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Ryan Strader

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What are the TED community's thoughts about home education?

Are you for or against home education? What are your thoughts about the freedoms or lack thereof regarding home education around the world? If you were a policy maker, what would you propose to be the law(s) regarding home education?

Topics: education social issues
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    Chris Aldon 20+

    • +2
    Aug 9 2011: All kids should be home schooled, even the ones who are in public schools.

    Learning happens both inside and outside public schools, education should NOT stop when they leave the classroom.

    I worry that some parents pass the responsibility of education off solely on the public education system.
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    Tim blackburn 30+

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    Aug 8 2011: im for! not only does it generally generate smarter students, but we should be able to educate our children as we wish. BUT when it comes to high school age, there needs to be a real social outlet, or life after will be very difficult.

    • Ryan Strader

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      Aug 9 2011: Hey Tim, thanks for sharing. My wife and I, along with many of our closest friends, are home schooling our kids. The number one criticism we receive from people is regarding how they feel that we are robbing our children of a valuable social experience.
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        Tim blackburn 30+

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        Aug 9 2011: and it very well could. i would just keep a open conversation about it with the kids, and see if they feel socialy deprived or not .
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    Mike Myatt

    • +1
    Aug 8 2011: Although my wife and I would have been more comfortable with home education, our kids survived the public school system and are now both very productive adults. You get out of an education what you put into it, and while environment is important, it's only one aspect of education. Keep in mind that much of learning occurs outside the classroom. Home education is neither good nor bad, right nor wrong, just appropriate or inappropriate for the individual situation. Where the right motivations and constructs are in place a home education can be a wonderful thing. Where the opposite is true a home education can be woefully inadequate, if not harmful. Parents should be free to choose the form of education that best meets the needs of their family - if that's at home so be it. Policy makers need to ensure that students in a home education environment are meeting minimum standards, but beyond that, the policy wonks need to stay out of this area and focus their efforts on the public schools which are in dire need of help.

    • Ryan Strader

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      Aug 9 2011: Thanks Mike for your thoughts. I appreciate your point of view. I agree 100% with your statement that home education is neither good nor bad.
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