[jfahler03]

Originally Posted by niangelo

Public education socialization is based on a model of age-segragation that is alien to anything in the real world. How in any developmental sense is it beneficial to relegate a child to his own age group? Workplaces aren't like this. Churches aren't. Social activism groups aren't. Neighborhoods aren't.

Also, none of the three listed is dealing primarily with children... the "social activism groups" almost necessarily not dealing with children at all. Studying child development, we find that children have various developmental rates while at the same time normally developing children are generally within the same timeframe of each other (for example, we can generally say that a baby begins smiling by X months old and a child genreally begins puberty by 12-13 years).

Then lets look at the church (probably the most non-age segregated group here) based on my personal observations (I don't presently have cited material at hand... mostly from memory from my Human Development course and textbook)...

Yes, there is much more interaction between age groups which may be viewed as a positive experience for both sides (preperation in child-rearing for the 14 year old babysiter or nursery worker for example, and seeing the other as a role model for the 5 year old for example). However, the segregation will certainly still exist as children are going to be able to relate more to peers their own age even in a homeschooled family. Even if not, the church (at least mine...which has homeschool families) will still segregate the children in age groups depending on criteria such as what children's church age group they belong in. At any rate, I'm basically trying to say that as human beings we will strive for interaction with peer age groups.

At any rate (in my view), using the school as grounds for segregation in relation to physical, mental, social, and psychological development only adds to the learning process in the effect that it allows for the pupil to be taught based on his/her level of development. Before the onset of the science of child development, children were thought of as "young adults" in teh sense that they could comprehend anything given to them at any age. We know this not to be true based on physical and mental development and how it effects one's life.

Remember, the school system is only the child's life for a mere 7-9 hours per day. The rest of the 24 hours is spent at home with family, at church with other age groups, and if the parents are hippies maybe even social activism groups (hey...it could happen). Perhaps this is the best reason for the traditional school season not going into the summer year, as a high school student would be able to not only attend classes and work part-time during the winter (including an education, socialization, and "real world" interaction with other age groups) but ideally either work full-time in the summer or take on those other responsibilities in the church, community group, etc.

It's literally the most workable laboratory to create a subservient middle class .

Prussia? Plato's Republic? Are you getting me here?

So you're stating that social, political, and economical inequality RESULT from grouping children relating to peer groups and how they develop behaviorly and mentally? Post hoc, ergo proper hoc, anyone? Maybe I'm understanding him wrong, somebody please correct me.

At any rate if I understand you correctly, please let me know how public schooling fosters, rather than helps destroy, any kind of inequality anywhere... and what connection Prussia, Plato, or Homer Simpson makes to any of this.

[Novan_Leon]

Originally Posted by JerryLove

To look at class scructure, I googled the richest self-made person I could think of. Bill Gates was not homeschooled. Nor was his partner, Paul Allen.

Einstein was home-schooled, as was Edison, but Gates and numerous engineers, inventors, and successful people were public schooled.

Bill Gates went to a private prep school.

[Visirale]

Originally Posted by Novan_Leon

Bill Gates went to a private prep school.

What are your thoughts of public schools that are structured similarly and just as if not more academically intensive then a private prep school?

[Novan_Leon]

Originally Posted by Visirale

What are your thoughts of public schools that are structured similarly and just as if not more academically intensive then a private prep school?

They're ok. Any type of schooling can have good or bad academic results, the important factor for Christians is that the parents values are better passed on to their kids through homeschooling than any other kind of schooling.

When you place your 12 year old in a pool of 11-13 year olds 6+ hours a day, 200+ days a year, naturally they're going to learn from and emulate their peers, peers which the parents have no hand in determining. To parents who don't have any particular interest in raising their children according to a certain set of values, the only attraction homeschooling holds is one of practicality and academic achievement (both of which would depend on the circumstances).

EDIT: number adjustement

[onebrickshy]

I havent read this whole mega thread but from my previous experience and such, there are good and bad things about both. I am a product of an extremely small(i finished with 5 other classmates) Christian elementary/middle school and one of the top 50 public high school's in the nation. I also grew up with some of my best friends homeschooling and we hung out at church. I believe that the desicion between home/public schooling needs to be determend by the the child's maturity, the public school they would be attending(I went to an incredible school that gave me every oppurtunity in the world to prosper but 10 minutes down the road is a failing school that I would have not flourished in), and the parents ability to convey the given information to a child. I do not believe that it is in the best interest of the child to keep them out of school to "avoid" the evils of public school. The sucess of a child is effected but not determined by what school enivorment they are exsposed to. I had a friend who was home schooled and she finished hs and college each in 3 years. So I dont think that you can validated a measure of success compared to education without viewing the individual and the enviroment as a whole

[godtotallyrocks]

yeah, i'm homeschooled, and i love it, but it's because i feel that i can push myself alot more. I really enjoy school, and the free time that i'm able to have when i've finished. Of course, i have friends in public school, and they enjoy it. It depends on the spiritual maturity. So i agree with you. It's definantly the parents choice, and if they think the school in their district is pretty good (or bad, in my case) than deside on that. it's important to make sure thats where God has you. I mean if God doesn't want you there, your not going to do well, whether it be homeschool, public school, or private school. So theres my long, drawn out opinion .

~~God Rocks!~~

[godtotallyrocks]

Originally Posted by twinner2

i go to public schoool but ive got some homeschool friends.... you want to know what i think?

HOMESCHOOLERS ROCK!

Thanks! (i have to agree) Alot of people get the wrong perseption about homeschoolers because they meet one or too off-the-deep-end types, and then stereotype the rest of them. It's something that my friends and i deal with alot. Oh well. I guess everyone has something.

~~God Rocks!~~