Negative Effects of Homeschooling

There are many parents who are not satisfied by the teaching methods in public schools owing to improper or no religious instructions, or inappropriate schools safety conditions. For such parents, homeschooling is the correct option.

Homeschooling relates to parents taking up the responsibility to teach their children using the standard curriculum, but in their own way. Parents may even hire tutors for teaching their children.

The education is, however, regulated by the state, and the person who is responsible for homeschooling the children is required to report the progress to the state as per the regulations. When we think of it vs. public schools, we generally refer to homeschooling as a good thing. Nevertheless, with the benefits, comes a substantial share of negative effects.

No Social Interaction

As a homeschool would have just children from one or two families, there is not much scope for social interaction.

In public schools, there are number of students coming from different cultures and family backgrounds, so students are sufficiently exposed to social interaction which builds their social skills and enables them to learn the proper way to communicate with others. Loneliness is also one of the negative effects.

Lack of Confidence

Since a home-schooled student will not get adequate tasks to do at home as compared to the tasks and challenges that are to be faced in public schools, he will not develop the needed confidence for doing any task. Due to lack in confidence, he will also not be able to interact with other students who are not home-schooled.

Excessive Dependence on Parents or Tutors

In a homeschool, students think that parents or tutors are the whole and sole of their lives. Therefore, they are not able to take decisions on their own. For every single thing or task, they have to depend on their parents or tutors and ask for guidance.

On the other hand, in public schools, students mostly learn many general things all on their own. One exception to this is that, if a home-schooled child is a good and quick learner, he may learn things at the same pace as his public-schooled peers.

Low Pace of Learning

Even though parents have the freedom to teach the curriculum in the way they think their children would learn, this usually results in a low pace of learning.

Just because children know that it is only their parents who are going to teach them, they do not pay much attention to the time required for study. And this is what makes their learning pace slow than that of the students studying in public schools.

No Specific Routine

As the learning hours and tasks can be flexible in homeschooling, children do not get accustomed to a particular study or daily routine. And a daily routine with disciplined hours is absolutely essential for being prompt and punctual in everyday life.

Negative Effects on Parents

Parents may even get affected by homeschooling their children. They may face criticism from the public or from those who oppose the homeschooling concept. In the case of working parents, one parent will have to stay back at home for teaching the children, which may adversely affect the family income.

Homeschooling is in no way an easy task for parents. They have to teach all the lessons to children, draft paperwork, make sure the children's learning is in progress, and report the progress to the appropriate state educational authorities.

If we happen to compare the pros and cons, there are more negative effects than advantages. But there is also the fact that every family or parent has a different situation to handle, so decide accordingly.