In their own home, there is no peer pressure, no negative impacts of social environment. Therefore, they can concentrate on the subjects. Another important advantage of homeschooling is the comfortable environment without academic pressure. The students can rediscover their natural curiosity and enjoy learning. Not only is homeschooling an efficient teaching method but also it plays an important part in the parent-children relationship. Families spend more time together. Children can share their secrets and their fears with their parents and this can make their relationship more deep and intimate. Through the homeschooling, parents can have control of their kids. They always know where they are, and they don’t have to worry about negative impacts in the school. Parents can quickly realize if their children have special abilities, good sense of something and can encourage them.
However, homeschooling has a lot of disadvantages, too. It can cause serious socialization problems. The kids don’t have any classmates. They don’t know how to interact with other children in the class; they don’t have a challenge to be the best in the class, and they don’t know what teamwork means. They won’t have other idols, who could change their lives in a positive way. Unqualified teachers are another disadvantage of homeschooling. Most parents are not qualified teachers. They don’t know the exact methods to improve special skills, and sometimes they can give false information. All these can cause the shortcoming of their children in the education and on the job market.

All in all, homeschooling is an effective way of teaching, but we have to follow a lot of rules when we want that it works.