29. Homeschooling
Not every parent looks forward to the day when their child goes off to school. In fact some parents are not sending their students to school at all. Instead they are choosing to teach their children at home. This is called homeschooling. Parents, caregivers, or private tutors educate children individually at home instead of sending them off to be formally educated in public or private schools. In the U.S. only about three percent of children are homeschooled.
There are many reasons why some parents choose to homeschool. One reason is that some parents do not feel their children are safe in school because of bullying and a growing trend of police in school. Other parents want their child's education to be based on their religion or moral beliefs. Yet other parents feel like the education in school is not good enough. Homeschooling is also seen as a choice for families that live in rural areas, and families that travel, like actors.
There are many different ways to homeschool, and homeschooling allows parents to customize lessons based on their children's needs. Families can purchase textbooks to use or create their own materials. Some parents who follow a philosophy called unschooling, which allows a child to determine when, and how they want to learn based on their natural curiosity. Some worry that homeschooling means students won't have opportunities to socialize. To answer this concern, some families have created cooperatives, where a group of homeschooled students will learn and play together and participate in activities that would normally happen in school like field trips and prom.
Being homeschooled doesn't mean a student cannot go to college. Most colleges accept homeschooled students. It is important, however, for parents and students to create a portfolio or proof of what has been learned.
