Homeschooling Overview

Over a million children are homeschooled each year. There are a variety of reasons for choosing homeschooling, but also some legal hurdles that parents must overcome.Homeschooling Statistics and the Concerns Behind ThemAccording to the National Center for Education Statistics, as of 2003 approximately 1.1 million children were being homeschooled. This was an increase of 850,000 children since 1999. Parents homeschooling their children tend to be two-parent households that are white. Parents offer several different reasons for homeschooling their children. Many are concerned about the environment at their local public schools including drugs, peer pressure, and violence. Although the Supreme Court has never ruled on homeschooling generally, the Court has ruled that Amish parents have the right to homeschool their children for religious reasons. Many state courts have also upheld the right of parents to homeschool their children. While every state now allows homeschooling, the burdens that parents must bear vary significantly from state to state.…