The present society is defined by varying lengths of radical change in virtually all of its aspects. For example, brick and mortar classrooms, which have for the longest time dominated learning, are now being challenged by unconventional learning methods such as homeschooling. Even though homeschooled children do not enjoy the same level of socialization, technology has made it easier to teach and interact outside the classroom. Moreover, homeschooling continues to gain appeal because it offers an opportunity for individualized learning while solving many of the problems faced by the conventional public and private learning models. This paper argues that homeschooling is the future of education because it aligns with the technological, pedagogical, and social trends in contemporary society.
Technology has made it even easier to teach outside the classroom. The number of homeschooled children continues to increase at a rate corresponding that of technology growth. In 1999 there were an estimated 850,000 homeschooled children compared to 1.7 million in 2016 (Silva, 2018). Furthermore, homeschooling has transformed from a possible alternative to brick and mortar classrooms and evolved into a hybrid form of learning. Children that choose the homeschooling option have at their disposal an array of avenues through which they can access educational material. For instance, a homeschooled child may be enrolled in online courses as well as regular school-based sessions. To further illustrate the popularity of homeschooling, Silva (2018) indicates that over 30% of middle school and high school were enrolled in some form of online course. These statistics are an indication that as technology continues to challenge established methods of doing things, more and more people are likely to adopt novel trends such as homeschooling.
Homeschooling continues to gain appeal because it offers an opportunity for individualized learning. The target of conventional learning models such as public schools is the average child (Sen, 2016). Subsequently, children who are either gifted or struggling in a certain grade or subject will either get bored or left behind. Similarly, course material is often standardized without regard for the unique competencies of each child. Homeschooling offers an ideal solution to the problem of standardization in education. Homeschooling makes it possible to provide education that is designed to suit the specific needs of the student (Jolly, & Matthews, 2018). Most importantly, homeschooled children get to learn in an environment that is not only comfortable to them but one that also allows for bonding with parents.
Homeschooling solves many of the problems faced by the conventional public and private learning models. Public and private schooling come with unique difficulties. For instance, the public may be an easy way to get the appropriate education. However, public schooling is accompanied by problems such as large class sizes. According to research (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2018), some public institutions may have as many as thirty students for every instructor. These resource inadequacies translate into low-quality education. Private schools, on the other hand, are accompanied by a budget that is admittedly out of reach for many people (Urquiola, 2016). Another problem with conventional learning models is that some parents feel they have minimal control over the syllabus to which their children are exposed. A homeschooling arrangement is one that would appeal to this group since it would give them control over what their children learn.
In a nutshell, homeschooling is among contemporary ideas slowly gaining immense attention. Homeschooling is considered the future of education because it is in line with developments in the area of technology, learning theory, as well as in the ideals held by society regarding education. Without a doubt, homeschooling will assume an even more prominent role going forward. However, it is likely that homeschooling will augment the existing learning models rather replace them entirely.
References
Jolly, J. L., & Matthews, M. S. (2018). The chronicles of homeschooling gifted learners. Journal of School Choice, 12(1), 123-145.
National Center for Educational Statistics. (2018). Fast facts. Retrieved from: https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=28
Sen, V. (2016). Towards Customized Privatization in Public Education in British Columbia: The Provincial Education Plan and Personalized Learning. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, (180).
Silva, E. (2018). What is the future of homeschooling? New America. Retrieved from: https://www.newamerica.org/weekly/edition-218/future-homeschooling/
Urquiola, M. (2016). Competition among schools: Traditional public and private schools. In Handbook of the Economics of Education (Vol. 5, pp. 209-237). Elsevier.
write