Homeschool vs Public School: Pros & Cons
In this next EZ-Teach blog, we are going to consider homeschool vs public school. We’ll divide this post into 2 sections so you can compare and contrast these two methods of educating your child(ren). We’ll review each system of education and how to prepare your child for either situation. We’ll also look at some pros and cons of each model. Click on the links below to read more.
Whether you are interested in homeschooling your children or sending them to your local public school, remember that EZ-Teach provides educational resources for everyone! Explore our website or click here to browse through our online curriculum.
At home, school, or playground, kids are always learning. Let’s compare homeschool vs public school.
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Homeschool vs Public School
Below you can see some answers to common questions about homeschool vs public school. We’ll answer the following questions:
What is homeschool / public school?
How do I prepare my kids for homeschooling / public school?
What are the pros and cons of homeschooling / public school?
Whatever you choose for your family, homeschool or public school, browse our site for ideas, resource links, and curriculum.
1. Homeschool
In this section of our homeschool vs public school comparison, we’ll look at what homeschooling is and how to prepare children for it. We’ll also consider a few pros and cons.
a) What is homeschool?
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to homeschool means “to teach school subjects to one's children at home” (side note: did you know the word homeschool can actually be used as a noun as well as a verb?).
Homeschooling may include a combination of classes taught at home, online classes, video lessons, or even self-directed courses. Children are taught by one or both parents. Or they may even be taught by other parents or adults if you are members of a homeschool group.
It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that a program of education is developed and implemented. Parents are also responsible for:
Preparing materials
Delivering lessons
Supervising studies and activities
Monitoring their children’s progress
Depending on local laws, parents may even be responsible for reporting their children’s development and achievement. In fact, you can click here to learn what is required of homeschoolers in each province or territory of Canada.
Though homeschooling is unique to each family, parents are responsible for their child(ren)’s education.
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b) How do I prepare my kids for homeschool?
Expectations
Preparing your children for homeschool is a lot like preparing them for public school. Children should be aware of their parents’ expectations and regular schedules should be in place. Children can expect their parents to:
Plan out curriculum in advance
Prepare lesson plans
Provide materials
Determine how to best teach their son or daughter
While children may not be expected to buy a new ruler or calculator for homeschool (you probably have one they can use, right?), they’ll still want to know that their parents have a plan in place and that they can participate in preparing supplies and materials for their learning.
Have your child(ren) help choose the curriculum or buy materials. They will likely have fun organizing their new books, labelling their binders, and buying some new fun gel pens, highlighters or pineapple and dinosaur erasers!
Even if you homeschool, kids may enjoy making yearly plans and purchasing back-to-school supplies.
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Boundaries
Another way to prepare children for homeschooling is to set clear boundaries around when it is time to focus on studies and when it is time to relax and play. Since home may be full of tempting distractions like toys, games, and phones, parents may need to set aside specific learning spaces and play spaces to help kids stay focused at times.
While learning involves play, sometimes toys and electronics need to be set aside so kids can focus on specific tasks. As you’ve probably heard, “out of sight; out of mind”. Just like a school teacher may ask students to leave phones and other toys in their backpacks or desks, parents may need to have children leave certain items in their bedrooms or playrooms.
Also, remember to give your kids breaks. Children gradually develop greater attention spans as they age, so don’t expect more than they can give. Also, remember to reward them with time to do their favourite activities.
c) What are the pros & cons of homeschool?
Pros
Tailored Education
When comparing homeschool vs public school, it’s important to consider the pros and cons. Let’s first consider the pros of homeschool. Homeschooling allows parents to specialize in the education of their kids, get them more involved in activities they enjoy, and help them excel in areas they're interested in. Parents can also tailor their teaching methods so that it suits their children’s specific learning styles. Children can also learn at their own pace.
Flexibility
If you want to spend more time exploring and learning about the outdoors, you can. If you want to teach your child an instrument, you can. If you want to set up a visit to your local museum, you can. You can also choose to do so anytime! There is so much flexibility when you homeschool.
Positive Role-Modeling
Remember that when you do field trips where your children are interacting with others, you also have the opportunity to model social skills yourself and provide your kids with an opportunity to learn and practice the social skills they’ll need for success after school.
Healthy Development
Another interesting fact based on research is that, “home education [is] associated with higher academic achievement (academic motivation and more structure). It was found to have a dampening effect on characteristics sometimes associated with lower academic performance (lower income, lower parental education, gender, race, and special needs)” (The Fraser Institute). It is likely that the increased 1:1 attention homeschooled students receive encourages personal development, confidence, and overall academic achievement.
According to the National Home Education Research Institute, “78% of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in institutional schools (Ray, 2017)” and “87% of peer-reviewed studies on social, emotional, and psychological development show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in conventional schools (Ray, 2017)”. In general, homeschooling has been proven to have positive effects on the holistic development of children.
