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Homeschooling hits record numbers

(reason.com)
193 points bilsbie | 6 comments | 21 Nov 25 00:31 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source | bottom
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kylehotchkiss ◴[21 Nov 25 19:26 UTC] No.46007963[source]▶
I can't say my public school experience was great, I was bullied and didn't really click with the popular kids, but being around a cross section of actual American kids in my age group (my school district mixed middle class with lower class neighborhoods) helped me shape my worldview and learn to deal with people who didn't look or talk like me. I frequently saw fights, so I learned that you just stay away and watch your mouth around specific people. I learned that the BS American value of "popularity" doesn't translate into successful futures.

I worry this move to homeschooling and micromanaging children's social lives just creates bubbles and makes children incapable of interacting with those outside of them.

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OneLeggedCat ◴[21 Nov 25 21:10 UTC] No.46009026[source]▶
In the rural areas that I've lived in, it's mostly about a strong desire to supplant science and history with religious ideas and principles.
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1. alphazard ◴[21 Nov 25 21:38 UTC] No.46009283[source]▶
I hear this a lot, and it may be true, but I am very skeptical that it matters. The statistics about home-schooled children don't support the idea that they have horribly inaccurate models of the world guided mostly by religious thinking. Or if they do it doesn't seem to affect life achievement in any important way. Instead home-schooled children are typically more advanced at graduation and have higher lifetime achievement metrics than their public school counterparts.

As an athiest, and a bayesian, it's difficult for me to worry about other peoples religious beliefs that don't seem to negatively affect them or me. Especially when there is propaganda taught in the public schools that does warp the students' world views in ways that harms them and me.

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2. tshaddox ◴[21 Nov 25 23:16 UTC] No.46010228[source]▶
> The statistics about home-schooled children don't support the idea that they have horribly inaccurate models of the world guided mostly by religious thinking.

I'd be surprised if any such statistics exist. I've seen studies about the reasons parents choose to homeschool, and various outcomes of homeschooled kids versus public school kids, but none about what particular beliefs homeschooled kids have regarding, say, the age of the Earth.

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3. lapcat ◴[22 Nov 25 00:13 UTC] No.46010682[source]▶
> Especially when there is propaganda taught in the public schools that does warp the students' world views in ways that harms them and me.

This sentence caused a record needle scratch sound in my head.

I'm afraid to ask what you mean, and it seems like you might be afraid to say, because it's a bit bizarre to drop that line with no explanation.

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4. typeofhuman ◴[22 Nov 25 01:08 UTC] No.46011073[source]▶
Homeschoolers tend to outperform their regular school peers. But I think parental involvement is a significant differential and is probably contributing to the outcomes.
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5. typeofhuman ◴[22 Nov 25 01:10 UTC] No.46011083[source]▶
Propaganda being the incorporation of political ideology into much of the lesson plan - even when banned.

Whatever it is, public schools are an absolute failure. But that could be attributed to the immigration in the US over the last half decade. North Carolina lost like 20% of their student base following mass ICE raids.

Many teachers around me have mentioned how the portion of non-English speakers has dramatically increased and is causing significant degradation to their effectiveness in the classroom and the outcomes.

6. tclancy ◴[22 Nov 25 01:54 UTC] No.46011346{3}[source]▶
In what and citation needed.