16 year old Blake Peebles drops out of school to play Guitar Hero. Did his folks do the right thing in letting their son drop out?

what a f@#kin idiot

Even playing a REAL guitar isn\'t a good foundation for a future. It\'s best to have a back-up plan and get an education. It\'s likely that kind of career won\'t work out (or, at that age, he could lose interest in it as a career), and then he\'ll have to start all over, with nothing to fall back on (except his parents offering him their basement). If he already has opportunities and they decide he needs more time to focus on it, at least have him go through a homeschool program, where he can finish school at a more convenient pace.

YOU CANT MAKE MONEY OFF GUITAR HERO!!! What is wrond with you people? He was getting a great education at a good Christian school. He has an older borther who plays football and is actually good and could make a future off that and his little sister is a great dancer. He was at school and left the people there (including his girlfriend) to play guitar hero, his future is gonna suck and he needs to open his eyes and see that

MY 16 yr old just bought a REAL electric guitar - with his own money that he earned at his summer job!  Guitar Hero is LAME; my kid taught himself guitar and he's only been playing a year.   And no way he would quit high school - whether I let him or not - he has common sense, a rare commodity at any age.  Besides, he's on the school ski team and really looking forward to winter.  Life should be about expanding choices, not limiting them, and especially when you're young. 

This kid wants to bail out of high school so he can play a video game all day, and he's getting cheered on? It's no wonder we can't get people in this country to wake up and see how our culture is crumbling. They're too busy playing online games and zoning out with their PS3's.If the kid is having trouble socially, the answer is not home schooling and Guitar Hero. That's not addressing the problem; it's running away from it. 

Yeah, he should leave school because once the socialization factors are gone, education is better, one on one with a tutor. Obviously, if he's a cultural recluse then school's probably a good thing for him. Finally, if he's not aiming for a full scholarship to a private college or 6 yr BA-MD program then it isn't worth it if he's got some other dream to pursue. Online colleges still exist (U of Maryland) so there are alternatives to regular traditional education.

I can't argue with the kid dropping out if he's getting a decent education at home. As a high school teacher, I have so many kids with learning disabilities, behavioral problems, or even who just don't fit in who would benefit from having private, dedicated instruction. It seems to me that even though he dropped out to play Guitar Hero, the privilege of playing the game is merely an incentive for finishing his work. He's hitting two birds with one stone. How can you disagree?

Playing games for competition sounds nice and fun and challenging, but I'd rather make games for PCs and consoles and even invent new gernes, thank you.

If your reporting is correct, this student didn't "drop out" of school...he merely changed buildings and systems. Having a private tutor has been the choice of royalty and blue bloods for centuries. You say he is doing his work without complaint...doesn't sound like a drop-out to me. There are many ways to get a diploma...one of which is for the family to award one themselves (as long as they can back it up with proof of work done, it is totally valid and colleges are accepting them now.) So, is he wasting his time playing games after doing his school work or was he wasting his time before in the public school system trying to survive and not getting anything out of his classes? I say, let him go...he is getting educated and learning about life in a way other kids stuck in the system aren't getting.

Bill Gates dropped out of college and was an introverted geek, by all accounts.  Of course, there's only one Bill Gates.  While dropping out of high school stacks the odds against you, he could (and should, obviously) still finish his degree and continue his stated path of learning programming.  Of course, most 16 year olds don't know what they want to do for a career.  If things go terribly for him, as Judge Smails said, the world needs ditch diggers, too.   

