Christian

Is It Time To Dump Public School Education? A Look at Homeschool Data

Cindy Dawson

As Critical Race Theory, the Transgender Agenda, and Woke ideology invade our Public School System, Christian parents are considering other options. One option is Homeschooling, but can it successfully prepare our children for life? You might be surprised to learn that homeschooled kids generally fare much better than their Public School peers. Consider these statistics:

  1. Extracurricular Activities Studies have shown that homeschooled students are more likely to participate in extracurricular activities than their peers in traditional schools. 98% of homeschooled students participate in an average of 5 extracurriculars per week.
  2. College Graduation Rates An American study from 2009 showed that the section of homeschoolers that graduated from college was 66.7% whereas for the public school students, it was 58.6%. 
  3. SAT Scores Homeschoolers scored higher than the national average on SAT scores.
College-bound HomeschoolersNational Average
Critical Reading567497
Math521513
Writing535487
SAT Scores, NHERI (National Home Education Research Institute)

4. National Standardized Tests Homeschoolers scored higher than the average, or 50th percentile, in all academic areas on National Tests.

Academic AreaHomeschooler Average Percentile Ranking
Reading89
Language84
Math84
Science86
Social Studies84
NHERI study, including almost 12,000 homeschooled students taking National Tests

Why Parents Choose Homeschooling

Some Reasons for Homeschool Success:

  1. Homeschoolers can avoid the indoctrination of Public School policies such as Critical Race Theory, the Transgender Agenda, and Woke ideology.
  2. Homeschoolers don’t have as much peer pressure so they learn to think for themselves rather than adopting the views of their peers.
  3. Homeschoolers can move more quickly through assignments and subjects they understand, and spend more time on topics that are challenging and interesting. They learn at their own pace. (As a retired public school teacher, I know how important this is. It was very difficult, if not impossible, to provide instruction that met the needs of all the students in your classroom which could have as many as 35 students or more.)
  4. Homeschoolers have a shorter day. Public School typically lasts 7 hours /day plus travel time. So a child’s school day can last from 8 to 9 hours. But a homeschooler’s day is typically much shorter. For example, grades 5 and 6 spend 3 to 4 hours/ day, 4 days per week.
  5. Greater exposure to more adults through field trips and other activities.
  6. Less ridicule and social pressures that can reduce self-esteem and discourage learning.
  7. No bullying.

According to the Harvard study, ” … increasing smartphone use may have contributed to the recent huge spikes in adolescent depression, anxiety, and school loneliness. Cyberbullying, sexting, and ‘phubbing’ have also become more common in children’s daily lives, especially in school settings. We might expect that these issues may be less common among homeschoolers than their public school peers.” New Harvard Study: Homeschoolers Turn Out Happy, Well-Adjusted, and Engaged

You can find an endless amount of information about homeschooling online. What I have presented is literally a drop in the bucket. You may discover that homeschooling is actually a better option than you thought!

Home-schooled children generally develop into well-adjusted, responsible and socially engaged young adults,”

 Brendan Case and Ying Chen, Harvard University Study

“Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” Proverbs 4:6-7 NIV

“Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents],
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 AMP

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NIV (emphasis mine)

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:1-4 ESV (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Sources:

New Harvard Study: Homeschoolers Turn Out Happy, Well-Adjusted, and Engaged

https://progressiveschooling.com/are-homeschoolers-more-successful/

Brighterly.com Homeschooling Statistics in 2023 – USA Data and Trends

CalvertEducation.com

Photo by sofatutor on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

36 thoughts on “Is It Time To Dump Public School Education? A Look at Homeschool Data”

  2. Our boys back in the 80’s went to a combination of public and private schools as we could afford. Today four of our seven grandchildren are currently being home schooled with varying degrees of success. It definitely takes a strong commitment from both parents and children, as well as a substantial financial contribution to make things work, but from what we see spiritually in them, it is definitely worth it all. Thank you for sharing such a carefully detailed look at the facts. Have a blessed weekend.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your experience. My children went to Christian schools and some public school. We had some bad experiences in public school 20 years ago. Things are much worse now. We must prayerfully consider how we can best prepare our children for life in the world today. Blessings, Pastor Pete!

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  4. Great post! Plus Homeschooling is a part of a long tradition. In fact, homeschooling was the way to teach children the real life lessons of hard work, caring for family, and even entrepreneur skills. I, too worked in public school for years, and honestly public education had it problems long before woke ideology came along. Its good to see statistics are in favor of homeschooling, but I strongly encourage families to read “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and start teaching their children about financial literacy.

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  5. I think home schooling is a great idea. A lot of these teachers and schools have gotten out of hand with this gender chaos. I also hate hearing about kids who are bullied and try to harm themselves because of that.

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  7. Your compact post included very relevant points worth considering if you’re a parent or grandparent. My daughter is just beginning to homeschool her oldest who is five. If she, or her two siblings, eventually need extra tutelage in math, their grandpa can help. I began teaching her rhyming words and syllables when she was four. Families have the opportunity to become closer in the pursuit of educating their children. But not all parents are able to as shown by the failures during the COVID shutdowns. That’s why school choice is so important (but that’s another post!). Thank you, Cindy, for a very informative post! 🙂

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  9. My 9yo is testing well above grade level in every subject. She also knows how to relate to people of all ages and does multiple extra curriculars (dance, Bible study, etc)
    Homeschooling is the best.

