NOT THE BEES
That's likely one of the reasons homeschooled students tend to be socialized as well or better than their peers. Public schools get a bunch of kids to socialize with other kids and...not much else.
Recently on tumblr I read some suggestions for improvements as regards school; Part of which was keeping schools open after class time so the kids could have some place to stay. (Helping the parents who right now simply have to shell out for babysitting services because they can't get off work at the time school ends.) This was more for elementary schools, since those very rarely keep kids for any time afterwards and do little to provide tutoring. (The post in question was mostly about providing more support for kids and schools on every level to prevent said kids from going to jail. Turns out that there's a disturbing amount of people that would rather spend tax money jailing people than providing an education.)
If we could get some sort of student tutoring thing set up for elementary and possibly middle schools we could both keep the schools open later so the kids have some place safe to stay and provide the kids with interaction of kids of an older age. Students helping other students where they can would help everyone, the older kids getting to be confident in what they know and the younger kids learning how to deal with kids older than them and hopefully learning the material better. It could be a volunteer program where the kids can earn some sort of civics credit for their grades. I think it's a good way to get older kids invested in their community and younger kids interaction with older kids.
Granted, this requires that the high school and middle school kids get out before the elementary kids. Where I live the high schoolers get out hours before all younger kids, but the middle school kids start so late they get out near four o'clock, after everyone else.
NOT THE BEES
My Catholic school had a daycare for K-6 after class ended, yeah. It lasted until like 6 or something (class ended at 3).
edited 14th May '13 12:46:35 AM by Pykrete
Crown Prince
Personal curiosity and the desire for knowledge. Hopefully school won't get in the way.
Lost in Space
@Ace: My local school system has a daycare program that accepts students both before and after normal school hours, and for after hours, makes sure they get a chance to do their homework. It's a really good deal, although we do have to pay for it.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Most educational systems are not fit for purpose... even if we can even decide on what the purpose is supposed to be.
However, leaving it to individual sets of parents? Is not the answer, either. Something both fluid and, most importantly accountable is badly needed, yet which isn't the graduated test-o-rama focused on only one aspect of "learning" most kids get shoved at. Which is why I mainly support public education. It can be adapted... if it's allowed to be adapted.
Further isolating kids at home? Is not the way to go unless it happens to be the way those kids learn and manage better with the society around them. Some people do do better with a lessened social circle. Most, however, don't. And, social circles should be more mixed... not just restricted to your own age-group.
Getting used to working with people much older than you and also much younger is a vital life-skill. And, helps you come to terms with mixing with others with greater differences to you, later, as well.
edited 13th May '13 8:02:42 PM by Euodiachloris