The Rise of Homeschooling

If you pay attention to the news lately, you may have seen headlines discussing that the fastest growing form of education is now homeschooling. How wild that something that was once the “norm” for education so long ago, but then eventually became the odd way, is now making a comeback at lightning speed. After all these years of the public school system, charter schools and private schools being in place, it’s as if people have decided to take it upon themselves and revert back to a system that educated some of history’s most influential people by taking the leap of faith to homeschool.

Does homeschooling look like it once did?

Yes, actually in many ways it does; but just like many other things from long ago, progress has set in and changed homeschooling for the better (although progress doesn’t always change all things for the better). Homeschooling has endured many changes that have come in the form of co-ops, access to sports, more social opportunities, field trips, and much more. Yet even with these changes and with rising popularity, homeschooling remains a force that places the child’s education into the hands of the parent and withdraws them from the demands of the state. In fact, many states have very little governance over homeschooling, and the states respect the freedom of the families choosing home education. It is ultimately up to the family to ensure that their child is educated and ready for their futures.

But how does homeschooling look in a world that puts such an emphasis on college degrees, accolades or initials behind a name to insinuate some sort of academic greatness? How does homeschooling look in a world that values success, high incomes and fancy cars?

It looks quite the same.

First off, many people are beginning to wake up and realize that college isn’t where it’s all at. Many people are able to make a substantial income without college degrees; realizing that colleges can be wasteful when the chosen career path isn’t used or when indoctrination breeds within the school. Trade schools are becoming more popular as people begin to value and understand the need for the trades in our society; and more women are feeling confident in their feminine role as homemaker, even finding ways to make money from home to support their family in a tough economy.

Yet, some careers do require a degree, or some students just dream of those four years of college bliss, so they embark on a college career post homeschool success. Their admittance looks relatively just the same as their traditional school peers. If the home educating mother knows what her local universities typically look for in terms of standardized test scores, classes for local scholarships and credits needed for admittance, obtaining these things is quite easy. Choosing to homeschool a student through high school doesn’t have to be so frightening and never means that a child will have less opportunities than their peers. In fact, universities have seen such success with homeschool students that they often seek them out through recruitment and scholarships. Keeping your own transcript is easy through a typical spreadsheet platform and students have access to all standardized testing at local testing facilities. Teaching harder material in the high school years can be outsourced through online platforms, hybrids or co-ops and high school diplomas are not an issue to create. While some states may have more governance than others, graduating a homeschool child IS possible and they CAN get into universities if that is what they desire to do.

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While the idea of graduating from homeschool status to university status may look intimidating, it’s much easier than one would think.

Most states have made homeschooling so easy for families, with little to no governing over their curriculum choices. Here in Louisiana, I am able to homeschool my children in all the ways that I deem necessary and fruitful, and with all of the curriculum I choose. Perhaps their curriculum will have fun tests or quizzes for them to do and perhaps they will never test at all.

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As a homeschooling mother, I am with my children every day and can see whether they are excelling with their lessons and I am able to adjust our pace and books as we go. I have witnessed my children read at different ages and different time frames; each when they are ready to on their own without the pressure of feeling like they are inadequate due to some benchmarks that the state says they must show. It’s freeing to let my children discover their natural love of reading and learning, without the pressure to perform at a certain rate or score. It’s also freeing when my children have free time throughout the day to open a book or an encyclopedia just for fun!

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To the outsiders looking in, homeschooling can look frightening. To the people who are still judging and in denial, homeschooling can look like a hinderance or a silly thing to do. Yet, over and over we see the fruits of it within our home, and I see and hear the fruits of it all around me. My children are far more outgoing than I ever was, some of them read encyclopedias just for fun and they have more social events and sports than I can sometimes keep up with.

We are not holding our children back by homeschooling. We are giving them a path to find their passions, cultivate them through rich literature, dig into nature and science, find fellowship with others, and spend their day rich in the books of faith, history and art. They are surrounded by everything that is true, good and beautiful, and they are developing the tools to handle the world around them when the world tries to dim their light.

Homeschooling doesn’t have to be a choice made because you have a problem with the system or a fear of the world around you, but rather a passion to let children enjoy the freedom and innocence of childhood and the confidence to fill their minds with the rich knowledge that will help them do great things, whether it means having a great degree or title, or resting in the mundane of home.

Homeschooling is rising because parents are wanting to take back control, dwell in the freedom and soak in the time. I think it is here to stay.

What are your thoughts on the rise of homeschooling?