The Strengthening Homeschool Community

     When I was young, the homeschool community was a small one. Twenty years before that it was positively miniscule. According to the National Home Education Research Institute the number of homeschoolers has grown from only ten thousand in the 1970’s to over 2 million by 2010.* Today that number has ballooned to over 3.1 million. That is an insane rate of growth! I can’t say I’m surprised considering the current trajectory of the public education system but still, the numbers are staggering.

     One of the most prevalent arguments against homeschooling your child is that the child will not be properly socialized. Without regular interaction with others their own age, the child will fail to flourish, being incapable of handling themselves in the many necessary social interactions of adulthood. While it is possible that this may have been a legitimate concern back when the movement began, it is obvious that argument has become outdated. Because of those families that ignored the detractors and pursued what was the best for their children, it is no longer valid to suggest that homeschoolers will not have enough access to social training. There are now homeschooling communities all over the country that do life together - everything from organized math classes to competitive sports teams are available to those who choose an alternative method of education. All of the needed courses - English, science, math, history, etc. - are, of course, taught but the vast myriad of elective choices puts the traditional system of education to shame. Simply because of time constraints, lack of resources, and the need to educate a large group versus an individual, there is no way the public system can tailor education to each student's gifting and interests.

     Now that we have addressed the erroneous claims of poor socialization for homeschoolers in light of the more current data, let's take a quick peek at the social climate of public education institutions. According to the National Center for Education Statistics** the reported rate of schools that experienced violent crimes in the 2021-2022 school year, Including elementary schools, is at 67%. If you narrow it down to just middle school the number skyrockets to 90%. And this is only reported violent crimes. If you take into consideration the non-violent crimes, the 71% of high schools that reported Drug use or distribution, as well as the schools that may or may not be reporting incidents at all, it doesn’t paint a very good picture for the socialization that is available through the traditional school route. 

     I would like to point out two things here: First, I know many teachers in traditional schools who are excellent teachers and they are fighting tooth and nail for their students. Teachers aren’t, necessarily, the problem. That said, those same teachers are meeting opposition from many, and unexpected, sources that  make it harder and harder for even the best teachers to do much in the way of helping the children in their classroom. I know of teachers who have ended up in mental facilities with severe PTSD from abuse at the hands of the public system and it doesn’t show any signs of getting better. Secondly, I should point out that Homeschool is not the is-all-end-all for education. I have homeschooled my own children but also gone through seasons when I put them in regular school because a traditional classroom was more in line with what they needed. Private school, although potentially quite costly, can be an excellent option - many of them do offer financial aid. Homeschooling may not be possible for some families. Homeschooling may not be desirable for some. For some families, homeschooling would not be beneficial to the child. It is important to consider all the possibilities.

     The growing strength of the homeschool community is a blessing to so many because it is taking something that was good and making it completely amazing. Homeschooling families helping each other provide what is best for everyone, making resources available that might not otherwise be attainable, builds strong and healthy communities of successful people. The creator of The Adventure Letters saw a need that she could meet in her own homeschool community and that resource is now available to you and your children in your own community! Check out what she has created and see if it would be good for your family!

*https://www.nheri.org/home-school-researcher-explaining-the-change-in-homeschooling-1970-2010/#:~:text=Only%2010%2C000%20to%2015%2C000%20children,Ray%2C%202005%2C%202011).

** https://nces.ed.gov/whatsnew/press_releases/1_17_2024.asp