You have no doubt seen articles and editorials in the general media that rely on the opinions of school experts, primarily in the form of principals, teachers, and school board personnel, to comment on the pros and cons of homeschooling. This is unfair to both the experts and the public they are speaking to because these individuals are being called upon to comment on something they have little or no knowledge of. Unaware that homeschooling is not "school at home" but something different entirely, these experts invariably explain that homeschoolers miss out on important social experiences. Their concern is genuine, yet their experience lies in the area of school, not homeschool, and they are not able to speak accurately about homeschooling, especially in its social aspects. Still, they are heralded as the authorities on homeschooling and are rarely expected to support their opinions with factual evidence.
Rachel Gathercole in The Well-Adjusted Child: The Social Benefits of Homeschooling
