Homeschool is the fastest growing form of education in the U.S.

This shouldn't come as a surprise.

Traveling to Europe with my kids outside of typical school vacations will inevitably get me multiple questions about why my children are not in school. Do they have a different vacation schedule? The look on someone’s face, when I respond that they are homeschooled, is one of complete bewilderment because that possibility hadn’t even crossed their mind.

Homeschooling is largely unheard of in most of Europe and outright banned in some countries like Spain and Germany. The contrast between this situation and the responses I get in the US is day and night. Especially since the pandemic, most of the time I get an unsurprised look, and almost always, most people know someone else who is homeschooling. I’ve been homeschooling for about 3 years now and have noticed an immense growth in the community.

People homeschool for all sorts of reasons, for academic reasons (their child was too behind or too ahead), for religious reasons (they want a religious education infused in the curriculum), they may have a special needs child, and for flexibility of schedule and location (it’s common for military families and family who travel often to homeschool).

What used to be considered a somewhat fringe part of society, this form of education shows no signs of slowing down and is expected to continue to grow.

The Washington Post gathered some numbers on the rise of homeschooling and the data speaks for itself.

The rise of homeschool kids is clearly related to the covid pandemic years but even after that has phased out, many kids have not returned to their previous schools at the same rate as pre-pandemic.

As the number of homeschoolers and private school admissions rise, many public schools see their classroom seats increasingly empty and their funding dwindle.

Increased choice in education is a great thing - it brings forth more opportunities and flexibility to meet all different kinds of parents and students.

Remains to be seen how schools will adapt to this new reality. Will they adapt and change course in order to respond to parents concerns? Will they ignore this trend altogether and continue forward?