Home schooling vs. public schooling, this is what the parents must decide. When we consign our children to public schools, we feel satisfied that they are receiving 'quality education'. But, are we really getting our money's worth? More importantly, are the children gaining anything from this kind of a learning procedure?

As the failure of public education becomes more obvious, more parents are chaffing at the restriction of freethinking afforded our children in public schools.

I refer to free thinkers as those who embrace individual responsibilities and ideas; those who practice time-tested rules and morals without restrictions imposed by the public school system. Hence, there is a movement afoot for parents to take more responsibility for their children's education.

The home school movement has brought about many superior, efficient, and exciting teaching approaches. Most of you reading this were taught in a public school using the traditional textbook method.

The home school movement has brought about many superior, efficient, and exciting teaching approaches. Blot out all your preconceived ideas of how you think school should be and your previous experience of education.

Find out how you and your children like to learn. Real effectiveness is developed over time by improving a few steps at a time. All children have different gift and talents. Read the Parable About the Animal School to put this into focus. Browse through the different teaching approaches on this site to find the method that fit your family.

Scholastic education aside, what about moral education? Public schools are teaching high schoolers proper condom usage, while staying away from such alternatives as chastity. Pro-homosexuality and anti-gun sentiments are being hurrahed in schools, yet prayer is banned.

With recent tragic events, many parents and schools are being forced to take a closer look at our present schooling structure. Everyone is looking for reasons as to why our children are either part of, or in a defensive position of this social chaos. The result of this chaos? Gangs, guns, drugs, a high rate of teen-pregnancy and even terrorism.

The 1998 study by Dr. Rudner of 20,760 students, found that eighth grade students whose parents spend $199 or less on their home education score, on the average, in the 80th percentile. Eighth grade students whose parents spend $400 to $599 on their home education also score on the average, in the 80th percentile! Once the parents spend over $600, the students do slightly better, scoring in the 83rd percentile.

The message is loud and clear. More money does not mean a better education. There is no positive correlation between money spent on education and student performance. Public school advocates could refocus their emphasis if they learned this lesson. Loving and caring parents are what matters. Money can never replace simple, hard work.

On average, home-schooled students in grades one to four performed one grade level above their age-level public/private school peers on achievement tests. Students who had been home schooled their entire academic life had higher scholastic achievement test scores than students who had also attended other educational programs.

Home school and the public school system can comfortably and successfully co-exist. And in the best-case scenarios, these two entities actually become benefactors of each other's time and talents. As home schooled, having the respect of a local educational community is an essential factor in this co-existing equation and is readily achieved by following three very basic, yet vital, steps.

Parents new to home schooling often have a thousand of questions to ask. It has been accepted that parents have an inherent right to determine the pros and cons of home schooling.

There is little long-standing knowledge among regular school goers because most things are learnt for the exam. There is no correlation of facts with life. The child may know a lot, but understands very little. This is where the home schoolers beat the regular school goers. Ultimately, home schoolers emerge more adept at facing the outside world.

The bottom line on this home schooling vs. public schools issue is who do you want your children to be molded by? You or some gun-toting, drug testing, bureaucratic soldier working for the state?