Home schools increase
The number of home-schooled children in North Carolina and Guilford County have made a steady rise over the past 20 years. More than 64,000 North Carolina children were taught at home last year (enough to make the fourth-largest school district after Guilford). Our county had 2,318 children, according to the N.C. Division of Non-Public Education.
This is modest when you consider that Guilford County Schools teaches about 30 times that number of children. I would also be curious to see what the number of home schools will be after a couple generations age out (The state has only been tracking these numbers since 1988).
At the same time, the percentage of students in public schools (including charters) has decreased from almost 95.6 percent in 1995 to 88.5 percent in 2004, according to the state.
Parents have traditionally chosen to home school their children for two reasons: to give their children a higher level of academics and to provide more religious or moral instruction, according to Ernie Hodges, president of North Carolinians for Home Education. His group represents more than 5,000 families.
Parents have started citing a third reason more over the past five years: concerns about student discipline in public schools, Hodges said.
Home-schooling may not be the biggest kid on the block, but it is the oldest, predating public schools. It's also good to keep tabs on what public education is competing against. What do you think?
Comments (4)
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Morgan,
Do you know the percentage of students that attend public school in Guiford County? And if so, I am curious about how that number would compare to other similar counties in the state and nationally.
I have lived in several other states in the past 10 years, and I have never lived in an area where so many people choose private school or home schooling. I wonder if that is just my perception or an actual fact.
Thanks for any information you might find on this matter.
I think this is an important factor for new companies considering Greensboro/HP and for existing companies attracting executives.
Posted on August 3, 2006 6:24 PM
I have been trying to nail down this week a current number of school-aged children in Guilford County. I can try to see what it is in similar NC counties as well. When I find out, I'll post it.
Posted on August 4, 2006 10:09 AM
One thing that complicates the "counting" of school age children is the fact that most public and private school children enter the system around age 5, upon enrollment in kindergarten, and remain in the system until graduation. While homeschooled children are not counted until compulsory attendance laws kick in at age 7 and end at age 16. So, we have a large number of children being homeschooled that are not being counted by DPNE, and if you try to register your school too early the paperwork gets sent back to you.
Posted on August 27, 2006 8:13 AM
"Home-schooling may not be the biggest kid on the block, but it is the oldest, predating public schools. It's also good to keep tabs on what public education is competing against. What do you think?"
I think that homeschooling offers a broad based education based on the needs of the child. Public educators often speak out against homeschooling out of fear. Fear that their jobs are being done by "nonprofessionals" and being done better.
When you know the needs of the child as well as most parents do and you know how the child learns you can best meet the needs of the child in the most effective way. Homeschooling parents are also able to effectively educate their children for a smaller cash outlay than the public or private school.
Posted on August 27, 2006 8:21 AM