Homeschooling is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to public education. Curiously, the parental level of income seems to have no correlation with their decision to homeschool.

The results of homeschooling are impressive: in the 2001 National Geographic Bee, four of the ten finalists were homeschooled. A 1998 study of 20,000 children showed that home-schooled children scored significantly better than those publicly educated in all tested categories.

Homeschooling is an old tradition. Both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were homeschooled. But in the 1980s, homeschooling was officially illegal in the US, and was reserved only for particularly sick children. By the mid-1980s, some Christian parents became concerned with what their children were learning at school, and began teaching more of them at home.

According to the US Department of Education, in 1984 approximately 50,000 students were homeschooled. In 1998, there were 300,000. In 1999, the number rose to 850,000, although some experts estimate that the number may be much higher, because some states do not require that parents inform anyone of their decision. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, the number of homeschooled students is increasing by 15% annually.

The major reasons why parents decide to homeschool their children have to do with low levels of education achievement and high levels of crime in many of the nation’s public schools. Surveys show that most parents are unconvinced about the schools’ ability to properly educate their children. Proponents assert that the disproportional number of home-schooled kids at the elite competitions underestimates the actual number, since many of the children are simply too shy to compete. Other studies show that homeschooled children are less likely to get in trouble with the law and make better employees. But opponents say that school provides children with invaluable opportunities to socialize themselves into society and develop communication skills. The debate continues, but homeschooling is apparently here to stay.  (VG)