It boils down to trust...

The Great Debate: Homeschooling vs. Institutionalized Schooling

I had a revelation today as to why teachers and homeschool parents are at such odds... TRUST. The public/private school teacher doesn't trust that the homeschool parents know what/how to teach their own children. And on the otherside, the homeschool parents can't trust that the public/private school teacher will teach the child what that child deserves to learn. (I could be wrong, but that is how I see it...)

But let's take this argument a little further... one thing my children will not suffer through is all the testing... why is there testing? Is it for the child's benefit? I would say "NO". I think it is because the government can't TRUST that the teachers are teaching what the government thinks the child should know. So they have to keep testing and retesting to verify (check up) that the recommended info is being taught. If students don't master, then the teacher is fired (basically).

Now something I hear over and over again from those who feel public school is the end all be all of education, is that they know more cut-rate homeschoolers than they know devoted/dedicated/loving/intellegent/non-abusive homeschooling families. I really doubt that this is true. Why do people choose to homeschool? Because they LOVE their children, and they feel that they can/will provide them with an education that is best suited for that child and family... not because the parent doesn't feel like getting up in the morning in order to bring said child to school (that is actually what one person told me they KNEW was the reason a parent had decided to homeschool). Maybe it isn't clear to the non-homeschooler, but to take on this particular task is much more involved/time consuming/self-sacrificing/informative/frustating/joyful than waking up in the morning and dropping your child off and having someone else educate them.

So nobody can be trusted and we all have to look out for ourselves.

But I could be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time.