by Mindi Popovich-Schneider, Saint Emmelia Ministries Assistant
Despite homeschooling’s meteoric rise in the past few years, many myths about homeschooling persist in mainstream thought. In some ways, perhaps the myths have only grown, as many families were introduced to a very particular, narrow version of schooling at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. In reality, homeschooling is a varied and multi-faceted little universe!
Whether you’re hesitant about homeschooling or are a homeschooler who isn’t sure how to respond to these myths, we hope that the following facts give you new insights to this beautiful journey!
Homeschoolers cannot succeed in college or in the workforce. By the numbers: Homeschoolers have an average standardized test score of 87th percentile, compared to public schoolers in the 50th percentile. 66.7% of homeschooled students graduate college, 10% higher than public school students. College students who were homeschooled earn higher first-year and fourth-year GPAs when controlling for demographic, pre-college, engagement, and first-term academic factors.
Homeschoolers are all socially awkward. While it is difficult to qualify what “socially awkward” means, 87% of peer-reviewed studies on social, emotional, and psychological development show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in conventional schools. Additionally, homeschool students self-report a high level of comfort interacting with people from all age groups. Ask a librarian, museum docent, etc. their experiences working with homeschool students–they will almost certainly say that homeschoolers tend to be polite, well-behaved, and curious.
Homeschool parents are unqualified to teach their children. Parents’ education level statistically makes no impact on the success rates of their children. There are multiple factors that contribute to this: typically, homeschool parents are driven to provide their children with an excellent education, there are many wonderful curriculum options, and homeschool families know how to make use of the resources available to them!
Families homeschool so that they can brainwash their children. While it is true that many families homeschool so that they can cultivate their values in their children, that is rarely the only goal (and it is a very different goal from “brainwashing”!). In fact, the number one reason 80% of polled families homeschool is to protect their children from unsafe environments and negative peer pressure; for 61% it is to offer their children a higher quality education. Homeschooling is not a defensive reaction; it is a positive, proactive step; not an emergency, but rather a difficult, but treasured calling.
The only people who homeschool are rich, white, religious fundies. Homeschooling is far from homogenous. Not only do families homeschool according to a variety of methods and belief systems (everything from Classical Liberal Arts to Charlotte Mason to Montessori to Waldorf), but homeschooling families across the political and religious spectrums are choosing to homeschool. The vast majority of homeschoolers are lower middle class (which makes sense, considering most homeschool families are single income), and 17-26% of homeschool families are Hispanic, 6-8% are black, and 2-3% are AAPI, while 4-6% identified as other (29-41% of all homeschool families). This falls roughly along the lines of the national race demographics (59.3% white, 18.9% Latino, 12.6% black, 5.9% AAPI, 3.7% other).
Homeschooling hurts public schools. While homeschool families support the public schools via taxes, homeschoolers receive no tax breaks or special government support. When families choose to homeschool their children, they free up resources (especially teacher time and energy!) for other students. In fact, homeschooling saved taxpayers 51 billion in 2021-2022.
Homeschoolers miss out on extracurricular and other opportunities. 98% of homeschoolers participate in an average of 5 extracurricular activities per week. Additionally, not being tied to a traditional school day allows students to take part in internships, apprenticeships, and other skill-strengthening activities. The flexibility of homeschooling gives students an opportunity to explore a range of interests to figure out what they are passionate about.
Like any group of people, homeschoolers are not a monolith: their experiences, interests, and other traits run the gamut of every possible human experience, interest, and trait. The only thing that just about every homeschool family shares is that the recognition that the greatest responsibility for their children’s education rests on their shoulders. And what a joyful responsibility it is!
What are other myths you’ve heard about homeschooling? What truths did we miss? Let us know in the comments!
Resources:
https://brighterly.com/blog/homeschooling-statistics/
https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_ethnicity_in_the_United_States
https://admissionsly.com/homeschooling-statistics/; https://www.nheri.org/research-facts-on-homeschooling/