My son quit school at 16, not because he wasn't doing well, not because he didn't have friends, not because he was being bullied.  He was just plain bored.  Public school think that special ed is only for students on the low side of the bell curve.  Students on the high side are ignored.  Public schools seem to think the gifted can take care of themselves.  When my son was born, his IQ was 145.  I know because that's what it was when he was tested 10 years later.  In spite of this, I did not let him cross the street by himself when he was 2 years old.  No, the bright kids can not take care of themselves.  If anything, they need a lot more from schools because they can think of much more creative ways to get into trouble.  If public schools continue to teach to a student's weaknesses instead of to his strengths, they'll continue to produce ignorant graduates and dropouts.  FYI, my son is an engineer now, absolutely no thanks to the public schools.  My second son opted for continuation high school and graduated a year early.  He's a multi-millionaire real estate broker.  Public schools are broken and need fixing.  The No Child Left Behind law just makes things so much worse than they were that if I still had school age children I'd never allow them withing spitting distance of a public school.  FYI, I'm a former teacher.  I dropped out and went into accounting in the 80s because I couldn't stomach my own profession any longer.

wouldnt it make it easier to understand better tactics to beat people in games if they had a better understanding of certain things from school, math, geometry, timing, physics?

How come the article says "drops out"? If Blake was being homeschooled then I would not consider it dropping out. SEEMS THAT THE TITLE OF THE ARTICLE IS DECEIVING. It tells the readers that Blake stopped his school education at first hand.I don't approve to what his parents did but let Blake and his parents take responsibility for the decision they made. This will be a good experience for Blake, let him and his parents suffer the consequences of the decision. Hopefully Blake will see how the real world works by going full-time playing video games and spending less time to study. Acquiring TRADE SKILLS is BETTER and MORE STABLE compared to GETTING PAID BY PLAYING VIDEO GAMES on  tournaments. 

I am a 25 year old serial entrepreneur, real estate and financial investor, and professional gambler.  When I turned 16, I announced to my adopted parents (my maternal grandparents) that I am dropping out of school to focus on competitive activities to make substantial amonts of money.  My parents told me that my education and studies comes first, practice my manta "85% Benjamin Graham and 15% Philip Fisher" investing style, plan my entrepreneurial map, and train competitively.  I was a Type A, perfectionistic, professional school-bound overachiever and a compulsive workaholic.  I resented them for it because I only had 2 hours of sleep par thier demand to stay in school.  But thankfully they are right in the long run.  He should get his diploma (home school or traditional school) rather than getting a private tutor for his GED.  My parents are right:  "THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL OUR DAUGHTER IS GOING TO DROP OUT OF SCHOOL!"  Education is empowerment, but I still wish him the very best of luck.  Its a very hard industry to break into unless one have extraordinary skills.  :-)

This is a very deceiving story.  Just because he is not attending High School anymore he is still getting his education privately.  If he was not doing well and the other idiot children (probably yours) were giving him a hard time, this could be the best thing for him.  As long as he completes his educational requirements then I say he should pursue his dream regardless of how stupid WE think it is.  We all have dreams, atleast those of us with lives and no matter how big or small we should work towards them.  How many of you are stuck changing diapers and going to work like a zombie day in and day simply because you did not pursue your dreams? 

If this kid really did drop out of school at 16 in order to play video games I would say that its absolutely horrible and I would risk life and limb to keep it from happening.  Education is VERY important and anyone who thinks they are doing their kid justice or being a good parent by not making sure they finish high school is failing as a prent (not to mention instilling a desire in them to continue on to college).  That being said, that is not the situation here.  Public schools have so many flaws that I could not begin to post them all here.  This kid was going to end up hating school, hating being there, and probably would not want to continue on to college.  Who would when you come out of a super negative high school situation?  Kids just don't understand how much fun education can be, if done correctly.So this kid gets to handle a full curriculum, get one on one with a private tutor, can pick and chose who he hangs out with in his free time (as opposed to dealing with bullies and high school drama).  I hope that he can come to realize from this experience that education is not necessarily a bad thing.  I hope that his private studies are flexible enough to find his areas of interest so that he can enjoy getting an education (learning advanced math in order to plan to develop video games in the future is not a bad thing).  - mom to a 13 yr old homeschooled boy, and 2 toddlers bound for public school~

let me tell you this, there is ALWAYS a way to get through high school... i wasn't well liked and probably the only reason i even did well in classes was because the faculty and staff were a bunch of idiots... Yes i know it's impossible to force someone to graduate, but if they're going to drop out, at least let the person go into a trade... a USEFUL one, not playing video games... I really feel sorry if Blake has younger siblings because now they're going to be under even more pressure and i'm certain they're going to eventually crack