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  11. Cindy, from my own experience my oldest daughter who is chronically ill, graduated from a Cyber School with a 3.7 GPA and she went on to doing college on line because of being so sick and graduated from college with a 3.8 GPA and that is with being in the hospital every year she did continue with her studies and I am proud of her. My youngest daughter just graduate from the same Cyber school on June 2 with a 3.6 GPA and yes they learn better with smaller classes my youngest daughter enjoy taking Latin for two years of high school besides other courses she would not have in public school. However I an open with both of my daughter when it comes to the LGBTQ community and I support them, I may not understand everything with this community, for me I do not have the right to judge Christ calls me to love and not judge. Besides many do not want to believe with science because my oldest is missing chromosome and after more than one genetic testing she is neither male or female. Imagine if all of us can love one another in spite of our difference this world would be beautiful and not filled with so much hate.

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    1. Eileen, Thank you for sharing. You and your girls certainly were successful homeschoolers! I know you must be so proud of them! It is nothing short of amazing that your oldest daughter has earned such high grades while dealing with illness and hospital stays. She is truly an inspiration.
      I agree that this world needs to see more love and less hate. The world needs Jesus. May we have the boldness to share His love with others. Blessings, Eileen!

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      1. We need people to become more like Jesus and less of ourselves, as well as to talk with our children about knowing someone who may be gay. This community has been around for hundred of years and may be even more. Just think if your child came to you and share with with you that they are gay would you judge them or simply love them the way Jesus would do. I have known parents who want nothing to do with their child because they are gay. From my own experience having my oldest being born sick is more of a challenge than her telling me she is gay, because my daughter is terminal. To me being gay is not horrible I may not full understand the reason most of this happens in the womb when the mother is carrying the child. My daughter is neither male or female do I love her any less of course not. She has never dated, if I had the choice of my daughter being gay or terminal I would choose her to be gay because I would know that she would out live me the way I believe and not the other way around, the worst thing in the world is to bury your child, I know a woman who did and her child was five a few years ago and it hasn’t been any easier now.

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        1. I can’t begin to understand how your heart breaks over your daughter’s sickness. I know that my own children are the most important thing in the world to me and if one of them were dying it would be unbearable. I will keep you and your daughters in my prayers daily. There is a certain Scripture that jumped out at me yesterday.
          “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 NLT
          He has promised to give us strength and sometimes that is exactly what we need most. May God bless you today, my friend. Sending love and hugs your way!

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  12. Excellent Post Cindy and I totally agree! If you want your children to learn respect, the value of human life, the TRUE meaning of love and to ACTUALLY learn what schools are suppose to teach, than homeschooling is definitely the answer. Excellent post! God bless and many, many blessings to you…Robin

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  13. Parenting is such a prayer filled journey. My kids have experienced every type of schooling from homeschool to public school, boarding school, international Christian school, and online school. I loved my days homeschooling them. But, I also love that they rub shoulders everyday with kids who don’t go to church in public high school. I love that they’re asking big questions in the teenage years. I’m praying a lot and seeing God’s hand in their lives. The bottom line is I can’t save my own kids. I have to think that we could impact our communities more if Christian teachers and parents choose to stay in public schools. At church, I was teaching eight first graders and I asked them to invite friends who didn’t know Jesus to church. None of them had friends that didn’t go to church. They’re all homeschooled. I also think about the single parents or dual income families that I care for in my pediatrician’s office. Most of them don’t have the luxury of homeschooling. Maybe more homemakers should consider putting their children in public school and volunteering frequently so they can care for their children and minister to others. So much to think about. Somehow we have to find the balance between being IN the world but not of the world. No doubt we all need the Lord’s wisdom for raising our children.

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    1. Thank you for your thoughtful response. I agree with you that we need the Lord’s wisdom for raising our children. Being IN the world, but not of the world is a lot to ask of a teenager. The question is: Are they at risk of social contagion, peer pressure, and a nefarious agenda? We all have a different perspective. My prayer is that the Lord will give us the wisdom we need to raise Godly children in perilous times. Blessings, Laura!

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  14. Very compelling argument. I think after the pandemic, not allowing teens to socialize adequately will lead to all sorts of problems. I think homeschool can work if the student has a solid social life outside of homeschool, or is perhaps taught with a small cohort. It gets difficult though when the content gets harder, especially if the parent can no longer perform the role of “teacher”.

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    1. Those are legitimate concerns, but I think there are ways around them. (A tutor perhaps?) In our present times, homeschooling may be the only good option, especially in certain school districts. Thanks for commenting. Blessings, Mike!

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  15. Thank you for sharing this information, Cindy! I also taught in the public school system, and it made me think I’d never be able to use it for my own kids! We’ve been 🙏 about schooling since our son was born, and this adds valuable ℹ️ to our considerations.

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    1. Hi Stacey, I’m glad you found this information helpful. Children can get a great education through homeschooling. Christian schools are another good choice, but can be expensive. Keep praying about your son’s education and the Lord will lead you. Blessings, Stacey!

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