Homelarned

As said in the title and URL address of my blog, I was homeschooled.
Now some people have one of two ideas about homeschooling. They think that it is only done by backwards, anti-social, overprotective parents. Or they think that it is just done by lazy parents who don't care what their children do. I hope that most people realize that homeschooling is done for many different reasons. My parents chose to homeschool me because they didn't like what the public school system taught. Other parents homeschool because of special needs. Still others want their child to receive the best education possible and believe that they can do far better teaching their kids individually than a classroom can.
The two first ideas were and are created by a select group of individuals who abuse the right to homeschooling. Even though homeschooling was often the primary method of instruction during the founding of our country, our government actually banned homeschooling for a period of time, enforcing the law with strict penalties for the parents who did. It is now allowed, but some parents simply allow their children to do their own thing, without instructing them in any subject. Other parents teach their children well, but bottle them up in an attempt to hide them from the things of the world that they consider evil.
There is no real way for the government to check up on how homeschooling parents do, aside from assigning a massive amount of financial and human resources to check and test every child taught at home. Given the state of our national and state budgets at this time, this is definitely not a feasible idea. I am a believer in individual responsibility. It is up to the parents to see that their child at least on pace with his or her peers, and it is their honor-bound duty to their children to instruct them to the fullest extent of their abilities.
When I was homeschooled, the majority of my instruction was by my mother, who had taught middle school in Oostburg, WI. However, many homeschooling families for groups in which they get together to socialize, learn, and teach. One of the fathers in the group I was in is a chemist. Therefore, he volunteered to teach us basic science, biology, and chemistry at a high school level. My mother taught a public speaking course, and various other parents also contributed to my education.
Homeschooling is merely a certian method of instruction that may not be right for all families. Some families may lack the time, or financial resources to undertake such a venture. And other, as mentioned, simply are not even trying. But I believe that the homeschooling family that is sincerely attempting to educate their child on their own should be commended for their hard work and effort on the long journey.