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Home schooling is nothing new. In fact it is public schooling that is the npovel development. Public schools did not become common place until the late-19th century and many European children were not attending public schools even in the early-20th century. There were no public schools in the ancient world. Education was reserved for a small portion of the population. Children in wealthy families were taught at home by tutors. Alexander the Great being taught at home' by Aristotle (4th century BC). That certainly was not the forst example of home schooling, but it is the first example in which the identities of the tutor and student are known. Many wealthy Romans were taught by Greek slaves. Home schooling by tutors for the well to was still very common in the early-19th century. And many mothers from more modest families taught their children. Women more commonly remained at home in the 19th century ,aking this possible. Compulsory education did not become widespead in America until the late-19th century. The time frame varied from country to country in Europe. Home schooling in the 19th century was common, but eratic. There were no materials and systems avaiable for parents. The first such system was developed at the Calvert School at the turn of the 20th century developed a Kingergarden program for mothers. At the time, only a few schools had Kingergarden programs. Americans, however, generally satisfied with the public school system for most of the first half of the 20th century. This began to change in the 1960s . Educators began criticizing the public education system, chsrving that it was failing. Here ecucators had widely different views as the core educational problems. Anong the public, however, a major impetus was Supreme Court decisions on school prayer and religion in the schools. This was a major turning in public attitudes toward pulic schools. The three most important Supreme Court decesions coming in rapid short sucession were: 1) Engel v. Vitale (1962) outlawing any kind of prayer composed by public school districts, even non-denominational prayers; 2)Abington School District v. Schempp (1963) banning Bible reading over school intercoms; and 3) Murray v. Curlett (1963) prohibiting schools from forcing a child to participate in Bible reading and prayer.
Home schooling is nothing new. Home schooling, although not academic schooling, is as old as humanity and in fact is obsevale in countless anjimals, mostly mammals. In fact, it is public schooling that is the novel development. Public schools did not appear until the 18th century and did not become common place until the late-19th century, at least in Europe. And much later in the developing world. Many European children were not attending public schools even in the early-20th century. One of ghe reasons for America's and Prussia's meteroric development was the early adoption of public duction. There were no public schools in the ancient world, except perhaps in Sparta. And often ignored in ancient and modern texts because of the popularity of Athens and distasteful aspects of Spartan education, was that public education was a factor in Spartan power. Education meaning avademic schooling and not learning the menial or artisan occupations of ones parents was reserved for a small portion of the population, usually the aristocrstic ellte. Children in aristocratic and wealthy families were taught at home by tutors. Alexander the Great being taught at home' by none other than Aristotle (4th century BC). That certainly was not the first example of home schooling, but it is the first example in which the identities of the tutor and student are known. Many wealthy Romans were taught by Greek slaves. This did not change for centuries. And when the change came, in came in Europe. There were three reasons why it came in Europe. And all three were associated with Christinaity. First was the attention that the Church gave to education, virtually the only institutin fir centuries promoting eduction and ultimately founding the university system nd the pursuit of science. Second playing a major role in developing the economic system and enabling merchants to achieve important social status. (Merchants in China never had the same status of yhose in the West.) Third as this was primarily a Protestant achuevement. Luther's focus on Bible study meant that ordinary people had to learn to read, And at ghis time, home study was vital. And this meant thst female literacy was vital, because it was often mother that was responsible or younger children and thus did what today would be called primary teaching. This Bible reading empetus was the same dynamic that led to publication, initially only in Protestant countries. Home schooling could occur in poor homes. After all, this was how Abraham Lincoln and many others learned to read. It was well-to-do families that had not only the greatest potential for firmal education, but the greater potential for home scholing. Wealthy families had more time and resiurces to educate their children at home. They could even hire tutors. Home schooling by tutors for the well to was still very common in the early-19th century. And many mothers from more modest families taught their children. Women more commonly remained at home in the 19th century making this possible. Since World War II there have been greater interest in home schooling, especially in America. Some European countries require children to attend school. The interest in hiome schools isthe result of the increasing secularization od sicuety as well as the preceived declining disipline and academic standards in the public schools.
