Some say that in order to get an education you have to attend a public school setting, but for many that is not the case.  It has been studied that many home schooled children are able to out test, in all areas, their peers who have been educated in the traditional fashion.  One advantage to being home schooled is that race, religion, socio-economic status, and other pressures do not influence the child’s learning.  This is because they are receiving one-on-one instruction and do have to compete for the teachers help.  Home schooled children also have the luxury of learning at their own pace.  If they need down time or extra time on a particular subject they have the freedom to take it.   

There is a concern about the social development of home schooled children.  They do not have the daily interaction with peers and other adults.  However, some would answer that the "real world" is not comprised of groups of people all of the same age, and that public schools really do not prepare children socially as well as home schooling does. A public school setting often can offer more tools to learn with.  For example, the science department is equipped with all the lab instruments they will need to perform experiments.  There are also a few standardized tests like the Terra Nova from CAT and the North Carolina End of Grade Test that are not available to homeschoolers.  These tests help to track the child’s learning throughout their education.  Another aspect of home schooling is that it takes a lot of commitment, not only from the student but from the parent too.  The child will have to be committed to completing his studies everyday and the parent will have to take time out of each day to create the curriculum and make sure the child stays on task and answer any questions he may have.  The overall consensus is that only the student and parent knows what is best for their education.  There is a down side and an up side to both public schooling and home schooling; it all depends on the person.