Recently, there have been more parents choosing to educate their children at home rather than having them taught at school. While there are clear disadvantages to homeschooling, I think they are largely outweighed by the advantages of a personalized curriculum for the child and the strengthening of bonds between children and their parents.
Admittedly, there are clear disadvantages to homeschooling such as potential deficiency in social skills and lack of accreditation. Firstly, children who are taught at home often lack essential social skills. Indeed, they can only interact with their immediate family and not make new friends. This context deprives them of the opportunity to interact with others and thus many children will likely have trouble behaving well in social situations. Secondly, homeschooled children sometimes struggle to attain accredited qualifications to enter tertiary education institutions. As parents are not authorized to issue diplomas like educational ministries, they will have difficulty in applying for university since many institutions such as those in Vietnam only accept diplomas that have been certified by the ministry of education. Thus, homeschooled children will likely have more limited opportunities to pursue tertiary education and build a successful career.
However, the advantages of homeschooling such as a personalized curriculum and stronger bonds between parents and their children cannot be ignored. Firstly, parents can construct a personalized curriculum that suits the needs and strengths of their children. For example, there were media reports recently about a homeschooled child from Japan who was able to solve complex calculus equations in under 30 seconds as the curriculum his parents had devised was centered around developing his math skills. Secondly, parents can forge a stronger bond with their children while teaching. Personally teaching their children can allow parents to engage in meaningful learning activities and spend more time with their children, as opposed to the few hours they have in the evening if their children are sent to school. Consequently, they can be more understanding and patient with their child, strengthening the familial relationship between parents and offspring.
In conclusion, I contend that the advantages of a personalized curriculum and stronger familial bonds between parents and their progeny outweigh any perceived disadvantages inherent in homeschooling. It is advisable that the government implement policies that grant parents the authority to issue homeschooling diplomas that can be accepted by universities and colleges alike.