Several news stations are reporting an increase in interest about homeschooling after the tragic deaths in the Connecticut elementary school. Fox 5 from San Diego reports that a San Diego online homeschool academy is seeing a double in the number of inquiries into homeschooling. Likewise a virtual academy in Oklahoma has seen a dramatic increase in phone calls. In Arizona, the Maricopa County superintendent reports that so far they have seen only a slight increase of parents considering homeschooling. There are many other articles reporting on the increase interest because of the deaths in the Newton school.
Dramatic events can produce strong emotions which can side track a thoughtful analysis of the real risks. To put this in perspective deaths to school shootings over the last decade are on the average about 26 each year in the United States. This works out to one child out of every two million children. While the death of any child is a tragedy, children have almost as much of a chance of being killed by lighting as being shot by a crazy or evil maniac.
There are so many other good reasons for homeschooling. To avoid a possible school shooting is, in my opinion, not a good reason.
Here are a few reasons we’ve written about over the years:
So children can retain their love for learning.
To avoid indoctrination - Government schools have become a target of many groups pushing their agendas.
Public schools are not accountable to the parents.
To make sure your children read good books instead of trash.
To protect your daughters.
To escape the crazy homework load.
So families have more time together.
Because students can graduate from highschool and not even know how to read.
To avoid bullies - both students and teachers.
There are many, many more reasons to homeschool.
I do hope that because of the shooting many parents will investigate homeschooling and come to see the real benefit of homeschooling.