The term home schooling or home tuition, as it is called in England, means ed

The term home schooling or home tuition, as it is called in England, means educating children at home or in places other than a mainstream setting such as a public or private school. There are many reasons why parents choose home schooling for their children. Some parents are dissatisfied with the quality of education in public schools. Others do not want their children to have to worry about peer pressure, or social pressure from friends. These parents fear this type of pressure will lead to negative behavior such as smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs. Bullying and harassing from other students is another concern. In 1996, it was estimated that between 120,000 and 260,000 children are being home schooled in the U.S.
   Professor Jane describes parents who teach their children at home as either ideologues or pedagogues. Ideologues tend to view home school as opportunities to create formal learning environments using pre-determined curricula, textbooks and rigid schedules. Pedagogues tend to place the learner central to everything else that transpires in the home.
   Whatever the forms, there are however some basic keys to creating a successful environment for home schooling:
   Provide an opportunity for children to socialize with other children close to their age.
   With today’s technology, utilize as many types of instruction methods as possible. These methods may include correspondence course, interactive satellite broadcasts or electronic networks among schools. By then, the teacher will take on a new role as adviser, instead of imparting knowledge, they would sort through the available information.
   The basic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics should not be overlooked. These may be incorporated into other activities when possible. Many of these students will at some point enter the public system. It is to their advantage, to remain at or above the grade level of their peers so that they will not be lagged behind.
   The debate over home schooling versus public schooling is still prevailing and many questions have emerged. Will this marginal model of schooling replace traditional schools and conventional methods? How are home schoolers assessed? Are home schooling children missing out on the social benefits of being in a large classroom? As with any debatable issue, the answers to these questions are neither simple nor one-sided.