I was home schooled all through grade & high school & I have never felt socially or academically disadvantaged even though I go to an tough college. I pull Dean’s list every semester and my teachers love me. The idea of social advanatges in the school system I find amusing. When one of my public-school friends in college was razzing me about not going to school I asked him what I missed and the only thing he could tell me was about a huge fight in front of the buses that was so cool. Yep, I missed a lot. I have a resume that most college grads would kill for from numerous volunteer positions & awards. I have great recommendations from my supervisors & I dare any mainstream student to top the activities I’ve done!
As for the academic aspect, my mother wasn’t a teacher and in fact she pulled me out of school because when she did the “involved parent” thing and volunteered in my classroom, she realized that she couldn’t possibly do a worse job than the teacher. School was humiliating, awkward & degrading. But I’m in college now & I can write better, research better and deal with college life better than most of the other students. Plus, since I wasn’t in the “normal” social atmosphere, I’m one of the few students who didn’t come to college already acclimated to binge drinking and partying all the time.
So really, did I miss anything? Maybe; if you consider drug & alcohol addictions, pregnancy & STD’s, academic failure and mind-numbing stress something that shouldn’t be missed.
I’ll take my un-qualified parent teacher over the over-opinioned, under-qualified teachers I remember any day.
