I was curious what happens when kids homeschooled not to normal standards realize, break from their parents and want an education.
Do we as a community owe them a fresh start? What resources are available to them?
(This is not an anti homeschooling post- I know plenty of people that give their kids exceptional educations through homeschooling- but I know a number of people that are doing their kids a disservice if those kids want to function in the mainstream.)
Context? I haven’t come across very many home schooled people in my travels, but the ones I have all seemed on par with their regional public school counterparts.
The ones I have encountered seemed to be up to par educationally. However, socially they were well behind the curve.
Not sure they need any assistance as homeschool kids I believe traditionally do very well in the academic side of things. They do seem a little odd sometimes on the social front, but that can be said about a lot of people, not just homeschool kids.
If I accept your premise that HS kids are in fact not getting an education from their parents, no, I don’t think we have to provide them anything more than we do for everyone else that is an adult. Social programs exist to help folks with no education, no matter the reason for the lack of education.
A bit on the extreme end, but this was good read.
Years back I knew of a teenage boy and girl who were “homeschooled” by their mom. She was a devout evangelical who had a weakness for other men while her husband was deployed with the military. No, I didn’t know her that way. Unlike others that I know who homeschooled - the mom was not very good at it. She supposedly homeschooled them for “religious reasons” and ignored the fact that they weren’t learning much.
I saw a letter written by the boy to a girl he had a love interest in. He wrote at a third grade level. I felt sorry for him and his sister.
That being said, one of my business partners and his wife homeschooled their kids in their elementary years. He has a PHD and teaches at Texas A&M, and his wife had a BS degree. They were very diligent and their kids excelled at academics and social. They are very intelligent, well adjusted kids.
When elementary education became something given to all kids, it paid for itself multiple times with increases to worker productivity and also lower crime.
Later when high school education became something given to all kids, it paid for itself multiple times with increases to worker productivity and also lower crime.
I don’t see why educating adults that were failed by home schooling would not be worth it to society. Maybe this is somehow different from what we have seen in the past, but I think it is reasonable to believe this would be good for society.
Stick them in back of a classroom or online, what additional costs would there be? Just make sure they bring their own crayons
I think the public school system should be responsible for educating any person up to a high school level. It doesn’t matter age or reason as to why they didn’t receive education up to that standard in the past.
I think the public school system should be responsible for educating any person up to a high school level. It doesn’t matter age or reason as to why they didn’t receive education up to that standard in the past.
I believe in most areas, that is possible. You wouldn’t allow a 30 yo to join regular classes, but GED classes are available in most communities. With restricted hours and times.
A bit on the extreme end, but this was good read.
I listened to that, crazy story.
The ones I have encountered seemed to be up to par educationally. However, socially they were well behind the curve.
I went to grad school with a woman who was homeschooled. She had the double whammy social skills wise of home school + she was in pure math… smart woman, nice enough, just so socially awkward.
I was curious what happens when kids homeschooled not to normal standards realize, break from their parents and want an education.
Do we as a community owe them a fresh start? What resources are available to them?
(This is not an anti homeschooling post- I know plenty of people that give their kids exceptional educations through homeschooling- but I know a number of people that are doing their kids a disservice if those kids want to function in the mainstream.)
A bit confused. You said adults. But your post also reads as if it’s the kids that realize their home school is coming up short. My perspective is for the former, no. For the latter, yes.
If they’re no longer kids and have the maturity as an adult, isn’t it their own responsibility to augment their own educational shortcomings? What’s stopping an adult from registering at the local community college?
Or are you thinking as an adult they never-learned-to-read kind of shortcoming and need a hand in just getting oriented to be able to function?
Homeschool education is held to the same standards (theoretically) as public and private schools for k-12. In order for a homeschool student to receive official credit, the parent needs to prove that their student(s) are working and learning at the same rigor as their in-school counterparts. This includes PE and science laboratory activities. The parents must provide work samples and have them assessed by a state representative. There are a lot of companies that sell curricula at all grade levels. If parents are not working their kids up to standards, they (technically) cannot be classified at a higher grade level.
Homeschool education is held to the same standards (theoretically) as public and private schools for k-12. In order for a homeschool student to receive official credit, the parent needs to prove that their student(s) are working and learning at the same rigor as their in-school counterparts. This includes PE and science laboratory activities. The parents must provide work samples and have them assessed by a state representative. There are a lot of companies that sell curricula at all grade levels. If parents are not working their kids up to standards, they (technically) cannot be classified at a higher grade level.
Anecdote-last week I came across a student who has failed most public school classes in grades 6, 8, and 9, but while in homeschool grade 7 the report card for all subjects is “made adequate progressâ€.
I was curious what happens when kids homeschooled not to normal standards realize, break from their parents and want an education.
Do we as a community owe them a fresh start? What resources are available to them?
(This is not an anti homeschooling post- I know plenty of people that give their kids exceptional educations through homeschooling- but I know a number of people that are doing their kids a disservice if those kids want to function in the mainstream.)
A bit confused. You said adults. But your post also reads as if it’s the kids that realize their home school is coming up short. My perspective is for the former, no. For the latter, yes.
If they’re no longer kids and have the maturity as an adult, isn’t it their own responsibility to augment their own educational shortcomings? What’s stopping an adult from registering at the local community college?
Or are you thinking as an adult they never-learned-to-read kind of shortcoming and need a hand in just getting oriented to be able to function?
Writing, math, science, history.
I’m assuming the kids break free around 18 and then realize what they were given as education is very different from what others received. It’s just a hypothetical- but I think the number of kids homeschooled has tripled since the pandemic. So i’m assuming the amount of parents doing a terrible job at it has at least tripled. And I’m just curious as a society how we help those kids who through no fault of their own may have missed out on parts of a basic education others received.
The question, as others have indicated, might not be whether or not we owe something, so much as whether or not it makes sense as an investment. Does it benefit sufficiently to offer this education to everyone, even if their parents made a different choice for them?
The question, as others have indicated, might not be whether or not we owe something, so much as whether or not it makes sense as an investment. Does it benefit sufficiently to offer this education to everyone, even if their parents made a different choice for them?
this …
whatever it costs will pay for itself many times over in the additional tax revenue (and other financial and societal benefits) over their lifetime.
My answer probably varies a bit with what we’re considering “basic levels”.
If someone has been so poorly homeschooled that they cannot read, write or do elementary school-level math, then I can see an argument for the state providing adult education to get them to something like 5th grade proficiency in the three R’s.
If they’ve had a notably substandard education but can do the basics of reading/writing/math, then as an adult I don’t think the state ‘owes’ them an education. If they’re motivated, they can probably find a way to get some remedial ed.
Even if the state doesn’t ‘owe’ them an education though, my feeling is it would probably be a net positive to provide one.
I acknowledge that my answers ignore important realities & nuances like the fact that many places are already short on teachers, funding for education is a perennial problem, what to do with folks who got a very poor education in a public school system, etc.
I don’t know how this works. Is there not already generally some sort of requirement to have home schooled students periodically take independently-administered standardized tests? Certainly for “graduation,” but also to track intermediate progress?