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Originally Posted by MSD
From what I've seen, the majority of homeschooling happens because nutty, super religious parents don't want their kids exposed to the evils of public schools. The majority of the rest (which is a small percentage) just think that they can do better than what's usually a failing school system and can't afford private school.
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*sigh* Trust me, you're not the only one outside the system who thinks this. Despite the fact that homeschoolers consistently test higher than their public school peers, and that there are plenty of normal people out there quietly homeschooling their kids and doing a damn good job, home schooling will never shake the stereotype of being the bastion of the 'nutty super religious.'
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There are some things that are part of the cultural mindset that kids can only get in school, depriving them of shared experiences hinders their ability to relate to others now and later in life.
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Yeah, I feel so deprived. However could I or any other student possibly learn the social skills needed to relate to people in a mature manner without first having to learn to deal with a bunch of cliquey kids?
I'd type more, but it would just continue to sound defensive, so I will just say this: realize for me specifically, and for the parents in this thread, you aren't speaking in abstractions about these kids of this neighbor of a friend on another forum...you are talking about me and us and our kids. Yay stereotype perpetuation! I'm not saying there aren't some people that fit your mental image of homeschoolers, but I'd hope you are willing to concede that there are many who do not.
Here's one of the many reports that consistently find home education to be equal or superior to public or private:
http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v7n8/
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This report presents the results of the largest survey and testing program for students in home schools to date. In Spring 1998, 20,760 K-12 home school students in 11,930 families were administered either the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) or the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP), depending on their current grade. The parents responded to a questionnaire requesting background and demographic information. Major findings include: the achievement test scores of this group of home school students are exceptionally high--the median scores were typically in the 70th to 80th percentile; 25% of home school students are enrolled one or more grades above their age-level public and private school peers....
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