As the book Beyond Feelings stated, the emphasis has always been “on subjectivity rather than on objectivity, on feeling rather than on thought” (Ruggiero 1) – which should not be one’s way of thinking regarding the issue on a child’s educational development.
In making a critical analysis on the issue, three main factors should be considered: parents, children, and society. First, it must be realized that parents have greater influence upon their children than teachers. In a classroom, there are more than 10 students and a teacher could simply not exclusively monitor each one of them. On the other hand, a parent could. Second, a child’s development could be hindered in school. In school, every student has to pass all of the different subjects. However, not everyone could. And it would be hard to accept if a child, who is gifted in dancing, would not graduate simply because of failing in math. As one home-schooled individual said, “at home I can study what I want to learn” (Shepherd, “No School Like Home”). However, society must be taken into consideration. The labor industry accepts individuals who are systematically trained and learned. Schools provide systematic learning. For instance, students taking science subjects are provided with laboratories – which home-schooling probably does not have. On this viewpoint, schools have more systematic approach to education.
In conclusion, it must be balanced. Indeed, a parent is more capable to exclusively monitor a child. Also, home-schooling allows a child to learn what he/she is interested in or is gifted in. However, if a child desires to fulfill a more systematic career, such as engineering, home-school is not the good choice. If a child is gifted in music, art, or sports and wants to develop in it, home-school could allow him/her to have more time, convenience, and access to exercise those gifts. But if a child’s career cannot be fulfilled with the knowledge of the parent and the facilities at home, he/she should be sent to school. Therefore, home-schooling should be permitted or not permitted based on what a child’s own self-development requires.
Works Cited
Ruggiero, Vincent. Beyond Feelings: A Guide to Critical Thinking. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.
Shepherd, Jessica. No School Like Home. The Guardian, 19 Aug. 2008. Web. 25 June 2013. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/aug/19/schools.education>.
