Introduction to Distance Education: Homeschooling

Dr. Fred Saba

Dr. Farhad (Fred) Saba, Ph. D.
Founder, Distance-Educator.com

Homeschooling is not necessarily a form of distance education; however, many students and parents rely on resources and formal courses that are presented on the Internet. Also, the distance education movement in united states has had the tradition of catering to the needs of non-traditional students. In that respect, homeschooled children are non-traditional learners and to the extent that their parents rely on resources and formal courses on the Internet, they are partaking in distance leaning.

Hana (2012) in a longitudinal study of methods, materials, and curricula of homeschoolers said:

“The data suggested that homeschoolers today are choosing very specific methods and carefully selected materials for their children’s instruction and most are conducting their business on a much larger stage than in the mid- 1990s. Using the computer alone provides (a) an extensive variety of resources, (b) a wide range of curricula from which to choose, and (c) a much larger and readily accessible support base than existed in the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s. Some concern may exist for the families who are not permitting their children to use the computer. “

In 1999, at the turn of the century,  an estimated 850,000 students were being home schooled throughout the country (Bielick, Chandler, & Broughman, 2001) . This amounted to 1.7 per cent of U.S. students, ages 5 to 17, with a grade equivalent of kindergarten through 12. In the 2011-2012 school year, approximately 3 percent of the school-age population was homeschooled. This would put the total number of homeschooled children at 1,770,000.  Ninety-one percent of homeschooled students had parents who said that a concern about the environment of other schools was an important reason for homeschooling their child. (Noel, Stark, and Redford, 2013).

While homeschooling started by parents who wanted a rigorous religious education for their children, today many urban professionals  homeschool their children because of the poor educational experience that are offered in public schools. Linda Perlstein’s  article titled Why Urban Educated Parents Are Turning to DIY Education presents the opportunities and limitations for parents who decide to craft a personal  educational experience for their children.  Also, The Atlantic article titled The Homeschool Diaries provides further insights into the homeschooling experience.

The story of Josh Powell, a teenager  growing up in rural Virginia, however, is interesting. As reported by the Washington Post “By the time he was 16, he had never written an essay. He didn’t know South Africa was a country. He couldn’t solve basic algebra problems,” thus casting doubt on the quality of education and students receive from their parents. Such substandard, and uneven education may jeopardize the ability of homeschooled students to enter college or pursue a professional of their interest (Student’s home-schooling highlights debate over Va. religious exemption law)