At the height of the pandemic, parents got an inside look into their children’s education as they took part in remote learning. Some might assume many families were thankful for the opportunity to avoid significant learning gaps. But that wasn’t the case for everyone. In some instances, remote learning was an eye-opener, as it revealed major flaws in their school’s instructional practices. Such realizations are why many families are opting for a traditional alternative to K12 education: homeschooling.
A first-of-its-kind Washington Post-Schar School poll takes a deeper dive into the reasons families are still choosing to keep their kids at home post-pandemic. What once was an alternative form of education driven by moral and religious preferences has now become the preferred option for families citing concerns about their local schools, the poll suggests.
Among the findings are a plethora of concerns parents have about their local public schools. The researchers, however, argue that they aren’t totally opposed to public education. Instead, they say that modern home-schooling parents are “more likely to mix and match homeschooling with public school, depending on their children’s needs,” The Washington Post writes.
According to the data, the no. 1 reason parents choose to homeschool is a growing concern about the school environment (74%). Most notably, only 34% of respondents said religious instruction was a motive.
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These findings may prove beneficial for superintendents and administrators struggling with dwindling enrollment as a result of the pandemic, especially now that a looming fiscal cliff may also be of concern. Greater enrollment equates to greater funding, but first leaders need to create welcoming environments for every student in their districts. Here are some additional findings you may find useful:
Reasons parents prefer homeschooling, according to The Washington Post:
- Concern about school environment: 74%
- To provide moral instruction: 68%
- Dissatisfaction with instruction at local schools: 64%
- Worry surrounding school shootings: 62%
- Bullying: 58%
- Schools becoming influenced by liberal politics: 46%
- Child discrimination: 41%
- To provide religious instruction: 34%
- School can’t/won’t meet child’s special needs: 32%
- COVID policies too strict: 31%
- School makes child’s psychological/behavioral issues worse: 28%
- COVID policies not strict enough: 27%
- Schools becoming influenced by conservative politics: 26%