The effectiveness of home schooling has been hotly debated. There are two basic lines of debate: 1) effectiveness and 2) socialization. Schools tend to insist that education is a matter for trained, experienced professionals. Home schoolers maintain that training is less important than personal attention. Paresnts usually mothers can tailor the program to the individual needs of a child in a way that a public school teacher with 25-30 children can not begin to do. Any there is almost unlimited individual attention. And there are now extensive materials available to help parents interested in home schooling. Of course everything depens on the parents. Some are more capable than others, but this is also true of the teachers. Not obly do teachers vary in teaching ability, but we notice increasing reports of teachers pushing ideological agendas. Grade level is a factor. Teaching basic reading and math is one thing. Teaching physics, advanced math, art, music, and foreign language at the high school level is a different matter. Here it seems to us that this issue is easily settled. There are tests to measure achievement and of course there are college placement tests. And some schoolse more willing to accomodate home schooling needs such as opening specialized classes to home schoolers. Studies comaring the success of home schooled children to public school children show that home schooled children tend to out perform public school children. Such data has to be carefully weighed. Home schooled children have deeply committed parents while many public school children come from less supportive homes. The second line of debate, socialization, is more complicated to assess and there are no objective tests to measure. There ceetainly is a value in a democratic society to meet and interact with ba broad range of children with different economic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. This needs to be balanced with the unwillingness of many schools to demand and maintain reasonable standards of discipline and conduct and exposure to children whose parents are not nehaving responsably.
The home schooling movement is strongest and most pronounced in the United States. This in part reflects traditional American attitudes toward individual freedom and resistance to governent intrusion. The movement has become important both because of falling public school standards and philisophical and religious objections to government policies. As a result, many of the materials available to home schoolers are American. Britain also has an important home schooling movemrnt. Totalitarian countries like China and the other surviving Communist countries do not permit home schooling. Parents who do not want their children to attend state schools have to send them outside the country. This is possible in Hong Kong, bit not in the rest of the Communist countries. Interestingly many obstensibly demnocratic countroes in Europe, like Germany, make it almost impossible to home school children.
Compulsory education did not become widespead in America until the late-19th century. The time frame varied from country to country in Europe. Home schooling in the 19th century was common, but eratic. There were no materials and systems avaiable for parents. The first such system was developed at the Calvert School at the turn of the 20th century developed a Kingergarden program for mothers. At the time, only a few schools had Kingergarden programs. Americans, however, generally satisfied with the public school system for most of the first half of the 20th century. This began to change in the 1960s . Educators began criticizing the public education system, charging that it was failing. Here ecucators had widely different views as the core educational problems. Anong the public, however, a major impetus was Supreme Court decisions on school prayer and religion in the schools. This was a major turning in public attitudes toward pulic schools. The three most important Supreme Court decesions coming in rapid short sucession were: 1) Engel v. Vitale (1962) outlawing any kind of prayer composed by public school districts, even non-denominational prayers; 2)Abington School District v. Schempp (1963) banning Bible reading over school intercoms; and 3) Murray v. Curlett (1963) prohibiting schools from forcing a child to participate in Bible reading and prayer. Sex educations courses disturbed other pareants. The home schooling movement is strongest and most pronounced in the United States. This in part reflects traditional American attitudes toward individual freedom and resistance to governent intrusion. The growth of home schooling led to a series of legal battles between school The issue has been hammered out in a series of state anf Federal courts which have generally supported parental home schooling rights. The Supreme Court has not ruled definatively, but in a case on free speech writes,
(Morse v. Frederick, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote “If parents do not like the rules imposed by those schools, they can seek redress in school boards or legislatures; they can send their children to private schools or home school them; or they can simply move.” (2007). The movement has become increasingly important both because of falling public school standards and philisophical and religious objections to government policies. As a result, many of the materials available to home schoolers are American. About 2 million children in America or about 4 percent of the school population is being home schooled (2008). [HSLDA] This means that the great majority of home schoolers around the world are in America.
