I went to parochial (Catholic) school for 13 years. It wasn't always puppy dogs and ice cream, but I learned a lot, they laid off the heavy Catholic doctrine after 9th grade and when I hit college, I seemed so much better off than my public counterparts. Now granted, I'm a smart motherfucker to begin with, and the schools I attended weren't exactly flush with money. But I really learned.
But that shit costs money...my parents were always two steps from the poorhouse. There were several times where I'd get pulled into the principal's office, and I'd be advised that if my parents didn't pay my tuition by such-and-such date, I'd get the boot. This continued until January of my senior year of high school.
And of course, it's not for everybody. It worked for me, but not for my brother. It just didn't hold his interest...he was always getting in trouble. Then my parents put him in St. Louis's magnet school program beginning in 6th grade...and he flourished. He's now a well-adjusted (more or less...look at who he has for a big brother
) 22-year old certified EMT, taking classes at St. Louis Community College.
One of the biggest beefs against home schooling is the lack of social interaction for a child. And while I agree that social interaction is necessary, kids can be so ungodly cruel to each other...why put a kid through that shit every day for 9 months each year?
As long as the parent is qualified enough to teach the basics, I see nothing wrong with home-schooling. I know if I had children, I sure as hell wouldn't put them in Philadelphia's public school system.