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By Grace Jorgensen
The Globe and Mail recently drew attention to the alarming US statistic of 1.5 million students
dropping out of school. Jodi Beck from womensforum.com gives 10 reasons why one
out of every five students drops out in grades 10-12. Lack of educational
support, outside influences, special needs, lack of interest and physical abuse
were among those reasons.
Nationally acclaimed Vancouver psychologist Gordon Neufeld, in his book Hold On To Your Kids: Why Parents Need To Matter More Than Peers, says, “Preschooled kids may have the best headstart, but homeschooled kids have the
best finish, because in our educational system we have neglected the crucial
role of attachment.”
Among the growing number of parents choosing to educate their children from home
are increasing numbers of homeschooling certified teachers. Dumbed-down
content, wasted hours, and chaotic learning environments in some classrooms can produce boredom and/or
anxiety. The result may be hours of homework sent home for parents to oversee
in the place of meaningful family interaction and personal development.
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Students are left wondering, “Why do I have to do this?” They deserve to understand why they are learning what they are learning and how
it applies to their lives. This particularly pertains to teens living in a
fast-paced world filled with technology and opportunities that lure them to
grow up fast and cope in an adult world before they are prepared for its
demands.
Any of the home learning options for teens gives them more time to focus on
academics, develop their talents and skills and engage in meaningful social
interactions with others.
Children are a gift from God, and He designed that nurturing, responsible
parents train them up in the way they should go.
Homeschooling is not for everyone, and not everyone can do it. But every parent
should be more attached to their children than their children are to their
peers, actively engaged in their lives and keenly aware of the learning
environments that are permanently affecting their lives.
Grace Jorgensen is executive director of the BC Home School Association.
bchomeschool.net.
February 2011
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