Trends and Growth in Homeschooling
What Do the Statistics On Home Education Say?
In October of 2007 the Fraser Institute released an in-depth report on homeschooling and its' progression from an extreme form of education to a mainstream alternative.
According to the Fraser Institutes report, Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream, there has been a drastic increase in the number of homeschooling families in both Canada and the United States over the past 20-years. The Institute credits this growth in Canada to the vast network of support groups operating within regions of the country in order to aid families in providing quality home education.
Homeschooling Growth Trends Over the Past 20 Years
According to Statistics Canada, in 1979 only 2,000 children in Canada were being homeschooled for various reasons but by 1996 this number had risen to 17,523 students. In the United States similar trends were noted with numbers jumping from 50,000 homeschooled students in 1985 to an estimated 850,000 in 1999, according to the US Department of Education.
The implications of such a steady rise in the homeschool population may not be evident or even of consequence to the general public however there are some notable outcomes, which relate directly to this rise. One such outcome is evident in the US Census Bureau survey that now asks respondents about homeschooling.
Other notable signs of the increase in popularity of homeschooling rests in literature and publishing where Practical Home Schooling magazine [Home Life, Inc., 1993-2008] is capable of selling over 100,000 copies and The Big Book of Home Learning by Mary Pride [Alpha Omega Publications, 2001] sold 250,000 copies. Amazon.com also lists 1,646 titles related to home education according to the Fraser Institute report.
Why Are Families Choosing to Homeschool?
The report also looks at reasons why homeschooling families opt out of public education and it found the vast majority of families do not base these choices only on religious or political views. According to the report,the main reason parents are opting to homeschool their children is dissatisfaction with the public school system. Other parental objections to public education listed in the report are:
- 33 percent object to the unavailability of religious instruction
- 30 percent felt their public school had poor learning environments
- 14 percent objected to what the schools taught
- 11 percent felt their children were not challenged at school
- 9 percent had morality issues
In 2004, the Fraser Institutes reports safety issues are at the top of parents concerns. According to the report 1 in 4 American public school students were the victims of a violent act in the vicinity of their school. This was backed up by numerous school shootings in both the United States and Canada.
Benefits to Families and Children Who Homeschool?
Some benefits of homeschooling in the eyes of the parents, according to the report, are:
- Opportunity to instill a particular set of morals and values in their child
- A higher academic achievement level and one-on-one instruction
- Stronger parent-child relationships
- High quality interaction with peer groups and adults
- Escape from the negative affects of peer pressure
- A physically safer environment
In closing, the Fraser Institute’s Report had this to say, “Such realities suggest that both Canadian and American policymakers should consider whether or not home schooling parents, whose property taxes subsidize public schools merit a reduction in those taxes or some other recognition of their contribution.”
To read more on the history of homeschooling read History of the Homeschool Movement.
