Have you ever wondered if your kids really need school to get an education and thrive? Have you considered homeschooling but are concerned that your children will be missing out on something important and vital that only school can provide? Today I’m going to tell you why kids don’t need school, and why in fact it might even be harmful.
Here are my top 6 reasons why kids don’t need school.
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The First Reason Why Kids Don’t Need School – Standardized Curriculum
I don’t know about you, but it seems odd that as a society we think all children must learn exactly the same thing, as decided by the government. Not only that, but at the same age as everyone else, in the same order. And while many of the subjects taught in school have their importance, especially reading and basic math, these things are easily taught at home.
The difference is, at home there is so much flexibility in what you teach and when you teach it. The individualized attention means that you don’t have to rush your kids past things that they need more time on, or waste their time studying something for weeks that they grasp right away. The nature of school caters to the middle student, leaving the slower learners behind, and the fast learners bored. At home you can cater to the individual needs of each child.
Related – https://eschooled.com/how-to-start-homeschooling-2022-guide/
Many parents believe that the quality of public education has declined. Homeschooled kids can have a much better education than in public schools because parents have much more control over what their kids are learning. Kids who are homeschooled tend to perform better on standardized tests, even when test taking isn’t the priority at home like it is at school. And if they need to study to take state assessments or exams like the SAT and ACT, there are plenty of online test prep courses to help your child prepare!
The Second Reason Children Don’t Need School – They’re Natural Born Learners
Children are naturally curious about the world around them, and really do want to learn. The problem is, what they want to learn may not be what school is teaching them. Many adults worry that if children aren’t being taught something in school, they won’t learn anything. But the truth is, humans learn things when they are curious about them and want to learn about them.
Think about how you learn something new. If you’re interested in something, it’s easy to learn all you want to learn about it. But if you have no interest in a subject, then no matter how much someone tries to force you to learn about it, you aren’t likely to retain much of the information anyway.
Children ask so many questions because they genuinely want answers. School takes away this natural curiosity and instead tells children that what they are curious about doesn’t matter, because they need to learn this certain curriculum instead. The natural curiosity kids are born with has no place in a school environment. Think about how much you remember from what you learned in school. Most likely you were focused on test taking and once the test was over, you forgot most of what you had studied for.
Related – https://eschooled.com/homeschool-pros-and-cons-top-10-list/
The Third Reason Kids Don’t Need School – Socialization
People worry so much about socialization when it comes to kids and I know that’s why many people send their kids to school. But in reality, the type of socialization kids get in school is not natural, and can even be harmful. The type of socialization kids get in school is similar to the type of socialization that is offered in prison. Whereas homeschooled kids get out in the real world, meet people of all ages and backgrounds, and have real life experiences with other people, kids in school are mostly worried about fitting in with the crowd.
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Bullying is a big issue in school that for the most part, homeschooled kids don’t have to deal with. Homeschool kids are more likely to be able to express themselves freely without fear of ridicule by their peers. And rather than spending most of their day only interacting with people of the exact same age, homeschool kids have the opportunity to practice interacting with people of all ages, adults included.
Related – https://eschooled.com/eight-homeschooling-myths-for-new-homeschoolers/
The Fourth Reason Kids Don’t Need School – Getting a Job
Many people are concerned that if their kids don’t go to school, they won’t be able to get a good job when they grow up. But what kind of job is school really preparing them for? School is great at preparing kids to work in an office at a typical 9 to 5. But I don’t know many kids who say “when I grow up, I want to work in an office!”
Kids who don’t go to school have much more time and opportunity to figure out what their true passions are and develop those passions. So hopefully when they grow up they will be able to get a job they love, not just a job that pays the bills. And if you’re worried about college, homeschool kids who want to go to college are perfectly able to do so, and are often much more prepared for college than traditionally schooled kids. They can even start earning college credits while they’re still in school. Study.com has some great courses where kids can earn college credits from home while they’re still in school!
The Fifth Reason Kids Don’t Need School – Access to Information
Hundreds of years ago, we didn’t have the availability of information like we do today. Especially with the internet, its pretty easy to find the information that we need. There are so many resources available to us today, from libraries and museums, to printable worksheets and books on demand. And while it is true that the less privileged population will not have to same access as wealthier families, there is still a vast difference between what is available today vs what was available when the modern school system was established.
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When you follow your child’s interests, you don’t need to have EVERY book and material on EVERY subject. And with co-ops and the increasing amount of families who homeschool, there is a lot that you can share with others so that the need to have a bunch of materials is lessened considerably.
The 6th Reason Kids Don’t Need to Go to School – Real World Experience
A lot of people will talk about how school prepares kids for the “real world” but it’s also possible for kids to just live in the real world as kids. If they don’t go to school, they can participate in real world activities on a daily basis. They can accompany their parents to the grocery store or the bank and learn about economics and money. They can go on field trips more than once or twice a year. There will be opportunities for them to socialize with people of all ages. They can spend time pursuing their interests now, instead of waiting until they finish school to be able to do this.
When you think about it, school isn’t the real world at all. It’s an artificial environment that was created with the purpose to educate a large number of people at once. So if you have no intention of educating your children at all, then sure, they probably need school. But if you intend to homeschool (and yes, even unschool) then you don’t need to be concerned that your kids really need school.
I hope this helped you understand some of the reasons that todays kids don’t really need school. If you enjoyed this article, I’d love to know!
