Recent reports suggest that many parents are having second thoughts about traditional public school education and are contemplating the option of homeschooling for their children.
In the Outschool State of Schooling Report, it was highlighted that parents are increasingly interested in exploring alternative learning models in the wake of the pandemic.
A survey conducted with 1,000 parents indicated that 23% have lost faith in the conventional public education system post-pandemic, with a significant 36% open to the idea of homeschooling.
This trend signifies a shift away from traditional schooling methods, as evidenced by a significant increase in homeschooling from 3.7 million children in 2023 to 4.3 million children in 2024 according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Mimosa Tunney, founder of The School House and American Emergent Curriculum, notes that homeschooling has doubled since the pandemic as parents became more involved in their children’s education and learning materials.
Concerns about the lack of emotional learning and social skills integration in school curriculums have also driven this shift, as highlighted by educational expert Jones Tunney’s research.
Issues like school safety, with the ongoing menace of school shootings, have further fueled parental concerns, with 34% more parents expressing worry about gun violence at schools compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Bullying, lack of real-life preparedness, and concerns about ideological agendas in schools have also contributed to a growing dissatisfaction among parents.
Tiffany Sorya from Novel Education Group points out that the rise in school shootings and bullying incidents has influenced parents to believe that their children might fare better in a homeschooling environment.
Statista projections indicate an increase in school shooting incidents, which creates additional anxiety for parents considering their children’s safety in schools.
States like Texas and California, experiencing a rise in crime rates, have seen an uptick in families opting for homeschooling over traditional school systems.
Novel Education Group in California has witnessed more families turning to homeschooling due to a lack of trust in the current educational system and a desire to provide a more personalized education for their children.