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Community Supporting Homeschooling
Why Homeschooling is Still Controversial
By Carma Haley Shoemaker
Unfortunately, it is not only the school systems and organizations that are "judging" home schooling. Communities, neighbors, friends and even relatives are offering their differing opinions about a parent's choice to teach his or her children from home.
Yvette De Luca, a home schooling mom from Phoenix, Ariz., feels that most adults do not understand the principal of home schooling and, as a result, they cannot accept it. "Honestly, I think home schooling makes a lot of adults nervous," she says. "In today's culture, many people can't comprehend why a parent would sacrifice material gain to educate their kid when the public schools will do it for you. They will look at my kids as weird or not normal. There are kids in our neighborhood who are actually not allowed to play with my girls for no other reason than that we home school."
When dealing with family and friends, the subject of home schooling can become touchy. They may not agree or understand the choice to home school. They will offer their insight, criticism, help or advice in an attempt to change parents' minds and place children in public schools.
The concerns that those close to the family exhibit are often founded on ignorance of the topic or misinformation, says Kathy Ishizuka, author of The Unofficial Guide to Homeschooling.
"Families may become concerned that a child will not have social skills, interaction with their own age group, or even a chance to go to college," Ishizuka says. "One way to get friends and family 'on your side' is to discuss their concerns and give them good, accurate and the most current information on home schooling, so they understand the why and how of what home schooling parents are doing. Educate them on your children's education."
