Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education • Hacker News Board

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#421

Post by bluGill » Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 9:13 PM UTC

rrradical wrote: post #404

jawns wrote: post #150

People talk about homeschooling as if it's one single concept, but it's actually a whole bunch of very dissimilar things. There are people who homeschool because they don't agree with the government's viewpoints, people who homeschool because the public school system has failed their kids, people who homeschool because it just happens to fit their lifestyle. Those are all very different motivations. Likewise, there a…

I was (non-religiously) home schooled and very much benefited from it. I was able to spend a lot more time reading books than I would have in school. I was able to learn about computers, programming, etc. I did get some socialization through other kids in my neighborhood and events with other home school families. I started in back in school around high school and, although it was a bit of a transition, I enjoyed it…

Or so you think. I don't know you, but every home school kids I've met shows the lack of meeting republicans/democrats/jews/blacks. None of them see that in themselves though.

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#422

Post by jkestner » Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 9:13 PM UTC

xyzelement wrote: post #329

jandrese wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a huge spectrum, but back when we homeschooled (my wife wasn't yet comfortable sending the kids back to the classroom in 2021) we did a few events where local homeschool kids got together for various activities. Tree identification/nature trail at the park, visits to historic sites, stuff like that. Of the parents I met there was some variety, but 9 times out of 10 it seemed like they were mostly doing it be…

// other aspects of homeschooling were just a fig leaf over a whole lot of religious indoctrination I was raised totally secular but I now understand that religion is about fundamentally aligning yourself to the highest aspirations ("what kind of man does G-d want me to be?") and even w/o actual faith, I am starting to think that's preferable to the current mode of "anything goes, you can be whatever you feel like an…

> the current mode of "anything goes, you can be whatever you feel like and there's no judgement of any of your actions."

That doesn't match reality. Do you have kids in public school? Of course they judge actions—especially those that harm others. Sometimes that's called social-emotional learning, one of the things that Florida politicians have tried to make a boogeyman. We're certainly willing to punish kids based on their actions.

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#423

Post by gwd » Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 9:14 PM UTC

mrguyorama wrote: post #400

efd6821b wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All education is intertwined with indoctrination. At least religious indoctrination is a known quantity, unlike other less self-aware forms.

In religion, they say "God made the heaven and the earth" How do you know that? "He wrote it in this book" In education: "Gravity is about 9.8m/s/s" How do you know that? "Well do this pendulum experiment with me and see for yourself."

It's interesting that you changed the question, because if you had education answer the same question, it would be a lot less compelling:

> In education: "The earth accumulated matter together after a previous supernova."

> How do you know that? "It's written in this book."

In the vast majority of cases, that is literally how the teacher knows it: they don't actually know the evidence or the chain of reasoning that science took to get to where the current theory is, nor how one could actually go about gathering the evidence oneself to prove it true or false.

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#424

Post by bluGill » Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 9:15 PM UTC

darigo wrote: post #257

torial wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100% agree with this. Also, with the right community, it is possible to have plenty of "socialization" with other kids. My family participates in a parent-led co-op that allows kids to benefit from different strengths in different parents and to have lots of friends. As my kids are neurodivergent, I think this environment has been safer for them and allows them to focus on their passions. There is still some peer pre…

>it is possible to have plenty of "socialization" with other kids. I agree. Public school is not a great place for socialization, and it's not hard to create something better. Nothing socializes kids like sitting next to each other motionless in silence for several hours lol

The best part about socialization in public schools it you will meet someone who isn't like you. I know plenty of home schooled kids who got plenty of socialization - but it was all people of the same group as their parents. Same religion, same politics...

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#425

Post by User23 » Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 9:15 PM UTC

drw3 wrote: post #361

xyzelement wrote: post #329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

// other aspects of homeschooling were just a fig leaf over a whole lot of religious indoctrination I was raised totally secular but I now understand that religion is about fundamentally aligning yourself to the highest aspirations ("what kind of man does G-d want me to be?") and even w/o actual faith, I am starting to think that's preferable to the current mode of "anything goes, you can be whatever you feel like an…

[deleted]

> Everyone already “knows” their religion is correct and is not actually willing to challenge that because it’s scary.

1 Peter 3:15-16 literally commands us to do exactly that.

  But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you.

