Why do people choose to homeschool their children?

Answer

Aaron Falbel provided this answer on the Home Education Mailing List:

There are probably four major reasons why people choose to keep their children out of school:

— people feel that schools do not address the spiritual issues and values that they want to convey to their children. In addition, schools do teach other ideas (e.g. evolution) that are at odds with their religious beliefs.

— These people also want to shield their children from the harmful effects of school, but not primarily due to their spiritual values. Often their children have tried school and have had bad experiences there. These parents have seen their children come home from school depressed, angry, feeling stupid. In earlier years, these same children used to be curious, energetic, and happy. Other times, parents don't even wait for school to have such deleterious effects. They never send their kids to school in the first place, knowing full well what will be in store for them.

— Some people choose to home-school because of their political beliefs, which tend toward libertarian or anarchist leanings. These people try to disengage themselves as far as they can from institutions of all kinds that encroach on their freedom. These families practice an ethic of self-reliance. They are frequently rural, back-to-the-land types, and frown not only upon schools, but also upon hospitals, prisons, the military, large corporations, and in general, most of the systems and institutions of industrial society.

—Some people home-school simply because they like their children too much to send them away on the school bus each weekday morning. They enjoy the company of their children and wouldn't dream of surrendering them over to some impersonal agency and deprive them of what they feel in a close, loving, nurturing atmosphere.

Note well, however, that these group are by no means distinct. There is considerable overlap among all four groups. There are also, to be sure, some major differences.

Alan Moses added:

I'd like to phrase an answer to this question in a positive sense, without resorting to comparisons with school. In addition to the religious, anti-school, political, and family reasons for home-schooling, people home-school for **educational** reasons; namely that human beings learn best when they are following their interests, that learning is a natural activity that is not dependent on teaching, that learning is an activity that takes place in the world and thus involves family and community as well as the individual, and that home-schooling provides the best environment to support this concept of learning.

[The answer above is based on a homeschooling FAQ originally edited in 1994 by Dave Mankins for the Home Education Mailing List.]

Answer

Some do GREAT in school, some do TERRIBLE. The child who already feels badly about themselves will probably not be told he is wonderful and capable by his fellow students. His family may, however. A teacher teaching 35 probably can't spend his/her evenings on the internet, in the bookstore, talking to friends. . . searching for ways to help ONE particular student grasp the material. His parent will, however. Some people Homeschool, not because Public schools are bad, but because these are two different options. HS and PS are not comparable. Tutoring vs. group teaching. . . . it is a matter of what works for that kid. Miz

Answer

one reason why people homeschool is because they travel a lot and they can't continue to skip schools and stuff... they need to take their work wth them.

Answer

Many people choose to educate their children at home because they feel certain that they can provide a higher level of education through homeschooling than the child would receive in a traditional classroom. Most studies have proven that this is in fact the case! Unfortunately, many teachers today spend the majority of their time on disicipline issues while the more 'well-behaved' children study on their own. The rigid structure of the classroom discourages creativity and independent thinking. Children have an intuitive love of learning which is often stifled once they get to school mainly because teachers do not have the time to deal with interests that are not on their curriculum. Eight hours of structured learning and even structured play for an education that is mediocre at best is a higher price than some parents are willing to pay for their childs 'education'.

First answer by anonymous. Last edit by Lilydrives. Contributor trust: 308 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 203 [recommend question]