I apologize. I mistook “institutional school” for “a place outside of the home where children are sent to learn”.
I think now that you meant “public school”, and that you did not consider the Catholic school system institutional, or other private schools “institutional”, since I see in some other responses to me that you support parents sending children to schools of learning run by others, which many of us would call “institutes of learning”, or “institutions” for short.
Now I still disagree with you, in that I believe public schools do teach things, just as I believe private schools of various types teach things. I think you really think they teach as well, because you have expressed concern about what they teach.
I would never have argued with someone saying they didn’t like what kids learned in public school; I actually rarely argue with people who call me names or attack me for sending my kids to public school, because they mean well, even if they are actually being condescending. Of course, I don’t worry about the opinions that anonymous internet posters have of me, which makes it easier to turn the other cheek when they insult me.
Also....Government owned and run schools are among our LEAST public institutions in America. They are the most profoundly segregated by class and race. The government dictates who can or can not enroll in a particular government institutional school. To gain entrance to a particular government school, the parents must go to the DRASTIC action of MOVING. I call that highly restrictive and very NON-public.
Public is a city, state, or federal park. Anyone who can get there and pay the small admission fee can attend. Macys, Mc Donalds and Burger King are likely examples of our nation's least discriminatory and “open to the public” institutions in America and they happen to be PRIVATE! Imagine that! PRIVATE!
Your strawman:” Now I still disagree with you, in that I believe public schools do teach things,”
I said, that THERE IS NO PROOF that they do! These studies have never been done. It is impossible to know the effectiveness of any institutional school unless what is learned in the classroom is compared to that acquired in the home due to the preschooling, home habits of study, home assignments and study done by the student IN THE HOME, and tutoring ( professional, parent-led, or study-club directed).
These studies have NEVER BEEN DONE! We spend up to $30,000/year/child in government schools and no one really can point to any study that proves these institutions are effective or if it due to the home study habits of the child and parent.
My anecdotal observation: There is no difference between the home study habits, and the amount of time spent in personal study, between successfully educated institutionalized children and successful homeschoolers. This is ANECDOTAL but I doubt any “educator” would be curious enough to check it out.
No one has attacked you or your child on this thread or called you names. As for my posts I strive mightily to keep it general and applicable to the entire principle of our **national** system of schooling. I have no control, though, over how you may **feel** about it.