I am a highschool dropout. I quit public school in the 10th grade to go to a private school. My public school sucked so bad, that I was so far behind that I was at a 5th grade math level!! I became discouraged & eventually quit the private school. Homeschool would've been the absolute best for me but my parents wouldn't do it. So I quit in the middle of my senior year. My parents knew they couldn't make me stay in either. They were good parents but it was either work to provide food & pay the bills or stay home & homeschool me. Looking back now & having 4 kids of my own, I would've certainly quit my job to stay home with my kids & make sure that their education is the best available for them & that they don't get screwed over like I did. I am a stay at home mom & currently, 2 of my kids are in public school but definitely not the one I went to. I wouldn't send a dog there for training! But I will always be a stay at home mom or at least make myself available so that if the time ever comes that I need to homeschool one or more of them, then I can. I do not want them making the same mistakes I did which also requires me not making the same mistakes my parents made. My husband is an awesome one & an excellent provider & Daddy & he totally supports me & our babies. I did eventually get my GED. Our youngest is 11 months. When he starts Kindergarten, I will attend a local college & get a degree in something. Anything!! Don't know what yet but I will be the first college grad in my family. Blakes parents have done the right thing in my opinion. It was better that they allow him to do homeschool & at least finish it up & get the diploma than to tell him no not at all & then he do nothing more but guitar hero. They are at least supporting him AND his education & parental support & encouragement will take you farther than any amount of education because when you have that, you will have all the motivation you need to succeed in life simply because you won't want to let your parents' down.

Well, my parents would never let me do sich a thing, but as long as he has some kind of financial backup and some kind of college degreee at some point before age 26, i dont see why not.

HE DID NOT QUIT SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!  How hard is that to understand??????  He stopped going to public school (which is a positive thing) and moved to homeschool (which in many states is the same thing as a private school.  I have two teenage children that are homeschooled, one in college and they had no problem getting to where they are today.  They both did sports on homeschool leagues, attended a prom (oldest) and did all the same things other kids do.  THEY DID GET A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA?????  This kids has a bonus, a private tutor.  My kids did not have that.  Amazing enough, my oldest did get a scholarship for half his expenses.  My daughter, is finished with school at 15.  they both have a year to study for the SAT/ACT.  they both took their highschool math and science at the community college, so that means they already even have college credits.wow, poor kids...don't you feel sorry for them???  this kids will have the same opportunities.  when you think about it, he's better off!! it takes minimal time of study to keep up with public schools/most private schools.  we do yearround, and my kids were finishing up grades nearly 2 a year! (okay, math was a struggle, but they flew through languge arts!;)  he could finish up school (assuming he graduates at 18) by 17 and have a year left to take college courses and study for college tests!think before you comment.  know your facts.  you all obviously aren't doing either.Great going Blake!!! wish there were more parents that cared enough about their kids to do this :)  you obviously do

WOW. lots of comments here.To Mr. Blake Peebles, Oh Blake.Oh Blake Blake Blake.....your 16 years old you'll probably live to be 120. I cannot stress the importance of an education......don't throw it away. I don't think there's any chance that you will not regret this decision. If you were my son I'd smack ya in the ass. Why can't you just be a pro Guitar Hero guy in your spare time? On your summer break or something!This is just a fad, it will burn out. Look at HoolaHoop or Twister. Gone like the dust.Education though, is not a fad. Love,SportsChick

This guy is going to learn some lessons in life going into the gaming world at age 16 , as other people have stated above, but I hope that his parents continue will guide him. At age 16, he might not be able to see the potential consequences of his decision and may only see the benefits if he wins (the tournaments). As far as I know, there are  millions of people like him who are trying to make a living off of gaming and the only way that I know that one can make a sustainable living off of gaming is to find a sponsor (which is rare). He might want to revise his thinking after he finds out that he's earning less than what he's spending. Anyway, I wish this guy good luck in his decision, because it's not going to be an easy path to follow.

