Homeschooling Becomes Mainstream As Public Ed Enrollment Declines Precipitously

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The deschooling movement (Deskool) is gaining steam as more American parents pull their kids out of public schools

It might not be long until homeschooling becomes socially normative. What was once considered to be an educational avenue of last resort is now spilling into the mainstream.

With each passing day, more parents are educating their kids at home despite paying taxes into the public school system.

Parents’ Views of Education are Shifting

Parents who’ve been traumatized by bullying, teasing, and other forms of abuse are considering alternatives to public school. Instead of paying exorbitant sums of money for private school tuition, parents are becoming self-reliant.

An increasing number of parents are becoming aware of the pitfalls of today’s chaotic schools thanks to the internet. To say some public schools have become torture chambers isn’t as egregious of an exaggeration as many assume. Scroll through your X feed and you’ll likely find the algorithm favors school fight videos.

Moreover, the public education system is somewhat stuck in the past. Today’s public schools lack the resources and creativity necessary to prepare students for an increasingly dynamic employment landscape.

As Jared Fuller, the COO of OpenEd.co recently pointed out, the modern education system is designed for the generations of yesteryear. Textbooks and curriculums haven’t changed to the extent necessary for kids to adjust to technological change.

Today’s public school system is essentially frozen in time, preparing kids for the employment challenges of the past. However, the days of the Greatest Generation and their Baby Boomer offspring remaining in one position for several decades are long gone.

The average American now changes jobs half a dozen times throughout his or her career. The challenge lies in preparing students for the dynamics a rapidly changing work landscape and society.

Homeschooling is the Wave of the Future

Teaching kids at home poses two primary problems: financing the operation and adequately preparing kids for the working world without the assistance of those with formal teaching credentials. An increasing number of parents are managing to educate their kids at home despite these hurdles.

The somewhat surprising success of education in the home is a testament to the merit of the DIY (do it yourself) ethos. There is a growing anti-public school movement that shuns convention in favor of self-reliance.

It appears homeschooling will become even more popular in the years ahead. Advances in technology allow for online learning in the home. Though parents will always play an integral role in homeschooling, it is now possible to learn virtually using a computer and webcam.

Homeschooling is especially beneficial to boys. No one is denying the fact that classrooms have become overrun with female teachers. Women inherently favor girls as such is human nature.

Moreover, boys attending public schools are two times as likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than girls. Boys are better suited to non-traditional learning environments where they aren’t forced to remain seated and quiet for hours on end.

A boy allowed to learn at home is given more latitude in terms of physical activity that is simply not possible in public schools. Alternatively, girls tend to be more obedient and docile, both of which are traits rewarded by traditional schools.

Childhood Socialization as a Homeschooled Student

There is a common misconception that homeschooling renders students incapable of socializing with their peers. Indeed, the criticism has the potential to be accurate if the child is isolated and socialization is limited to an online classroom.

What homeschool critics overlook is that children, tweens, and teens have the opportunity to interact with those in their neighborhood. Once homeschool ends, neighborhood play begins.

Granted, the population is declining and the sight of kids is becoming increasingly rare. However, a couple neighborhood friendships go a long way.

Our shrinking population combined with the rise of homeschooling will inevitably force schools to consolidate operations. We might eventually reach the point where most parents decide homeschooling is superior to the public education system.

Parents might eventually universally agree that it is better to homeschool through online and parental teaching. The decentralization of the public school system might one day take the form of neighborhood group education.

The complete abolishment of the public school system is within the realm of possibility.

Grab Jared Fuller’s book. I bought it a month ago and loved it! - Unskool