I've only been homeschooling for one year, but I've come to the conclusion that homechoolers have a love/hate relationship with the topic of socialization. Everyone groans, rolls their eyes or sighs when the topic comes up for the 8,476th time. Yet, homeschoolers commonly talk (or blog) about it. We must love taking on the issue. We love to debate and discredit silly notions, don't we? Or, I suppose, it's because it comes up 8,476 times that we must talk about it. Either way, it's out there - lurking - snarling - lying in wait for the next opportunity to arise.
My son went to a birthday party last night. That got me thinking about it - again. To me, public school seems to be more about social classification than socialization. Within a school, the kids from better neighborhoods stick together - as do the poor kids. On a larger scale, compare the inner city with more affluent suburban schools. Poor neighborhoods = poor schools = poor kids. Mediocre towns = mediocre schools-= mediocre kids. Unless you live in a wealthy neighborhood, aren't you choosing a doomed, predetermined social class for your children when you send them to public school? If I live in a mediocre neighborhood, chances are my child will be mediocre. Why would people prefer that? Not only do they prefer it, but they ridicule people (like me) for trying to give my children something better.
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2 comments:
That's usually the first thing out of a non-homeschooler's mouth when they find out we homeschool. *sigh* "Well, what about socialization?" *sigh*
Earlier today I found your comment under my "No Offense" post - the one where you said about having something about socialization printed on a business card to hand out. That is a great idea!
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