by Akua Hinds

Created on: December 10, 2011

Contrary to what many people believe about homeschooling, the practice of families educating their children at home is not a new idea.  Parents used to teach their children at home, send the children to private schools or hire tutors to teach the children before mandatory government school attendance came into effect in the 19th century.  Homeschooling began gaining popularity in North America again during the 1980s.  Now, homeschooling is not viewed as warily as it was in decades past.  Not everyone approves of homeschooling, but there are many good reasons why millions of families around the world are rejecting public and private schools and embracing homeschooling.

Public schools cannot give suitable individualized attention to their students the way that parents can give to their children.  Public school classrooms are typically overcrowded and it is not uncommon for classrooms to have 30 or more students and only one teacher in charge to educate young and impressionable minds.  Children need to feel valued and they need to be encouraged.  Public schools do not put their focus on helping a child discover their true talents and become the best that they can be.  Private schools have smaller classrooms than public schools but the cost of attending a private school can be expensive.  Homeschooling is a wonderful way for a child to get a more customized education that compliments his or her personal learning style.  The costs of homeschooling a child are less expensive than private school tuition and homeschooling also protects children from the dangers that exist in the public school system. 

Incidents of children committing suicide due to their despair over the bullying they face at school are rising alarmingly.  Bullying is destructive, and the emotional scars from bullying can negatively affect a person’s psyche for the rest of their lives.  Parents who experienced bullying themselves when they were younger may view homeschooling as a better way to protect their children from vicious schoolmates who wreak havoc on the self-esteems of their peers.  The emotional and physical violence that exists in schools is very distracting to students who genuinely want to learn.  Homeschooling is ideal for families who want their children to feel safe and free to be themselves amongst people who love them. 

The flexibility of homeschooling is much more freeing than the rigid and structured

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