  But with modesty and fear, having a good conscience: that whereas they speak evil of you, they may be ashamed who falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

Believe it or not, the ignorant bible thumpers are actually a minority of Christians worldwide. There is a rich apologetic tradition going back centuries and odds are good every one of your objections was answered in the middle ages at the latest.

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#426

Post by inglor_cz » Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 9:15 PM UTC

MadcapJake wrote: post #154

brightball wrote: post #7

When I moved into my current house about 10 years ago, the family next door home schooled. I'd never known any home schoolers before and definitely had some notions about how terrible it must be until I learned about it. This family was part of a home school group with other families. The kids went to different houses every day and had an instructor focus on 1 subject for half of the day, mixed in with free time, dep…

It's like people are reinventing all the same stuff schools do at scale. Can't we be more efficient as a society? Not to mention the privilege that is draped over every detail of this setup.

If everyone was force-fed the same dinner and compelled to wear the same clothes, there would be a lot of societal efficiency to unlock. It would also be a nightmare.

People are diverse and have diverse needs. That includes kids. AFAIK the most efficient method of education is still one-to-one tutoring, the very opposite of "schools at scale". Unfortunately it is also very expensive.

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#427

Post by Teever » Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 9:16 PM UTC

xyzelement wrote: post #329

jandrese wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a huge spectrum, but back when we homeschooled (my wife wasn't yet comfortable sending the kids back to the classroom in 2021) we did a few events where local homeschool kids got together for various activities. Tree identification/nature trail at the park, visits to historic sites, stuff like that. Of the parents I met there was some variety, but 9 times out of 10 it seemed like they were mostly doing it be…

// other aspects of homeschooling were just a fig leaf over a whole lot of religious indoctrination I was raised totally secular but I now understand that religion is about fundamentally aligning yourself to the highest aspirations ("what kind of man does G-d want me to be?") and even w/o actual faith, I am starting to think that's preferable to the current mode of "anything goes, you can be whatever you feel like an…

If the purpose of religion is to align yourself to the highest aspirations why do so many large religious organizations get caught up stuff like this:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mormon-church-ensign-peak-whist...

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#428

Post by gosub100 » Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 9:18 PM UTC

jjav wrote: post #337

verisimi wrote: post #326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> religious indoctrination indoctrination is a given. Do you prefer your secular type, the religious type or the government type?

> indoctrination is a given. Indoctrination is not a given and should never be acceptable in education. What is indoctrination? Here's one dictionary definition: indoctrination: the process of repeating an idea or belief to someone until they accept it without criticism or question Note "accept it without criticism or question". This is the polar opposite of what education should be, which is to encourage investigati…

that definition applies perfectly to modern leftism

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#429

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 9:19 PM UTC

jawns wrote: post #150

People talk about homeschooling as if it's one single concept, but it's actually a whole bunch of very dissimilar things. There are people who homeschool because they don't agree with the government's viewpoints, people who homeschool because the public school system has failed their kids, people who homeschool because it just happens to fit their lifestyle. Those are all very different motivations. Likewise, there a…

[deleted]

Re: Home schooling's rise from fringe to fastest-growing form of education

#430

Post by CaptWillard » Tue, Oct 31, 2023, 9:19 PM UTC

jandrese wrote: post #264

jawns wrote: post #150

People talk about homeschooling as if it's one single concept, but it's actually a whole bunch of very dissimilar things. There are people who homeschool because they don't agree with the government's viewpoints, people who homeschool because the public school system has failed their kids, people who homeschool because it just happens to fit their lifestyle. Those are all very different motivations. Likewise, there a…

There is a huge spectrum, but back when we homeschooled (my wife wasn't yet comfortable sending the kids back to the classroom in 2021) we did a few events where local homeschool kids got together for various activities. Tree identification/nature trail at the park, visits to historic sites, stuff like that. Of the parents I met there was some variety, but 9 times out of 10 it seemed like they were mostly doing it be…

// other aspects of homeschooling were just a fig leaf over a whole lot of religious indoctrination.

While this may technically fit the definition of "indoctrination", that's a pretty loaded way to describe what parents teach their own children.

// they thought the public schools were too secular and were teaching "sinful" sciences like evolution.

Really? In 2021, the hot-button issue among religious parents was evolution?