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Homeschooling is an economic issue
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The debate about homeschooling is often misguided. The question is not whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. It is here to stay, but it will never become the dominant educational model. Homeschooling will always remain a social niche, whether it grows a little or shrinks a little. It is great for some families and some children, but it does not fit the needs of all, nor is it realistic for all. The question is, rather, what should the public policy toward homeschooling be.
Depending on who is talking, there are between 1 and 2.4 million homeschooled kids. From a purely economic point of view, homeschooling is huge gift to the public. We spend some $10,000 a year per child in public education. Even the lowest estimate means that the families of homeschooled children save the public 10 billion dollars a year. If you go with the highest estimate, it is $24 billion. Note, all of these people pay taxes, but they also take on the burden of education their own children, thus giving us all a free gift.
Form the same economic point of view, the public has the interest in expanding home-schooling, simply because it saves so much public money. This is why I believe we should start returning at least some of the money to parents of children that educate their kids at home. My reference would be direct cash transfers, but significant tax credit would help also. At the very least, we should return them the money they pay to support public schooling (which is a big chunk of state taxes). Incidentally, parents sending their kids to private schools deserve the same, but it is a different debate.
However, the public has a strong interest in making sure homeschooler parents do a good job. Therefore, we should require their children to take state proficiency tests. I would be against implementing very strong consequences for failing the tests, but at the very least, the public needs to know if the kids are not being neglected. This proposal will of course infuriate the homeschoolers, because testing is exactly what they hate about regular schools. I have a great respect for the community of homeschooling enthusiasts, but it is important to keep in mind that the public interests are not necessarily the same as those of the homeschooling parents, and especially not the same as the homeschooling enthusiasts’ beliefs.
So, before you get mad, think about it: the best way to argue that homeschooling works is to show some evidence of it. There is no reliable evidence of learning other than some form of testing. Besides, if you want to grow and yet maintain the strong reputation, the movement needs to be able to defend against the anecdotal evidence. At least some homeschoolers simply neglect their kids’ educational needs. If you do not have some statistical evidence to support your case, you always end up fighting sensational stories about the exceptions.
Photo:
Mike and Carolyn Crawshaw educate their children at home in St Albans. Photograph: Teri Pengilley, http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/05/home-schooling-education-crack-down
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