The most obvious difference between home school and public school is the learning environment. In her article, "Public School vs. Home School," Grace Chen writes that proponents of home schooling believe that home is the safest, most secure environment in which a child can learn. It makes sense that kids would thrive in the comfort of their own homes, wearing whatever they want, with the restroom and kitchen close by for breaks. Modern classrooms, especially elementary ones, are not always calm or quiet, and they come with their share of distractions due to the other students in the room. Chen writes that the absence of diversions for home schoolers allows them to focus more on the lessons being taught and the work they are expected to do. Without having to meet the pace of other students, kids are allowed to work at their own pace, which can make students more successful.
Critics of home schooling claim that kids who don't attend conventional schools won't get the social development they need by being around other kids their age. By interacting with peers, children learn about teamwork, competition, conflict management, communication, and problem solving. Critics worry that, without these lessons, home schooled children won't succeed in college or the work place. According to Chen, proponents argue that home schoolers aren't subjected to peer pressure, teasing, or bullying, and this helps them focus on learning instead of trying to fit in. Home schooled students are often involved in youth groups, sports, and music or dance lessons, so it's not as if they are isolated from other children. In fact, many college officials agree that most home schooled college students are at least as well-adjusted socially as public school graduates, according to Brian Ray's article, "Homeschoolers on to College: What the Research Shows Us."
Chen writes that home school and public school offer similar curricula as far as basic reading, writing, math, and science skills at the elementary level, but beyond that, the two can vary widely. In home schools, parents decide what their children learn, and therefore can tailor instruction to individual needs, interests, and values, which allows for more in-depth analysis and independent thinking, which builds critical thinking skills, according to Ray. Many parents who teach at home integrate religious education into the curriculum, which is banned from public schools. The curriculum taught to students in public schools is determined by state and federal regulations, and all children, except those with special needs, are expected to learn the same knowledge and skills. For these reasons, public school curricula involves many subjects and ideas, whereas home school curriculum allows for more in-depth study of fewer subjects, as the parents see fit.
In public schools, students' learning is measured by standardized tests based on the regulated curriculum. Much of the public school year is geared toward making students successful on these tests. Home schoolers aren't subjected to these state exams, but are assessed by whatever means their parents find suitable. But this doesn't mean that they don't have similar knowledge and skills. According to Ray, a 2004 study of home schooled students showed that they scored between 65 and 80 percent on standard achievement tests, whereas public school students scored around 50 percent on average. Home schooled students are required to take the ACT or SAT to obtain admission to college, just like public schoolers, and Ray reports that their scores on these tests are also higher on average than public students. Also, home schoolers aren't separated into the age-based grade divisions and end-of-year advancements or retentions. Again, they are allowed to learn at their own pace, regardless of age. According to Ray, 25 percent of homeschoolers are being taught at least one grade above their age level in public school.
According to Chen, home schoolers are usually taught by their own parents (mostly moms), who have various backgrounds and levels of education. Public school teachers are required to have a bachelor's degree, certification to teach, and many hours of professional training each year. Some critics of home schooling say that the lack of educational training in most home school "teachers" is a disservice to their students and doesn't allow them to learn as much as they can. Secondary teachers also have specific training (and often degrees) in their subject area, so they have a strong mastery of what they are teaching. Parents who home school, on the other hand, must spend a great deal of time educating themselves on every subject they must teach to their children. A high school biology teacher, for example, only has to be an expert in biology, but it's doubtful that a home schooling parent can be an expert in six or seven different fields. However, there are many resources out there to help parents who home school with this very problem.