Jacquelyn (Blog 6)

This week’s chapter is on socialization in schools. The text defines socialization as “the ongoing process of learning process of learning expected behaviours, values, norms, and social skills of individuals who occupy particular roles in society.” (161) This is important because the education system functions as one of the major ways children are socialized in our society. One major reason that I am interested by this chapter is because I was homeschooled when I was younger, and have many friends who homeschool their children because they do not agree with the way the school system socializes their children. As the text describes, “the number of children who are homeschooled are on the rise in Canada.” (167) I think these rising numbers correlate with the increasing interest and involvement that parents have in schools today. They are obviously higher for people who have conservative religious beliefs also and who want to raise their children according to those standards. Despite this, the text also says that many parents choose to homeschool “because they are dissatisfied with the curriculum and with the social environment of schools.” (188) It goes on to state how many homeschooled students are more likely to succeed at university and have higher rates of civic participation.  I think the way you choose to educate your children is an important decision that carries a lot of weight. It is important to consider the pros and cons of each choice- and important to allow children opportunities to build relationships with children from all backgrounds and have many different learning experiences, whether they are homeschooled or not. I have often wondered whether I will choose to homeschool my own children when the time comes. I know that I admire how a family that I know homeschools their kids- they bring them to music, art and gym at the local school, and give them the option of moving to the school when they reach middle years. Those are some of the sweetest and well-adjusted children I know. In any case, school does have a huge impact in the socialization od children, and it is important to consider the effects of this.