Homeschool VS. Public School, From a Students Perspective

Homeschool has been a hot topic lately. Parents, kids, teachers, and people from all around the world have been asking the same question; homeschool or public school? Which will help students learn quicker and better? Is homeschool really how people imagine it, and maybe public school isn't as crazy as some think. Now we put the 2 school environments head to head. 

Homeschool; a wide variety

Some kids sit in a little cabin in the woods drinking organic tea and learning life skills and math through nature. Some homeschoolers take online classes, have some teachers, and learn through books and their computers. Homeschool can vary so much. If you like the idea of doing school from your bed and get to sit in sweatpants all day, then you have the option to do that. Or, if you want to take in person classes and join in extracurricular activities through local schools but still do work at home, you can do that as well. “I like the fact that there can be a bit less school work (depending on the parents' decisions) and I get to see my friends a lot more and there are still field trips.” says a homeschool student Gillian. You also can learn at your own pace with homeschool, For instance, if you need more time to do one subject but can zoom through another one, it's pretty easy to do. Did you know that around 74% of homeschoolers go to college, versus only 72.6% of public school students go to college, (according to a cbs news article). It’s close but it shows that maybe homeschool would be a quicker way to learn.

Public School; the home away from home 

Around 83% of kids K-12 are public schooled (as of 2024.) Public school definitely has mixed reviews, especially when it comes to the food (which may or may not be road kill.) Public schools can be overcrowded, the teachers can have 30+ kids in each class (depending on the school) and can be super overwhelming for some kids. Although, public school is free and paid for by the government, so parents that struggle with money can still give their kids a good education. It also is basically a free daycare. Kids K-12 go to school for 7 hours in the day, and possibly later if they do extracurricular activities, so parents can have some free time, time to work around the house, or go to work without their kids. Also, public school can be a good social time. Kids get to see their friends every day, and build good relationships not only with kids but with teachers and adults too. Most of the people I talk to really only like public school because of the social aspect and being able to be away from home for a bit.  “I don’t know, I mean it's nice to see my friends every day. School is kind of a back and forth thing. Sometimes it's nice but sometimes I want to die because of how overstressed overworked and overwhelmed it can be.” Said Faye, a student that has only been public schooled. 

Really, there isn’t necessarily a “better side” it really just depends on who you talk to and what needs and wants you have. Each brain is completely different and works in different ways. Everyone I have interviewed has had different opinions on each one, so it really just depends on who you're talking to. We’re curious to know, which do you prefer? Is it public school or homeschool?