Homeschool: Then and Now

by Sophie Welsh, Zuri Spresser, & Jade Yates | October 2, 2023

Over the years, the education of children has taken many forms. One-room schoolhouses evolved into the current public school system. Families “homeschooled’ their children before formal education even existed. Recently, homeschooling has become a feasible option for many families. We researched the history of homeschooling so that we can understand how it has evolved into what it is today.  

Late 1800s

During the late 18oos “ ... the school was a voluntary and incidental institution: attendance varied enormously from day to day and season to season ... “ (Tyack 1974, p. 16). Children learned most of their skills and values from their family and neighbors. Home-based education was more common and typical school days only lasted a few hours. However, by the middle of the twentieth century, homeschooling had dwindled.  

1900 -1950

By 1900, over half of the United States had laws that enforced public schooling. Thirty states required attendance until an average age of 14. Because of this, 72% of American children attended school. In the year 1918, every state required students to complete elementary school. This may have contributed to the decline of basic life skills needed for self-sustainability and an increase in consumerism.  

1950-2000 

Homeschooling was very different in the 195o’s than it is today. It used to be that only 15,000 to 20,000 kids were home-educated. A huge change happened and in 1993 homeschooling was legalized in all fifty states, and the idea of an alternate education swept the nation and around 600,000 kids were educated at home. Today we have seen a large increase and currently around 3.7 million kids are home educated. 

“There is no school equal to a decent home, and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.” -Mahatma Gandhi 

2000-present

Home education is at a recent peak in society. The numbers are drastically different than they were 20 years ago. There are a few reasons for this. Some include: The introduction of the internet has greatly increased the population of homeschoolers. The internet has made researching curriculum easier. The internet has also created an online learning opportunity. Many public and private schools offer online attendance options rather than having to be physically present in the classroom. 
Until recently, homeschooling was mainly religious. Many Christian families would feel convicted to educate at home, so naturally, there were many Christian curriculums. It was hard to find secular curriculums. Now homeschooling has become more accessible for parents who don’t wish to have religion in their lessons. 
Another draw for families, both Christian and secular, is access to extracurricular activities: in recent years some public schools have decided to allow homeschoolers to participate in extracurricular activities such as Sports, Drama Club, Quiz bowl, etc. These activities are not always accessible to homeschoolers, so not having them can be a reason for wanting to stay in public school. Now that homeschoolers can do these things through the public school system, parents and children can get the benefits of schooling at home along with the benefits of the activities in public school. 
Homeschooling has evolved greatly through the years. The new benefits have made it more enticing and popular with families. We hope homeschooling will continue to thrive as the years pass.