Homeschoo History - The History of Home School
Home education, or homeschooling, is the teaching method instituted in the family home instead of a public, private or charter school. Initially, before there was any kind of public education, all schooling was done in the home.
Sometimes there were also small learning communities. Homeschool history is rich, because it was the first method of instruction.
It was usually the advantaged children who received any sort of education or had private tutors. Most of them came from rich families.
Way back when, being taught at home in an informal setting was the only way to get an education. Parents were usually the educators, but sometimes local teachers would help.
It is widely known that before we had public education, the United States experienced its peak literacy rate. It’s important to remember this point in homeschool history.
In the 1800s, education and schooling were starting to undergo a lot of important changes. One of the biggest changes was the introduction of laws that made school attendance mandatory. The government decreed that it is a human right for children to receive a public education.
Since that time there has been plenty of debate about the success of public schooling. Many people have gone so far as to say that the current education system is harming younger children, especially boys since they mature at a slower rate.
There have even been some studies done on the effects that formal education has on children between 8-12 years of age.
The research led to this conclusion: That formal schooling is damaging children in mental and physical ways. Some behavioral problems are a direct result of this negativity.
These studies were conducted in the 1970s, and according to these tests, tribal mothers in Africa with no literacy were able to bring up their children to be more emotionally and socially advanced than Western children.
Some think that the difference was due to the bond between parents and children. Obviously, the bond isn’t strengthened by formal education.
Parents bank on homeschool history when they pick and choose from a variety of curricula and teaching methods for educating their children. Schooling is done in a secure environment, but children are usually still mandated to pass required tests.
Parents who decide to teach their children at home usually do so because they want to give their children the best education.
