Reasons to Avoid an Accredited Homeschool Diploma

by Andrea Hermitt | More from this Blogger

In my post, Is Accreditation Necessary, I wrote about the current debate of accreditation in the homeschool community. Next, I wrote reasons to consider an accredited homeschool diploma. Now I will discuss reasons you may want to avoid an accredited diploma.

Accreditation is too restrictive: Accreditation can cause homeschooling to be too restrictive. A student may give up taking classes in his or her interests to take a health class in order to fulfill requirements for accreditation. Meanwhile, a portfolio could show that the child already had fulfilled his or her requirements through science, class and physical education activities. By being forced to follow and accreditation program, this student will miss out on a valuable piece of education.

Accreditation will force homeschool controls: One would think that those homeschoolers who do not want to use accreditation just would not while those who do want to use accreditation will and that the two options could coexist well. However many who do not want accreditation believe that by having a large segment of homeschoolers take the accreditation route, then colleges will eventually require the same thing from all homeschoolers.

Accreditation takes away the individual approach of homeschooling: Accreditation is like a test that homeschoolers much teach to. By accepting accreditation, homeschoolers are working toward a set of standards instead of having an individualized approach for educating each child.

The portfolio transcript is sufficient: While some may argue that accreditation is needed because the homeschool portfolio is becoming outdated, others argue that it is not true. In fact, the homeschool portfolio/ transcript is indeed sufficient to prove to colleges and future employers that the student is qualified to take the next step after homeschooling.

Stay tuned for my next post: "When Accreditation May be Necessary".

*Have a question about homeschooling? Just ask.

*Want to know more about homeschooling? Start with the 2006 homeschool blog in review!

* Have you seen the homeschooling curriculum glossary?

Learn more about Andrea Hermitt

Andrea Hermitt is a native New Yorker currently residing in GA. She has been married for over 16 years and has two teenage children.

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