As a mother of a 9 year old son who LOVES video games, my first instinct was that there was no way in he#% that I would let him drop out of school to pursue a "career" as a gamer. At 16 years old, he is much too young and probably too immature to make those kind of decisions on his own. I do have to applaud his parents though because I think they are using this as a lesson for him to learn about real life. He may or may not make it work for him. Chances are he will not. As long as his parents are there for him, he will be able to recover from this decision. The trick wil be to stay with him, supportting and guiding him along the way. Personally, I would make him responsible for his choices. Face it, at 16 years old he probably has grandiose dreams and unrealistic plans. We all did at that age, he should be allowed that. Life is too short to not go for your dreams.Again, I give him and his parents kudos for taking a potentially bad situation and trying to work with it. He probably would struggle, hating school and not doing well and dropping out anyway. Unfortunately, this sounds like this kid will have to go through the school of hard knocks to get ahead in life.Final thoughts, his parents (as he is not a legal adult yet) need to expect certain things from him in order to allow him this chance, like continuing his education and earning money along the way. After all, he is making an adult decision and needs to be held accountable as an adult would. All choices have circumstances and if this goes well for him, then great, we'll all be reading more about him. If not, then he will be learning a very valuable life lesson at a early age.  

I see a 30yr old overweight antisocial nerd living in mom n pops basement in this kids future.....

Chess is a game where various symbols move across a board and a player reacts, if my kid quite school to play chess I would kick his ass out of my house and tell him to go get a real job.

yea...he is homeschooled.  like everyone says, it's not the educational part of public school he is missing, it is the social aspect.  sure, that kid may be smarter than other kids, but what can that child do in a social situation.  he will have no idea what to do, people will ridicule him and possibly scar him emotionally and psychologically.  a smart talker can always beat out a weirdo, anti-social genius.  as for his homework, yea, he is doing it without a fuss, but who knows if he is doing his homework correctly.  for all we know, he could be rushing to make some bull answers so he can get his video game fix.

OK did ya'll fail to read  The Parents got him a  privet tutor and he is doing better with 1 on 1  than he was in regular school. He is still getting his education, they just blew the story out of line.     If he wants to do this he can also get a good job in creating or being a game tester. So dont over look this as a parent slacking type thing or a waist.

I was thinking why couldn't this be an oppertunity for parents to teach their kids a valuable lesson in responsibility?  You can tell him that he can go ahead and try to pursue a career in gaming under certain condition.    #1He has to actively research and brief the parents on what it takes to make a career in gaming look into what other options are avilaible in the field... like being a programmer etc  #2 he has to fullfill his responsibility in schoolwork..   #3 He has to finance himself for equipment, treaveling and other gaming-related things. It means that he will have to get some kind of part time job to finance his career. 

As a 17-year old, I can understand Blake, for I like video games too. Currently, I am in college (I reside in the Philippines and we only have grade school, high school and college here) but a main difference between us is I can actually balance both. A tip for anyone to not go the same way is to learn to have passion for DIFFERENT games (works for me). I went for the first option but now I'm having second thoughts since I don't think people can get hired for being so good at a game (contrary to making fan made games with French Bread as an example). Still, Blake should have at least finished high school before he pulled a move like thaty.

I have mixed feelings about this poll.  Im in my mid 20s, and loved video games growing up.  I still do, although I rarely have the time I used to to try and tackle a 50 hour game, and I probably wouldve tried to take an opportunity like this if I could choose at 16.  I wasnt the most social kid at that time either.  I dont necessarily believe that the current educational establishment is the right one, and lots of time you learn a lot of stuff that really doesnt matter anyway in the long haul.  This kid may be successful at his venture in a new field (who wouldve thought skaters could make six figures) or he'll fail, and be forced to adapt and grow and might be successful in some other outlet.  On the other hand, I didnt bloom socially until my senior year, and it was the best school year of my life.  Its sad that he might miss out on something like that, especially since I almost did.  This kid will most likely be fine in the long run, but too bad he might lose some of those special memories, good and bad, that can come from finishing those last two years that he'll never get back.  But finishing high school and even graduating college doesnt guarantee anyone ANYTHING, even if it is culturally correct to think so.  I know more than a few people who got their GED, and theyre making $80,000, even up to $125,000 a year doing what they love.