Austrian authorities require homne-schooled children to take annual achievement tests.
Britain also has an important home schooling movement. The Government is stufying a system to minitor the families. Education is compulsory but attending school is not. The Education Act requires that every child of compulsory school age must have "efficient, full-time education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs he may have," either in school or "otherwise." Estimates of British home schooling vary. We have seen estimates varying from 7,400 to 34,400 children (2007). This is low compared to America, but high by European standards.
Totalitarian countries like China and the other surviving Communist countries do not permit home schooling. Parents who do not want their children to attend state schools have to send them outside the country. This is possible in Hong Kong, bit not in the rest of the Communist countries.
French authorities monitor families that home school their children.
Interestingly many obstensibly demnocratic countries in Europe, like Germany, make it almost impossible to home school children. German parents took the Government to court on the issue of home schooling. The European Court of Human Rights found that German law was compatable with the European Convention of Human Rights (2006). German officials send police to the homes of parents attempting to home school schildren to esort them to school. Parents can be heavily fined and even lose custody of the children for attempting to home school them. Fearful of losing custody of their five children, one German family, the Romeikes, moved to Tennessee. An imiimggration judge granted them asylum because they were being persecvuted in Geramsny Uwe Romeike is an Eangelical Christian and concert pianist. German authorities who finded the family $10,000 say the family had options, they could have sent the children to private schools. The Romeikes point out that private school for five children would have been enormously expensive. ["Education"]
Home schooling is illegal in Greece.
Homeschooling is called Istruzione parentale (parental instruction) in Italy. It is legal, but not very common. Parents have to register at the schools where they would normally attend and take final exams there. Parents when they register each year have to justify their decision.
School attendance is compulsory in Japan. Japan has an excellent public school system, but it has been criticized for being rigid an failing to accomodate individual differences. Few parents have attempted homeschooling, despite both a serious truancy problem affecting more than 120,000 elementary and junior-high-school students. Perhaps an even more serious problem is bullying in the schools. Many Japanese parents do not even know that home schooling is a possibility. Otherwise Japan is a support group which has been organized to promote home schooling. The few families that are attempting home schooling, commonly do do very quietly. There are reports of community disaproval and discrimination. We noted a number of Japanese secondary students sent to Mew Zealand because the did not do well in the rigorous Japanese schools.
Home schooling is allowed, but only under exceptional circunstances. This would be, for example, when a child has serious medical problems.
A reader in Russia tells us, "Home Schooling is allowed in Russia since the fall of Communism. It is something that mostly wealthy families do. The religious aspect is less important here. There is also after school tutoring for children. Mainly conversation English lessons."
Home schooling is not allowed in Spain. If a child can not atend school because of a serious illmes, a teacher is sent to his home.
Swedish parents have to get government permission to homne school their children. The Government is studying stronger restrictions.
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).
"Education: Give me your tired, your poor, ypur huddled masses yearing to homeschool. WEhy thid family got political asylum," Time (March 8, 2010), pp. 47-49.
Home schooling is most done by individual families. There are some instances where parents have joined together to pool resources and capabilities. This seems most common with expats overseas. A reader tells us, "I am sending along a photograph of children enjoying a music lesson. These are expats in Nigeria. Te home school activities relate to specialalist teaching. Parents got together and had a music teacher give a singing, music lesson once a week. The home school was for five families who brought their children to the home school. The teacher was not a parent of any of the students. The home school followed the British Curriculum. The idea was to teach them to the standard needed for easy integration back into the British School system when the families returned home. Parents did the basic reading and math classes. Specialist music, drama and art teachers came to the school. parents also contributed their skills. A parent had a large garden. The children went there for a sports lesson every Friday afternoon. A family who had a swimming pool let the school have a swimming session on a weekly basis."
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