Show Cal 9 iw chiU be betta it me r w Ten reasons fit t- t 1 t 4 t I for h home 0 m e sc schooling h 00 mg andy an and d j i y tr laming the percentage percenti percent percent- r f f. f of home 5 b J age 4 4 Ir schooled students stu stu- F mt j l. l R r tJ t r f. f II ti dents W whose h ose 1 w To develop M morality y parents gave t t 1 each reason J 1 Wf 1 f 1999 j jJ s r 6 12 1 ii f y l' l f Scrod hallen 6 c 1 i yi- yi j. j j W Kt Otto I M l f N NOTE 0 T E t Sll Percentages i i. do not add to st fr k t. t percent 2 bee because a use I respondents ts EOA 10 could eon JQ toga 1000 gives give s more than one reason SOURCE US U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics Parent Survey of the National Household 1999 Education Surveys Program 1999 Parent- Parent Myths realities of home schooling r. r Kathryn Jones The Globe Its It's an all too common topic with all too common answer Many outside the realm suggest that a child doesn't know how to socialize in every day settings Despite the intelligence of the child a socially inept status may take over as grow parents afraid to let their child live in inthe inthe inthe the real world and get along in it Most parents disagree disagree disagree dis dis- dis- dis agree and the number is growing According to the US U.S. Department of Education as of 1999 almost children living in the United ates were bein being hO edIn it it 1 Y 41 t J I 1 the 1990 90 4 the number was at Currently sources estimate the growth has reached an all time high of children being taught by in-home in instructors i Most say that they dont don't want the thereal thereal thereal real world teaching their children I was shocked at what was happening happening happening hap hap- pening in our junior high schools said Utah home school mother Tricia Leslie Leslie whose children were previously previously previously taught in public school shared the knowledge shed she'd gained at her last school meeting with other par par- The principal spoke about the problems facing our school Leslie said The principal spoke of pornography oral sex in the bathrooms bathrooms bathrooms bath bath- rooms a record number of seventh graders getting pregnant and students making out in halls with students of the same sex Leslie admits that learning the problems within the junior high wasa was a big factor in her decision to remove her her children from the classroom and teach them at home She was concerned concerned con con- her children would be affected affect affect- ed and eventually desensitized I 1 knew things were bad Leslie said I didn't know they were that bad In the winter of 2004 The New Sex Institute of Beverly Hills Calif named Utah the fifth most sexually adventurous adventurous' state in America according to the Deseret Morning News And in 2005 a small study by two California schools reported that one-in-five one ninth-graders ninth had already participated in in oral sex third one-third surveyed planned to try it within the upcoming six months But morality or lack of it is not the only rea reason on Leslie has quit the school system Standardization in public schools is a real problem she said suggesting suggesting suggesting suggest suggest- ing that schools merely assist the student student student stu stu- stu- stu dent in getting them a job instead of focusing on leadership education Teachers cant can't teach the arts for example They must teach wh what t t they ley t r tT I have tote n ch h. h ame 1 y reading MA T t Ling L- L I ing and arithmetic Schools are slowly pushing out art programs in favor of sports programs especially Cont Cant on Page 10 Cont from Page 5 in high schools merely because there is more money to be made in sports and more sports' sports programs equals more money Leslie suggests that the movie Mr Hollands Holland's Opus is a reality when it comes to schools not letting in enough of the arts You take away the arts and you take away the ability ability ability abil abil- ity for students to think for themselves Everything is absolute without it she said My daughter Sara was bored in school She hated it Though the teacher gave the students opportunity in inthe inthe inthe the arts Sara still felt forced to do her work She was never a discipline problem problem problem lem and she was keeping up in class but she hated it She just wanted to be home according to Leslie And today Sara enjoys learning at her own pace When other parents ask Leslie if she's worried about teaching things she's not expert in she says to them You dont don't need to know quantum physics to teach suggesting that many parents decide not to home school because they dont don't feel qualified Though Leslie has a teaching background she feels that she is the best expert because of her motherly intuition She feels that parents with an interest and dedication to the success of their childrens children's children's childrens childrens children's chil chil- drens dren's lives can best prepare them for leadership in the world She suggests that what parents dont don't already know they can learn in books prior to presenting the information to their children That home schooling may not be always be easy easy at times and not even fun but that the rewards make up the difference Rewards such as a happy child a child who loves to learn an opportunity to really get to know them including learning about their strengths and weaknesses weaknesses weak weak- nesses and helping them on their journey to adulthood Every family has its own talents and abilities she said And what you dont don't know your fellow neighbor does Leslie is currently involved in a family op co-op which helps her in the teaching of her children She is teaching ancient history history history his his- tory to her children She is also taking a class entitled The Five Pillar Tutorial through a home schooling teaching program for par par- Leslie sings exercises es and even manages to get some time away Just a few weeks ago Leslie went to a women's retreat My husband is very supportive of all I do she said According to Leslie her husband Don is always willing to take charge of the kids whether that means giving her some sometime sometime sometime time to read or to get out for fora a couple hours for an annual annual annual annu annu- al women's retreat He is totally happy to help she said Leslie accuses those outside her home of being afraid to try anything different no matI matter matter mat- mat ter what she tells them I They are afraid to leap the fence she said They are still our friends They have stuck with us They see my successes but some are still skeptical Its It's almost like people are waiting f for r me meto me meto meto to fail Its It's almost as if if Im I'm a success then th they'll yU have to do it too |