I think more and more parents today are slacking. Setting good examples, goals and boundries are what helps children. These days kids seem to be in charge and parents would rather give in than parent. Im not saying everything old school is the answer because I would never get out the paddle but I would mean what I say when I say it and know when to say know. If children were able to make all the correct decisions, they would leave home way before sixteen.

I remember when I was 16, which was about 3 years ago. Looking back I know a lot of decisions I made were very stupid. But this kid just out did them all, what kind of idiot drops out of high school to play a game that will go out of style in a couple of years. Not to mention this kid is running away from his problems, in the real world you have to face people and the challenges they give you. This kid probably thinks $25,000 is a lot of money, thats chump change. If he loves video games then he should continue high school and go to a college like Full Sail or DeVry to learn how to create games. Yea I know he's getting taught privately now, but its not the same as going out to a public school and making friends. This kid in the end sounds like a pathetic loser.

I know someone who decided to drop out of highschool because she wanted to be a concert pianist.  She felt like it was something she needed to do because she wanted to have "at least" 8 hours of practice time every day.  Now she is a very sucessful pianist, and while she may not be the most social person in the world, she does do fine socially.  I don't think this person's situation is not that musch different than my friend.. if he is really serious about it.  Besides, i don't think highschool is a very good indicator of social life, I know plenty of  popular people in highschool working dead end jobs and vice versa.  

If this guy really wants to make a living as a gamer, he will have to make some adult decisions, such as financing his trips and having realistic assement of what his career entails.  He will have to learn to promote himself and that requires some social skills  too and he might have to think about how to suppliment his income before he can "make it".   Whehter he makes it or not, he will learn some valuable lessons in life, things.  I think it would be wrong if the parents are just letting him do whatever he wants.. bue he is getting homeschooled... I dont want to judge what he does as something 'inferior' to being an athelte.. after all being a great  DJ or pro skater like Tony Hawk was not  very well accepted fom of profession not long ago. .and they both require a very demanding skills..

My question is this, simply:  When does a child become ADULT enough to make a life changing decision such as that?  Oh, and one more question:  And when did the Parents ~cough~ become childish enough to let him? ~sigh~  Folks..its a sad world when the roles become reversed and we lose total control of our own childrens lives. 

The little fool needs the **** slapped out of him.

jhk

Wow! It looks like this has turned into an all out verbal brawl. I've found this to be true of most commenters on these blogs. It starts out with people commenting on the story and ends up with people insulting each other. THAT is the problem with society today - not some 16-year-old kid deciding to drop out of school. So he drops out of school to play a video game. That just takes away from the competition OUR kids will face when they get their college degrees. Besides, SOMEBODY needs to serve them when they go out to eat. And SOMEBODY needs to empty the trashes and clean the bathrooms at their workplace. It all works out in the end - there's a place for everyone.

I thought I was going to be alone in my opinion until I read the others' on this forum. I'm a mother of grown and high-schoolers who enjoys playing video games, although I agree that there are better things to do. Some alternatives include activities that help one's fellow man would be more beneficial. It sounds like the boy isn't fired up about much in his life other than gaming. Something more altruistic or world-impacting would likely provide him something to get more fired up about and be character-building, as well. Why this article seems to equate private education akin to dropping out of school is beyond me. In the United States, home-schooled children, K through 12, score 30 to 37 percentile points *higher* than public-schooled children. I generally enjoy reading these articles. I felt this this assessment was more than shortsighted in this regard. Choosing another form of study (or improving his method of education) would be more accurate. So while it's good to see the boy is interested in *something* doesn't make it necessarily beneficial - whether there's money to be made in it or not. My question is this: How much did money play into their decision to condone and encourage this?

It's his life, ppl need to understand that he is getting what he wants and he is still learning, I think its a good idea, because he is happy that he can do what he wants n get what his parents want, too. He has trouble with his grades at a regalur school, because he trys to look good for the other kids, which make him focus less. There is a job where you can test games out and make money, if he loves games, then let him do it, like i said, it's his life.

