A Very Nearly Tea

As true now as it was then:

Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides."

Thomas Paine Common Sense, January 1776

Why are so many so heatedly opposed to homeschooling? I truly believe it boils down to two factors: a reaction to the unknown (custom) and a reaction to stereotypes (the process of classifying the unfamiliar in relation to the familiar). Public school is our common experience and thus has the "superficial appearance of being right."

I am not sure why this organizisation finds it "surprising" that there is so little evidence indicating that homeschooling is "detrimental" to children, but at least they point out that the arguments are philosophical rather than actual. And they quote one of the more interesting arguments I have read in awhile:

One of the more unique understandings of the negative aspects of homeschooling is addressed in Charles Lubienski's statement that, "[a]s an extreme form of privatizing the purpose of education, home schooling denies democratic accountability and disenfranchises the community from its legitimate interest in education."

I would like to know what Mr. Lubienski's understanding of "democratic" is. When the group oversees the individual to ensure conformity specific standards, I generally associate that with socialist accountability. But that is just me...and I think his view is clouded by "a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong."

Update: Standing on Isaiah 54:13 does a nice job answering each point raised on the site (I don't mean to imply the site is really skewed against homeschooling...it really is trying to present a balanced view. The quote just caught my attention.)

homeschooling, homeschool