Most parents and students decide to home school for more than one reason. Among those commonly cited are:
- Customized learning environment,
- Can accomplish more academically than in school.
- Use pedagogical approaches not used in typical schools.
- Enhance family relationships.
- Provide a safer environment.
- Impart a particular set of values, beliefs and worldview to their children.
Home schooling families appreciate the flexibility to customize instruction for their individual children and support their educational growth. Obviously, home schooling families have a very high involvement in their children’s educational growth and well-being.
Demographically the picture of who is home schooling is very broad and inclusive. The demographics include: atheists, people of faith, conservatives, libertarians and liberals; low-, middle and high-income families; Hispanic, black and white; parents with Ph.Ds., GEDs and no high-school diplomas.
It wasn’t until 1993 that all fifty states made home schooling legal, but it would appear that the USA is leading the home schooling practice. Brian D. Ray, Ph.D. of the National Home Education Research Institute, states that “ a decade ago homeschooling was looked at as an alternative and cutting edge, but is now bordering on mainstream in the US.”
The USA isn’t alone in recognizing and embracing homeschooling. Nations around the world are embracing home based education, including; Australia, Canada, France, Hungary, Japan, Kenya, Russia, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand and the United Kingdom). It would appear that home based schooling is here to stay.
Bob Ginther
IEM Education Consultant
