At the approach of danger there are always two voices that speak with equal force in the heart of man: one very reasonably tells the man to consider the nature of the danger and the means of avoiding it; the other even more reasonable says that it is too painful and harassing to think of the danger, since it is not a man's power to provide for everything and escape from the general march of events; and that it is therefore better to turn aside from the painful subject till it has come, and to think of what is pleasant. In solitude a man generally yields to the first voice; in society to the second.
--War and Peace
Book X, chapter 17
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Great comment. Your concern about homeschooling is valid. I agree with your insight regarding poorly socialized home schoolers. The majority of home schoolers I know are awkward. I like you, have concluded that this comes from poorly socialized parents. I volunteered to teach a Shakespeare Class for a group of home school students a couple of years ago. The kids with bad social skills matched those of their parents. I have concluded that the majority of parents attracted to home schooling are strange.
My contention with public school is that it doesn't socialize better than home school. Rather, public school is educating the bulk of the middle class and socializing them with the dysfunctional criminal class.
Parents of the criminal class are just as likely to be criminal as parents of weird home school kids.
Let me stray from my argument for a moment. If you had to decide between socializing your kid with a weird home schooler or with a criminal, which would you choose?
The problem with public school is that the wealthiest and most productive members of society send their kids to private school. If you can afford private you should do it. Socializing your kids with the elite will be to their economic and intellectual advantage.
However, if you can't afford private school, then, your options are limited to socializing them with the criminal class or hoping that you are the kind of parent that isn't weird.
The weirdos that home school their kids usually subscribe to ultra conservative religious and political ideals. These extreme view points attract strange people. The first wave of home schooling has attracted this group of fanatics because they are the most alarmist and suspicious about mainstream America's education conspiracy.
As school shootings, public school sex scandals, and poor education results continue to increase in public school there will be a new wave of middle class parents that see the home schooling alternative as their only option. This new group of home schoolers will change your perceptions of a home schooler's social talent.