Cons
Intensive
While homeschooling provides an opportunity for enriched education and greater flexibility, it's a lot of work! Not only are parents responsible for teaching subjects and assessing their development, but they are also responsible for teaching them skills that are more likely to be practised outside of the home environment (certain social skills, technical skills, etc.).
Requires Determination
Since children learn at home, parents also need to be more intentional about scheduling activities with other children. They may want to join a homeschool group, teach with other families, or sign their children up for sports teams or other group lessons available in their community. Parents may have to be more active in finding opportunities for their children to interact socially with others outside of the home. This can require extra time and attention, especially if one’s family lives in a more rural area.
This is just a glimpse into the pros and cons of homeschool vs public school. If you want to read more about the pros and cons of homeschooling, take a look at the article, The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling by Verywell Family.
A public education reflects your local community’s standards and values.
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2. Public School
In this section of our homeschool vs public school comparison, we’ll outline what public school is, how to prepare children for it, and the pros and cons.
a) What is public school?
If we go back to the dictionary again, Merriam-Webster defines a public school as “a free tax-supported school controlled by a local governmental authority”. Basically, a public school is designed to support the local community and is governed by the laws and regulations of that particular region.
In Canada, each province or territory is responsible for education. In Ontario, “the Education Act and its regulations set out duties and responsibilities of the Minister of Education, school boards, supervisory officers, principals, teachers, parents and students.” While regulations vary depending on where you live in the world, public education reflects the laws, standards, and values of your local government.
b) How do I prepare my kids for public school?
When it comes to homeschool vs public school, you can prepare your kids for public school in the same way you would prepare your children for homeschool. However, instead of focusing mostly on your expectations and the boundaries at home, you’ll want to help them understand the expectations of their school teachers and boundaries with others.
Expectations
As parents, make sure you know what your son or daughter’s teachers expect of them. What subjects will they be studying, what materials do they need, and will homework ever be required?
Students will also need to understand that they will be studying alongside others who may think very differently than them. Family members tend to hold similar values and perspectives, so it may be surprising for some children when they are confronted with ideas that are very different from those of their own family.
Boundaries
Children who attend public school should be prepared to respect boundaries that may be different from the ones they have at home. At home, they may be given more freedom than they may find at school. Or they may discover that other students lack boundaries and be shocked by the behaviour of others. They’ll need to be open-minded and learn to relate to others who are different than them while also maintaining their own boundaries and standing up for themselves.
If you have a young child starting school, you can also have a look at this article from Scholastic: 8 Tips to Prepare for the First Days of School. Regardless of how old your child is or what grade they are in, make sure you communicate with your son or daughter regularly so you know how they are feeling about school and how to support them and guide them through challenges.
Public school students will naturally be placed in social settings that will challenge and refine their social skills.
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c) What are the pros & cons of public school?
Pros
Professional Resources
Since public school is based on standardized education, the first pro of public school is that students will be taught by experienced teachers who've taught for years. They will likely implement strategies that have been tested in various classes and will know what has worked with students and what hasn’t.
Depending on the board of education, public schools may also have access to a lot of helpful resources. Some public schools hire professionals to enhance students’ education, such as:
School psychologists
Educational assistants
Librarians
Technology teachers
Guidance counsellors
Other resource teachers and professionals.
Families then have access to a variety of trained individuals and a wealth of knowledge.
Opportunity
Students in public school will also be placed in a variety of classes meaning that they will learn to socialize with a lot of different people. While students who are homeschooled also have opportunities to learn social skills, children in public schools will naturally have plenty of opportunities to work on social skills such as:
Compromising
Sharing
Practicing Manners
Developing Leadership Roles
While they may be faced with difficult social situations, these challenges can help them learn how to solve problems and communicate effectively.
Cons
Limitations
The problem is that learning can be stressful or frustrating if teaching is not presented in a way that's most beneficial to individual children. In Canadian public schools, class sizes range between 15 and 30 students. This means that teachers do not get a lot of 1:1 time with individual students. And since time is limited and they are required to teach many different students with different learning styles, they’ll tend to standardize their teaching. While some children will thrive in a standard context, others may find it isolating and confining.
Negative Role-Modeling
Students in public schools may also be forced to deal with other students who lack social skills and may be more vulnerable to bullying and aggressive behaviour. Occasionally, parents will decide to homeschool their children if they find that the public school system is unable to provide a safe environment for their son or daughter, or if their child has started developing negative behaviours due to the influence of his/her peers.
Support From EZ-Teach
When you compare homeschool vs public school, you’ll end up coming to your own conclusion about what’s best for you and your family, and that is okay. What works for some families and individuals may not work for others.
If you decide that homeschooling is for you, we have resources available right here on our website. Also, if you are a teacher in a public school, you can access these resources as well. You can also read our blog and find links to other resources. EZ-Teach is here to help everyone with an enriching education!