I did not vote in the pole because it does not give the choice I want to make.  The young man is being taught at home which far exceeds public school.  He can get all of his studies done in half time or less and have more time to do what he wants.   

Yeah  Officially he didn't drop out of school ..  He's got a tudur and I think that's great...  Public Schools are scary today and I would rather have my kid homeschooled...  As long as he got a diploma, I wouldn't mind....  But your parents can't buy you games all of the time esp. if you 40 still living under their roof.  Your 16 and you need to get a side job part time to learn responsibility and pay for your own games.  I play video games from 4-10 hrs a day but I also work 60 hours a week and still manage to Dominate in Games...  If you spend so much time beating people at games, then how does it make you feel that the kid on the other side works 100 hours a week and has a family to feed.  Where's the prize of feeling good about beating people when that's all you do all the time ?  I've been to a lot of Championships including a World Championship where I placed 27th I'm good and I'm not afraid to say it.  You could get a job with Nintendo, but you still need a diploma and a college degree.  Good luck in your quest and Godbless !  Maybe I'll see you at a championship in the near future.

If the kid is being tutored and getting a good education I don't see whats so bad about it.  They already said he's doing better than when he was in public school and if he has a knack for the game why not?   I really don't see what the big deal about this is, it sounds like being home schooled and playing in tournements.     I mean if he has a tutor and is getting an education then he can always get a job if the game fades out.  People who are really social can't say anything to those who really aren't, cause they don't know how they feel or think.

When I was 16, I wasn't doing too well in school, and wasn't very well liked. However, I loved playing video games. Instead of letting me drop out of school, my parents made me drop out of playing video games. As a consequence, my grades drastically improved, as did my social life. Maybe the parents are focusing too much on what the kid wants as opposed to what is actually good for him? As the economy keeps getting worse, and gas prices keep getting higher, how much money will he really make that isn't sucked up just from travel and lodging?

Okay the article was misleading.  He hasn't really dropped out of school.  He is still in school, just one where he can actually do good.  And to the person who is worried about socializtion, not all socialization at school is good socialization.  Just ask Ryan Patrick Halligan.

I believe it is a parents responsibility to prepare their children to face the real world. If this young man is doing poorly in school and has no friends, the answer is not to allow him to avoid them and play a video game he thinks is fun, the answer is to shut the video game off, sit down with him and help him with his homework and teach him some social skills so he can finish high school and have at least the basics to pursue further interests.If he still wishes to do so, he can pursue his guitar hero dreams after he gets a diploma and finds his own apartment.I don't believe these parents are helping this child but rather taking the easy way out and simply letting him do whatever he wants. 

WHO IS THE BIGGER LOSER ,  HIM OR HIS PARENTS  ????

I've been in the music business as aa engineer with a family with musician and I use to play myself as a child and music does promote higher thought patterns. So if Blake has a ear for it, HIS parents are doing the right thing in gettting him home schooling, but they should include a music teacher too. The chances of him doing something positive with his life is far greater than negative. Keep going Blake the sky is not the limit. Who knows maybe one day I'll meet you with an actual group of your own on the big stage. P.S.- I've already been around the world once this year and in three days I leave to do some more in Europe. Cheers Mate!,

Very very sad. Formal education (public or not) is a opportunity for a productive community. Video gaming...is this being a productive member of society. A sixteen year old is not ready to make life choices. The only place that hard work does not come before success is in the dictionary. A thesauraus is helpful for homophones such as to, too, and two. Knowledge is power! 

are you people on drugs or just liberals ? This kids parents should be horse whipped for even thinking about letting a minor drop out of school whether it is "legal" or not. No wonder society has flushed down the toilet in the past 20 years.

he is not going to make a whole lot of money and 5 years from now will be living off of our taxes on umemployment and welfare.    so hell no, this was not the right choice.  especially in our economy, socially and financially.  So you may continue to support his free choice, but dont complain when our taxes go up because thousands of other children do the same as they follow suit and their wayward parents allow them to do so, and they fail.  we are talking about video games, playing them not creating them.  A parent needs to make these decisions for their children, because at 16 they have no idea what they should be doing for their futures.  Especially if they are under achievers

This is ridiculous! He can get paid $80,000 a year for participating in "Guitar Queero" tournaments? It takes a person with real skill and knowledge to earn that much money. I thought our sports athletes and actors/actresses were overpaid!

