What is Homeschooling?

Homeschooling is an educational process in which parents or tutors

educate children at home rather than sending them to a public or private
school. For the majority of families, "schooling" entails getting out and
about each day, learning from the abundant resources available in their
community, and interacting with other homeschooling families. Years ago,
before the implementation of mandatory school attendance legislation,
homeschooling was extremely popular. Homeschooling is not as popular as
it once was – but it is gaining popularity.

In the majority of states and jurisdictions, homeschooling is

permitted for parents who are uncomfortable enrolling their children in
public schools. Although the majority of these families include a
breadwinner and a stay-at-home parent who does the majority of the
teaching, single parent and dual-career families also home school. Many
parents prefer homeschooling their children because they have control
over the curriculum's rigor, can ensure their children are safe during the
day and can provide moral and religious instruction that is not permitted in
public schools. Numerous parents, particularly those who live in remote or
rural areas or foreign countries, choose to homeschool their children. In
Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Hong Kong, and South
Africa, home schooling is legal. The most popular countries for home
schooling are Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and the United
States. While home schooling is legal in all 50 states of the United States,
each state has its own set of laws that a family must follow. Parents
homeschool their children for two primary reasons:

 dissatisfaction with the quality of education provided in public

schools and
 a desire to be more involved in their children's education and
development.

Not only are homeschooling parents dissatisfied with the quality of

education provided by local schools, they are also concerned about
bullying, the school environment, and schools' inability to accommodate
their children's unique needs and aptitudes. Homeschooling is especially
popular among families who live in isolated rural areas, those who live
abroad, and those whose jobs or lifestyles require frequent travel.
Additionally, student actors, athletes, and musicians are frequently
homeschooled by parents or professional tutors to accommodate their
regular practice and training schedules. While homeschooling has been
declining in popularity for decades, it has recently experienced a
renaissance. Homeschooling increased from 1.1 percent in 2003 to 3.3
percent in 2016 among children ages 5 to 17. (Nces.ed.gov. February
2018). Currently, over three million families educate their children at home.

Moreover, an increasing number of parents are turning to

homeschool as a supplement to their children's education. Supplemental
education programs are frequently available through correspondence
schools or umbrella schools that offer a federally approved curriculum,
which is frequently available online. However, in states and districts where
homeschooling is legal, parents frequently adopt a curriculum-free
approach to education that is not based on approved curricula or
standardized learning. This method of education is occasionally referred to
as unschooling. Unschooling emphasizes a less structured learning
environment in which the learning style and curriculum are determined by
the students' and parents' interests. Families who home school utilize
technology to supplement traditional education. Numerous educational
software packages supplement and diversify the curriculum. Another useful
tool is the Internet, which is literally brimming with educational ideas and
resources. Online libraries, dictionaries, museums, and encyclopedias are
all available. As a supplement to their teaching, some home school families
enroll their children in an online school or course while some home-school
families educate their children through high school. Others educate their
children until they believe they are mature enough to deal with peer
pressure and other social pressures. If a family chooses to educate their
child graduation, they must maintain records of their education, which vary
by state. For those who home school through graduation, the home school
community holds a ceremony similar to what public schools do, complete
with caps, gowns, and diplomas printed at a local print shop. While colleges
will accept a home school diploma, the majority will require high school
transcripts and SAT or ACT scores.

Currently, over 800 colleges, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford,

accept home-schooled graduates. The military will also accept graduates
who were homeschooled and meet the same requirements as those who
attended conventional schools. Private and public schools are taking notice
of the home school movement. As a result, some schools provide
resources and support in the form of books, videos, educational software,
science kits, computers, field trips, workshops, and special classes.