| One of the very first questions that most | | | | per student each year. This figure for home |
| parents ask about home schooling is whether | | | | schooling does not of course take into |
| it actually works. They are only too well | | | | account the time spent by parents on home |
| aware of the fact that the public schools | | | | schooling for which a public school teacher |
| have problems, but really wonder whether they | | | | would be paid. |
| can do any better. One natural response for | | | | |
| some parents is to try a little harder to see | | | | The public school system as we know it today |
| if they can afford private schooling but, | | | | evolved during the second half of the 19th |
| even if this were possible, are the private | | | | century as one state after another made |
| schools faring any better than the public | | | | school attendance compulsory. Perhaps the |
| schools? | | | | most interesting question however, and one |
| | | | which rarely seems to be asked, is why, if |
| The simple fact of the matter is that there | | | | public schooling offered such superior value, |
| are many, quality studies which show that, on | | | | it was necessary for the states to make it |
| average, home schooling produces superior | | | | compulsory and to force parents to put their |
| students. To an extent of course this is | | | | children into the public school system. |
| understandable as parents clearly have an | | | | |
| effect on education no matter which route | | | | It could be, and sometimes is, argue that |
| they take. A parent who is genuinely | | | | this was due to the ignorance of rural |
| interested in the education of his or her | | | | parents who did not see the value of |
| children will help to motivate them, | | | | education. However, it is interesting to note |
| producing better results. | | | | that adult illiteracy rates in 1840 |
| | | | Massachusetts were a low 2% and that, by |
| But there is certainly more to it that this | | | | 1995, this figure had risen to 19%, in spite |
| and there are many cases, in a great enough | | | | of apparently enormous advances in the |
| variety of situations, to take even this into | | | | intervening years. In 1840 libraries were |
| account and still come to the conclusion that | | | | rare and today they are everywhere as books |
| home schooling produces better results. | | | | are both relatively inexpensive and easy to |
| | | | trade. |
| Even the Unites States Department of | | | | |
| Education agrees. In one study which they | | | | Today over a million children are home |
| sponsored themselves home schooled students | | | | schooled in the United States and thousands |
| produced exceptionally high test scores. The | | | | of home schooled students have attended |
| median scores in every grade were far higher | | | | colleges and universities, including many of |
| than those of public schools and even higher | | | | the most prestigious and difficult to get |
| than those of private school students. The | | | | into. |
| average home schooled student in grades one | | | | |
| through four was a grade level above that of | | | | Whatever your own thoughts about home |
| public school peers and, by the time home | | | | schooling vs public schools there is no doubt |
| schooled students reached the equivalent of | | | | that the results clearly show the advantage |
| the 8th grade, they were as much as four | | | | of home schooling. |
| years ahead of students attending public | | | | |
| school. | | | | provides advice and information on many |
| | | | aspects of parenting and can also be your |
| As if this were not enough, costs were also | | | | best homes schooling resource with |
| lower. On average, government schools spent | | | | information on such things as the advantages |
| $6,500 per student each year and private | | | | and disadvantages of home schooling, home |
| schools spent $3,500. By contrast, parents | | | | schooling vs public schools and much more. |
| undertaking home schooling spent about $550 | | | | |