How Does Homeschooling Benefit Society? GIVEAWAY INCLUDED!

On April 24, Ellison Research released the results of a study revealing America's opinions regarding different educational options. At the bottom of the list, public schools did not fare well. Homeschooling, it seems, has begun to take its place among recognized and viable educational options.

Americans see home schooling in a slightly more positive light than they do public schools. The average rating for home schooling quality of education is 3.14, with 11% calling it excellent, 37% overall having a positive impression of it, and 25% having a negative impression of it. Ellison Research

This is much better than the national opinions reflected in a Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll released in 2001 in which 54% of respondents indicated that they believed homeschooling was "a bad thing for the nation." National opinion, it seems, is moving in the right direction.

With more attention, however, may come more scrutiny. While the public may be more favorably disposed to homeschooling, they are also more aware of its existence. The old question "Is it legal?" is giving way to a general surprise at how few regulations there are in some states. As “SAD” responded in the comment section of the Lincoln Journal Star blog:

You must be kidding! There isn’t a program in placr [sic] for the Dept of Education to assure; measure; and monitor performance of children home schooled? That is neglecting the value of education and children. Maybe Dr. Christensen has been delinquent in due diligence. What have Raikes and the Education Committee been doing? Who is looking out for the children? Thank you DiAnna! Lincoln Journal Star blog

While we have had occasional, ongoing battles in our state legislatures which have largely been successful at preventing increased regulation, we have also benefited from the public's general ignorance and assumption that the state was overseeing the process, that homeschools were being held to the same accountability measures as public schools, and that we did have regular meetings with someone with a certificate.

How do we best deal with this? In the Homeschoolers United forum,* the moderator asked an interesting question:

How does homeschooling benefit society?

Other than the occasional list of historic figures who were homeschooled, most of the defenses I have read focus on how homeschooling benefits us and our children. But is there an actual benefit to society, one which even those who would never choose to homeschool themselves might recognize as valuable? The moderator shared an interesting story of another homeschooler who had attended a presentation by Sally Reed, national President of Friends of the Library.

She said something interesting that I think applies to homeschooling as well as libraries. Her comment was that when we advocate we don't necessarily want people to become library users but library supporters. She said she had her own epiphany in a Rotary Club meeting where the speaker was presenting info about the city's bus system. She was expecting him to get up and tell about how many bus routes they had and how many people rode the bus and how efficient it was and that sort of thing. Instead he got up and spoke about how much the bus system was saving the city in terms of reduced traffic; how many more parking lots and street lanes they would have to add if all the people riding the buses started driving, environmental impact, etc.

I believe homeschooling has benefited society by the mere existence of a successful alternative to public education. Not only do involved parents have an alternative, but the presence of homeschooling in the national education debate forces people to consider what education really is and who should be in control of it, as well as some pretty fundamental questions about the role the government should play in the private sphere.

But I doubt the average citizen will jump aboard for those kinds of reasons. In what other ways has homeschooling benefited society?

*Note: The Homeschoolers United forum maintains a "repost freely" policy in order to promote discussion on topics relevant to homeschool advocacy.



Dana is a fourth year homeschooling mom to three girls and a boy. In her column, "In the News," she will be taking a look at homeschoolers who have affected the news and news that affects homeschoolers. Visit her blog, Principled Discovery.

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