Funamental Issues with Homeschooling

        Homeschooling is becoming an increasing and popular method of educating children in the United States. It saw a near 30,000 increase in just two years at the turn of the millenium and people are still straining to join the phenomenom. Yet, there remain some fundamental issues with homeschooling that must be adressed and tackled before the method can become a legitimate and praised method. Firstly, homeshooled students have less benchmarks and comparisons for colleges to determine the aptitude for a student. Consider that a child in public school takes classes with 20-30 other kids at any given time. Any given child in that classroom can easily be compared to the others, and then that school as a whole can easily be compared to another school. It is hard for an admissions team to normally sense how fit and ready a child is for college, even with this startling amount of comparisons ready for them. Imagine trying to determine how apt a student is that has been homeschooled, no one can imagine how hard it is for a college team to try and learn about this student. Especially a school that doesn't require a kid to submit a SAT/ACT score. They have almost nothing to judge these students off of, and it becomes a very important issue. Out of twelve college admissioners asked, only 60% admitted they had procedures in place to deal with college applicants who were homeshooled,(Journal of College Amission).
               Another issue with homeschooling is the customiation and freedom to which the parents have control of their children. In some cases, this can be a great thing to have. Especially for someone who has the greatest and most noble values. They will hopefully be passed onto a child, ans then that child will continue these values without interference that someone mind find in a public school environment. Yet, this creates issues from students and parents. Escpecially when people forget the hidden purposes and subtle meaning of education. For example, education has helped to "cultivate democratic citizenship,"(Rob Reich). This purpose of education may be lost in the process of home education and that undermines the success it may have. Consider also that people have spen centuries thinking and pondering of the best of the best curriculum for our students and parents have the control to throw all of that away. For instnce, physical education at home may be completely ignored. There could be no mandate for it and children may lose the experience of physical activity that so many other children are awarded. Not only does this exclude the child from society, but the parents are often forced to make extreme sacifices to their daily lives in order to keep their children on par with other ones.
             Finally, consider the nature of the world we live in today. It is not an easy one to live in, with a population of over six billion people. Competition is unavoidable in today's world, whether it be for a job or sports team. With that many people, chances are that sometime in life you will have to face someone to gain something. Here many children raised in public and private schools might thrive. They are trained to embrace and battle competition, which eventually makes the children tougher. They are prepared and mentally strong to face challenges that other students may not be able to who were homeshooled. Parents who homeschool their children often say a reason is to shelter them from the brutality of public schools, but they do not realize that children eventually have to face the real world and the faster they do the better. Not only does this force the child to face what may seem to be a huge problem at a critical time, but it also forces parents to bread competition in a household if they want their child to be capable. It may create a stressed relationship between a parent and child, whereas a public school would create one between a teacher and student. Consider, "It is true that homeschooling has many benefits, however, one must realize that school teaches children skills to face and survive, the trials and tribulations of life"( <a href=http://www.buzzle.com/articles/reasons-why-homeschooling-is-bad.html>Deepa Kartha</a> ). This is the main concern with homemade education, the real world does not occurr in your home. People need to experience the peple and places they will have to live with at a young age and they should not be deprived of that.
              Although parents hope to shelter and protect their children it is perhaps best to realize children can not be completely protected and it is approrpiate for people to realize how the world works and adapt to that as early as possible.