A paper about the value of home schooling compared to public school.

Essay by kleonard5High School, 12th gradeA-, November 2006

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Education although seemingly small, is one of the most important issues for any country. Experts have discovered that parents are losing confidence in the public education of the United States as the number of students being instructed at home has increased 5% a year for the last decade. The article, "United States: Learning round the kitchen table", discusses more deeply the issue of home schooling. Some have the courage to say that standard based systems could possibly be the best current solution to many problems. In the article by Colleen A. Ruggieri, "Speaking my mind" the standardized system of schooling is brought into a new perspective. "Grades A and B are sometimes given too readily," explains Professor Harvey Mansfield of Harvard University, "Grade a for work of no very high merit, and Grade B for work not far above mediocrity... One of the achieve obstacles to raising the standards of the degree is the readiness with which insincere students gain passable grades by sham work."

Alfie Kohn presents a strong and clear portrayal of all the aspects of grade inflation in his article, "The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation."

Those in support of home schooling have many admirable reasons for this stance; although they face strong opposition. The first pioneers were the 'hippies' that saw home schooling as the automatic compliment to free love and natural healing. Later on Christian fundamentalists found that they could provide a more wholesome religious and moral education than the public schools. Now the schools are seemingly becoming more dissatisfying as the secular home schoolers are increasing. The most passionate rivals to are school administrators especially superintendents. Naturally they are expected to oppose home schooling but some have brought the idea forward of other ill-intentions. Michael Farris, the president of the Home School Legal Defense...