The Results of Home Schooling vs Public Schools

One of the very first questions that mostlower. On average, government schools spent
parents ask about home schooling is whether it$6,500 per student each year and private schools
actually works. They are only too well aware ofspent $3,500. By contrast, parents undertaking
the fact that the public schools have problems,home schooling spent about $550 per student
but really wonder whether they can do anyeach year. This figure for home schooling does
better. One natural response for some parents isnot of course take into account the time spent
to try a little harder to see if they can affordby parents on home schooling for which a public
private schooling but, even if this were possible,school teacher would be paid.
are the private schools faring any better than theThe public school system as we know it today
public schools?evolved during the second half of the 19th
The simple fact of the matter is that there arecentury as one state after another made school
many, quality studies which show that, onattendance compulsory. Perhaps the most
average, home schooling produces superiorinteresting question however, and one which
students. To an extent of course this israrely seems to be asked, is why, if public
understandable as parents clearly have an effectschooling offered such superior value, it was
on education no matter which route they take. Anecessary for the states to make it compulsory
parent who is genuinely interested in the educationand to force parents to put their children into the
of his or her children will help to motivate them,public school system.
producing better results.It could be, and sometimes is, argue that this was
But there is certainly more to it that this anddue to the ignorance of rural parents who did not
there are many cases, in a great enough varietysee the value of education. However, it is
of situations, to take even this into account andinteresting to note that adult illiteracy rates in
still come to the conclusion that home schooling1840 Massachusetts were a low 2% and that, by
produces better results.1995, this figure had risen to 19%, in spite of
Even the Unites States Department of Educationapparently enormous advances in the intervening
agrees. In one study which they sponsoredyears. In 1840 libraries were rare and today they
themselves home schooled students producedare everywhere as books are both relatively
exceptionally high test scores. The median scoresinexpensive and easy to trade.
in every grade were far higher than those ofToday over a million children are home schooled in
public schools and even higher than those ofthe United States and thousands of home
private school students. The average homeschooled students have attended colleges and
schooled student in grades one through four wasuniversities, including many of the most prestigious
a grade level above that of public school peersand difficult to get into.
and, by the time home schooled students reachedWhatever your own thoughts about home
the equivalent of the 8th grade, they were asschooling vs public schooling there is no doubt that
much as four years ahead of students attendingthe results clearly show the advantage of home
public school.schooling.
As if this were not enough, costs were also