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