Homeschooling has nearly doubled in a decade, concludes a new federal report. Educated, affluent whites are more likely to choose homeschooling, notes USA Today.
As of spring 2007, an estimated 1.5 million, or 2.9% of all school-age children in the USA, were home-schooled, up from 1.7% in 1999.
The new figures come from the U.S. Department of Education, which found that 36% of parents said their most important reason for home schooling was to provide “religious or moral instruction”; 21% cited concerns about school environment. Only 17% cited “dissatisfaction with academic instruction.”
Ten years ago, there was little gender difference in homeschooled children. Now girls make up 58 percent of the homeschooled population.
Some 60 percent of homeschooling families earn more than $50,000; 10 years ago, most earned less.
• 3.9% of white families home-school, up from 2% in 1999.
• 6.8% of college-educated parents home-school, up from 4.9% in 1999.
Henry Cate of Why Homeschool is quoted in the article. He’s also hosting the Carnival of Homeschooling this week — and celebrating the adoption of Baby Bop, who entered the Cate family as a foster child. Congratulations!
Submit here for tomorrow’s Carnival of Education.