The truth is that schools don’t really teach anything except how to obey orders.

-John Taylor Gatto

Over the past 10 years homeschooling has been on the rise and has surged ahead especially over the past 3 years as a consequence of school closures and mandates. More families are sending a bold message to the established system and choosing alternatives for the education of their children. Home education has experienced a transformation and now includes a diverse range of families. Let’s take a look at this growing trend of homeschooling and the factors underpinning this growth.

Homeschooling has been remarkably surging in popularity over the past decade reflecting a shift in educational preferences.  More and more parents are embracing this alternative education paradigm as they seek to provide a high-quality education for their children.  Facing disappointments in the schools, they’ve been more open to other options. 

According to the National Home Education Research institute (NHERI), the number of homeschoolers in the U.S. has nearly doubled over the past 7 years.  There were 2.3 million homeschooled children in 2016 and by 2023 that has surged to 4.3 million.  And we can see there’s been a dramatic increase since 1997 when there were nearly 1 million homeschooled children.

Persistent inflation has forced school districts to cut important curriculum offerings, increase class sizes and reduce faculty numbers and experience.  This all leads to a lower achievement level for students.   Students in both ends of the spectrum lose out.  The high-achievers no longer have access to advanced classes and the ones who lag behind do not get the extra attention needed to keep them up to speed.

The economic downturn and job losses have also made private schools less attainable for some.  In lieu of public school, more parents are turning to homeschooling.   A successful education at home can be had on any budget as there are many free resources online as well as in person.

There is a greater desire for a more personalized learning experience that can be tailored to the specific needs of their child.  Appreciating that each child possesses unique talents, skills and interests along with differing learning styles parents have been turning more to homeschooling to provide the best support for developmental success.   The learning pathway can be customized for each child.

The flexibility inherent in homeschooling along with more efficient usage of time allows for children to engage in more extra-curricular activities.  Childhood is about balancing the mind, body and innate passions of a child.  So much learning about the world is gained more easily when joy is involved.

The events of the past three years with lockdowns and mandates have opened more parents to the idea of homeschooling.  After having their children at home for an extended period of time led parents to rethink the conventional system. Why should children be sent back to school and were there real benefits?  School now could consist of an online experience, fully hands-on or a hybrid method tailored specifically to their child.  Parents could experience first-hand the realities of homeschooling and the pros and cons of doing so.  And many chose the path of freedom.  

The growing trend in homeschooling can only continue moving forward with the technological advancements, ease of access to high-level learning material, flexibility in scheduling and child-specific curriculum.  More and more parents are recognizing the innovative solutions that homeschooling offers.