Faced with rapidly deteriorating conditions in government schools, interest among American parents in home education has surged to an “all-time high,” according to a new survey. Federal and state government data also show that homeschooling is growing quickly.
In an October report by the non-profit group EdChoice titled “2019 Schooling in America,” the organization showed that a staggering 15 percent of parents would prefer homeschooling over other educational alternatives such as private, public, or charter schools. The figure was just 5 percent in 2012, showing a dramatic growth to its highest level on record.
Among the many reasons why parents said they had removed their children from public school were safety, drugs, violence, bullying, academics, curriculum, discipline, standards. A strong majority of Americans, 56 percent, said they believe public education is on the wrong track, the survey results showed. Just over a third thought it was moving in the right direction.
Overall, about 82 percent of children are enrolled in traditional government schools, with another 5 percent enrolled in government-funded charter schools. However, less than a third of current school parents would choose government schools, with the majority choosing homeschooling or private schools as their top choice. Even most public school teachers would choose other options.
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