Even before the pandemic, homeschooling was on the rise. With covid-19, it more than doubled. Statistics from 2019 show that about 5 million children were homeschooled, about 3.3% of all kids ages 5-17 attending school. In 2020 and 2021 these numbers increased due to the shutdown of most schools for a year. During the pandemic, black students being homeschooled rose from 3.3%-16.1%. White students being homeschooled increased from 5.7%-9.7%, and Hispanic students being schooled at home rose from 6.2%-12.1%.
It's obvious why homeschooling increased during the pandemic, but before that it had been on an upward trajectory for over 30 years. Why? Here are a few reasons.
1. Parents want more control over what their children are taught in school. Many homeschoolers are very religious, and only want their children exposed to certain ideas.
2. Many parents feel that they can shield their children from bullying by homeschooling.
3. Some parents feel that the quality of public schools has diminished, and they can do a better job themselves.
4. Some children are very involved in acting, athletics (gymnastics, swimming, etc), or music, and travel a lot, so parents find it easier to have them homeschooled.
How do homeschooled children do after they graduate? 67% of homeschooled children graduate from college. That is 10% higher than the graduation rate for students from public schools.
I know a woman (wife of a rabbi) who homeschooled all six of her children. They all went to colleges like Harvard, Brown, and Penn. She must have done one hell of a job. It's tough on the parents to homeschool their kids, but for some, it's the right way to go.
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