The problem with him not being in regular school not only has to do with the educational aspect, but also the social aspect.  One of the most important parts of school is kids figuring out how to act in different social situations and relate with their peers, something that is needed to be successful later in life, and something this kid is probably not getting if he's spending all of his time sitting around playing a game that probably won't even be around anymore 4 years from now.  If the kid never has any experience relating with others how is he going to function on his own in the real world? 

The problem with him not being in regular school not only has to do with the educational aspect, but also the social aspect.  One of the most important parts of school is kids figuring out how to act in different social situations and relate with their peers, something that is needed to be successful later in life, and something this kid is probably not getting if he's spending all of his time sitting around playing a game that probably won't even be around anymore 4 years from now.  If the kid never has any experience relating with others how is he going to function on his own in the real world? 

The problem with him not being in regular school not only has to do with the educational aspect, but also the social aspect.  One of the most important parts of school is kids figuring out how to act in different social situations and relate with their peers, something that is needed to be successful later in life, and something this kid is probably not getting if he's spending all of his time sitting around playing a game that probably won't even be around anymore 4 years from now.  If the kid never has any experience relating with others how is he going to function on his own in the real world? 

The problem with him not being in regular school not only has to do with the educational aspect, but also the social aspect.  One of the most important parts of school is kids figuring out how to act in different social situations and relate with their peers, something that is needed to be successful later in life, and something this kid is probably not getting if he's spending all of his time sitting around playing a game that probably won't even be around anymore 4 years from now.  If the kid never has any experience relating with others how is he going to function on his own in the real world? 

The problem with him not being in regular school not only has to do with the educational aspect, but also the social aspect.  One of the most important parts of school is kids figuring out how to act in different social situations and relate with their peers, something that is needed to be successful later in life, and something this kid is probably not getting if he's spending all of his time sitting around playing a game that probably won't even be around anymore 4 years from now.  If the kid never has any experience relating with others how is he going to function on his own in the real world? 

The problem with him not being in regular school not only has to do with the educational aspect, but also the social aspect.  One of the most important parts of school is kids figuring out how to act in different social situations and relate with their peers, something that is needed to be successful later in life, and something this kid is probably not getting if he's spending all of his time sitting around playing a game that probably won't even be around anymore 4 years from now.  If the kid never has any experience relating with others how is he going to function on his own in the real world? 

ok firrst this kid is not liked because he fills his fat face with chicken sandwiches pics his zits and probaly nose to. All while jaming on guitar hero which takes no talent what so ever (J Hendrix is prob shitting in his grave right now) even on a night of sucking on a keg i can do well. This kid needs a few things 1 DCF take the poor kid away from his parents. 2 Fat camp and a god damn tread mill. 3 Some facial cleaner for his zits.3 Needs some pussy ASAP ( dear ol dad can fork the bill for that) and finaly # 4 a damn education and to hang with kids his age. Wtf is going on with this world holy hell!!

From what I've heard home schooling is tricky, it comes to light in college placement testing, military enlistment, and general employment...an example being a man that doesn't know what year the war of 1812 took place but can recite the book of exodus from memory.

I think if it works for him and his family go for it! He is getting a private education (which chances are is better then from a public school), doing his homework, I hope at least his parents understand that chances are he will not get 'rich' any time soon. But his education is NOT lacking he is getting his education, which also means he will graduate from high school.

It would be the same as being a professional athlete or child star. If they make a whole bunch of money at it, then they should be allowed to under three conditions: They have the money invested wisely, they continue studies by correspondence, through tutors or whatever, and their options are left open at the end of their time as a pro.