Vol. IV, No. 9, September 2004
Number of Homeschoolers Increases
Last year we reported that the Census Bureau estimated that there were 800,000 homeschooled children in 1999 (see Home School: A Niche Market). Students are considered to be homeschooled if their parents reported them as being schooled at home instead of at a public or private school for at least part of their education and if their part-time enrollment in public or private schools did not exceed 25 hours a week.
New data from the National Households Education Survey Program from the US Department of Education shows that the number of homeschoolers grew to 1.1 million students in 2003. Also, the percentage of the school-age population that was being homeschooled increased to 2.2%.
Homeschooled parents gave the following as the most important reasons for homeschooling there children:
- 31% - concern about the environment of other schools,
- 30% - to provide religious or moral instruction
- 16% - dissatisfaction with academic instructions
