| More families each year are taking their children out | | | | started going at age twelve or later. |
| of public schools and home schooling them instead | | | | Many notable people from American history were |
| because the parents believe that their children can | | | | educated in their homes and at their hearths, such as |
| learn better and faster without the many distractions | | | | Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas |
| and negative influences that are part of the package | | | | Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and even Albert Einstein. |
| with public school environments. | | | | The fact of the matter is that school attendance did |
| Even though it is often viewed by those in the | | | | not become compulsory until in the United States until |
| mainstream as revolutionary or eccentric, the trend | | | | the later part of the 19th century, and in light of |
| toward home schooling is growing and is gaining in | | | | that, home schooling really isn't just a recent fad, but |
| popularity and respectability and is winning over an | | | | actually the old educational standard. |
| increasing number of supporters. | | | | According to the National Catholic Reporter, |
| According to researchers who study such trends, the | | | | estimates are that anywhere from 50 to 90 percent |
| numbers of home schoolers in the U.S. has swelled | | | | of homeschooling families choose it for religious |
| considerably, growing from approximately 15,000 | | | | reasons, primarily because of the desire to protect |
| back in 1970 to over 500,000 by 1990, and estimated | | | | their children from atheistic influences in public schools. |
| at over 1.1 million as of 2003. | | | | And, according to an article in Time magazine, the |
| A good indication of the interest and strength of the | | | | very backbone of the movement toward home |
| home schooling movement the number of support | | | | schooling education practices is the Christian |
| organizations that are in a particular country. The | | | | Fundamentalist community that strongly believes that |
| United States has long had a good variety of support | | | | religion is either ignored or debased in public classroom |
| groups and the increase in such groups from other | | | | settings. |
| areas of the world such as Europe, Australia and Asia. | | | | However, some parents have stated that their |
| To many, there are persistent questions such as: | | | | reasoning for removing their students from public |
| why are so many parents are choosing to teach their | | | | education is in order to limit their exposure to |
| children at home rather than in traditional settings? | | | | damaging and immoral influences during their early |
| How effective can home schooling really be? | | | | years. |
| Will my children be prepared for college? Can they | | | | Still, other families decide to go the home schooling |
| gain the social skills they need without the | | | | route primarily for educational reasons. Many are |
| interactions that are part of traditional schooling? | | | | discontented with the overcrowding of classrooms, |
| It is interesting to consider that while some people | | | | the low academic standards, and the many safety |
| think about home schooling as radical, rebellious, or | | | | concerns rampant in many public schools. |
| even extremist, the reality is that home schooling | | | | It's really not so important why parents end up |
| was the original system of education for centuries all | | | | deciding on home schooling for their children because |
| around the globe. | | | | the major benefits, in the eyes of many parents, is |
| The fact is that it was not until the last century that | | | | that they are able to have much greater involvement |
| children started school so young as they do now. | | | | in their children's lives and they remain influential role |
| Typically, most of the children who did go to school | | | | models during a time when it matters the most. |