Hovhannisyan 1
Ani Hovhannisyan
Josh Miller
Speech 105
June 8th, 2015
Disadvantage of Homeschooling
Every parent wants their child to obtain the best education, but which type of education is
best for their children, homeschooling or public/private schools? This dilemma has been hanging
over American parents since 1970’s, when John Holt, an educational theorist and supporter of
school reform, began arguing that formal schools’ focus on rote learning created an oppressive
classroom environment designed to make children compliant employees. (“A Brief History of
Homeschooling”) According to National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 3 percent
of the school-age population was homeschooled in the 2011–12 school year. (“Homeschooling.”)
In the 2011–12 school year, 91 percent of homeschooled students had parents who said that a
concern about the environment of other schools was an important reason for homeschooling their
child, which was a higher percentage than other reasons listed. (“Homeschooling.”) Parents who
choose to homeschool their children take into consideration the benefits of homeschooling, such
as more educational freedom, freedom from school schedules; emotional stability, absence of
pressure, bullies, or competitions; more time-spending at home with family members rather than
outside; more flexible schedule, and better ability to protect children from violence, drugs, and
any other negative influence children can come across while they are in school. But the benefits
of homeschooling is only one side of the matter. Despite the benefits, homeschooling has
numerous disadvantages, which affects both parents and children.
Hovhannisyan 2
Homeschooling is a time consuming task for the parent; it is fairly impossible to
homeschool a child and have a full-time or even a part-time job. The NCES data suggests that
homeschooled students are more likely than average to live in two-parent homes with only one
parent in the labor force (“Homeschool Demographics.”). Parents who choose to home school, as
opposed to free public schooling, are primarily responsible for purchasing the curriculum
needed, which can cost, on average, approximately $400 per child each year; this includes costs
for field trips, computer software, and materials for projects, as well as the many other resources
available to parents.( “Disadvantages of Home Schooling.”) The cost is even higher for those
families in which one parent has given up his or her full-time job to home school.
(“Disadvantages of Home Schooling.”) Under these circumstances, the family can experience
harsh financial restraints, which is not the best condition for the child.
