HOME EDUCATION AND THE GOVERNMENTby Rebecca Prewett
WHAT IS HOME EDUCATION OR HOMESCHOOLING?
Homeschooling is, quite simply, education that takes place in the home rather than in an institutionalized setting such a s a public or private school. Although his education can take many forms, including correspondence course, video courses, online courses, student directed learning, apprenticeships, computer aided instruction, etc., what all homeschoolers have in common is the belief that education need not be narrowly confined within the walls of a school. In fact, many homeschoolers obviously would argue that the home is the best setting for learning.
IS THIS SOME NEW FAD?
Few people know that public schools were not always the norm in the United States; in fact, they were not even always in existence. In the early history of our country, children--with few exceptions--were taught at home or in private schools. It was generally recognized that the parents were responsible for their children's educations, and that parents had full freedom to choose the curriculum and method of instruction. But things were different then, one might argue. I would counter that one area of difference is the literacy rate. To quote from the Diary and Autobiography of John Adams , in 1765, "a native in America, especially of New England, who cannot read and write is as rare a phenomenon as a Comet." This can hardly be said today.
HOW MANY HOMESCHOOLED CHILDREN ARE THERE IN THE U.S.?
Estimates over the past five years have ranted from 49,740 (an extremely low estimate that included only those enrolled in correspondence courses) to over 65,000. There is no accurate way of determining how large this figure might be; some authors advocating homeschooling believe that there are well over a million children currently being homeschooled in our country.
HOW DOES SOCIETY BENEFIT FROM HOMESCHOOLING?
COST. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average per student cost in public schools for the year 1988-1989 was $3,987. A study done in 1990 by the National Home Education Research Institute found that the average homeschooling family spent $488.53 per child. Homeschoolers do not place any burden on the already overextended public schools; instead, they relieve some of this burden. Were a school choice or voucher program to be put into effect, homeschooling would be the most economic alternative by far.
EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION. Most home educators do not merely bring home the entire public school curriculum and implement it at home. Many are driven out of the public schools by the inadequacies in both curriculum and teaching methods. One of the most exciting--and oft time bewildering--aspects of homeschooling is the tremendous array of available educational options. Where once there were few curricular choices, now there are so many that in 1990, Crossway Books published a giant four volume set of books titled The Big Book of Home Learning . Since then its author, Mary Pride, has continued to review even more homeschooling resources, has co-authored with her husband another massive book, Pride's Guide to Educational Software , updated her Big Book Series, and now publishes two magazines for the homeschooling community. There are other authors and magazine publishers serving the homeschooling market and far too many educational catalogs to count. Both public and private schools would do well to tap into the richness of materials, instructional methods, and educational philosophies being developed and adapted for the homeschooling market.
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE. Homeschooled students continue to score well on standardized achievement tests, with an average score in the 82nd percentile or above. Many homeschoolers are learning things not taught in the typical public school--subjects ranging from Latin, Greek, and philosophy to robotics, engineering, business management, and computer science. The 1990 National Home Education study mentioned above found that 58 per cent of homeschooling families have computers in their homes. Homeschoolers can study subjects in a greater variety and at a greater depth than possible in a classroom setting. Homeschooled teenagers are often involved in apprenticeships or entrepeneural pursuits. Public schools unfortunately cannot duplicate much of this, no matter how much money they might have at their disposal.
In a time when the failure of the public education system is a cause of alarm nationwide, we must encourage educational excellence in any setting. We need literate, highly educated, skilled workers and leaders in order for our nation to survive. Homeschooling can provide them.
One of the greatest strengths of homeschooling is that most of the families involved truly teach their children how to learn, with the ultimate result being adults who will be self-motivated, lifelong learners.
FAMILY IMPACT. Perhaps the greatest benefit of homeschooling is what it does for the family. Recent presidential campaigns focused much attention on family issues. Homeschooling helps families become strong, cohesive, nurturing, and stable--and these types of families will never become a burden on the state. Without strong families, society cannot survive. In light of this, it is in the state's best interests to encourage that which strengthens the family.
WHAT SHOULD BE THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN HOMESCHOOLING?
Some would argue that education should not be a function of government, and even go so far as to call for the dismantling and eventual abolishment of public or government-sponsored schools. Others protest that the government has practically established an educational monopoly, and that this is very unhealthy for our nation. I would suggest that the government needs to provide an environment that allows true freedom for educational alternatives to flourish.
In his book Home Schooling and the Law , Michael P. Farris, the president and founder of Home School Legal Defense Association, describes the "ideal" homeschooling law:
- Sec. 1. Homeschooling is legal.
- Sec. 2. If a homeschooling parent will send an affidavit to the state treasurer stating that he is homeschooling his children, the state will refund all the taxes said parent has ever paid for the public schools.
Recognizing that the likelihood of such a law passing is slim indeed, here is what homeschoolers do not want to see in any local, state, or federal regulations: certification or educational requirements for parent teachers; government inspection of curriculum, materials, or place of instruction; any requirement for government approval or review; mandatory standardized testing (especially with a minimum score required for eligibility to continue home education--if public school students have low scores, are their parents forced to home educate them?) Basically, homeschoolers do not want any restrictions on the freedom of education.
When parents say, "We want the freedom to educate our children as we see fit", inevitably someone gets alarmed. They worry about miseducation and picture the end result being social outcasts, barely literate, with their heads chock full of crazy ideas. This poses the fundamental question about children. To whom does the child truly "belong"--his parents or the state? Who is responsible? Who best knows what a child should learn? Who acts in his best interests--his parents or bureaucrats who have never even met him? The National Home Education Research Institute study findings "do not support the idea that state regulations and compliance on the part of home education families assure successful student achievement." In fact, as the report clearly demonstrates, parents are doing quite well without any involvement from the state.
There are two other aspects of home education that raise concerns. One is parent qualification: "What makes you think you can teach your children algebra?" The other is socialization. The wide variety of educational materials and methods available make the parent more of a facilitator than a "teacher" when it comes to the more difficult subjects. It is possible today for a student to learn algebra and other subjects by many different means: correspondence with a certified teacher, computer instruction or online courses, programmed texts, tutoring, community college classes, study groups, cooperative teaching situations with other homeschooling families, etc. Questions about the qualifications of parents as teachers inevitably arise from a narrow understanding of what education is and how it takes place. Socialization, the second issue, is also best taught in the context of the home as well as the community at large, rather than left to the peer group or playground environment. Other children still in need of "socialization" themselves are hardly the best instructors in this matter. Those of us who have had the privilege of knowing homeschooled teenagers are often delighted, if not amazed, at how well these young people work and function in the "real world". They are often much more in touch with the community and the world they will inhabit as adults than are their contemporaries who are still cloistered in high schools.
SUMMARY
Home education, from kindergarten through college and beyond, could become the wave of the future, especially as current technology becomes more available. Already it is possible to earn a college degree entirely through a computer link-up to several universities, and we can expect to see more and more courses online for students of all ages. However, even without modern technology, homeschooling has much to offer. Our nation's educational system needs a complete overhaul. It is time to look back at the tried and true--the methods of education used by our country's founders. It is also time to look forward to new alternative never before possible. It is time for us to encourage innovation and excellence in education. It is time to bring education home.
copyright 1994, 1997 by Rebecca Prewett
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