Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my stance on the issue about whether traditional schooling or homeschooling is a better way of education. Some people said that the current education system has put too much pressure on students but cannot be able to bring out the best parts of them. So parents choose to teach their children at home instead of sending them to a traditional school. In my opinion, traditional schooling is a better way of education.

One advantage of traditional schooling is that it can help students develop social skills but homeschooling cannot. Peer interaction plays an important role in children’s development. In school, students attend classes with their classmates in which they can have numerous opportunities to discuss different matters. By communicating with each other, they can learn the skills of interacting with others, which is an essential quality for them to master as they may meet different kinds of people when they grow up. Moreover, through the interaction, they can also learn communication skills and develop critical thinking. It is because when they discuss some issues, they may have different stances and arguments. Hence, they can learn how to accept others’ opinions and see things from different perspectives. Obviously, social interaction is the essence of traditional schooling whereas it is lacking in homeschooling.

Another advantage is that traditional schooling can train students’ leadership skills. In traditional schools, there are many chances for them to take up the role of leader in school. For example, they can choose to be a class monitor, a chairperson of a club or a prefect to patrol in school. These experiences are valuable in developing their leadership skills. On the contrary, homeschooling deprives them of the chance to take part in a community. Therefore,  they will have no practical knowledge of how to be a leader. This is the problem of homeschooling, so the mode of traditional schooling has an important role from an education perspective.

To conclude, traditional schooling is a better way of education with its important aspects in helping students develop their social and leadership skills. Even though homeschooling has its merits, we should choose traditional schooling as students can benefit more.

Yours faithfully,
Zhan Yichun 6B
HHCKLA Buddhist Ching Kok Secondary School