Banning homeschooling has a surprisingly weird history in the evolution of education in the United States. We’re uncovering the astonishing and often bizarre twists and turns of home education — from ancient laws that forced kids into traditional schools to modern-day debates about parental rights and educational freedom. Join us as we explore how homeschooling has evolved and the quirky reasons educating your children at home was sometimes outlawed along the way.
Weird History Of Banning Homeschooling And The Educational Evolution Of Forbidden At-Home Learning
Ever wondered about the wild and winding journey of homeschooling?
There are plenty of myths and facts about how homeschooling started and its colorful history.
But, to get a clear picture of where homeschooling stands today, we need to go back to its roots.
When Did Education Become Compulsory in the US?
Believe it or not, homeschooling was the norm in early America.
Back in colonial times, families educated their children at home while handling their homestead chores. It was just part of everyday life.
Fast forward to the 1800s, and things started to change.
Massachusetts opened its first public school, and that marked the beginning of compulsory education. This school was established to provide a standardized education for children, regardless of their background.
The goal was to create an “educated citizenry” that could participate in democracy, have trained teachers, and to ensure that every child had access to basic education that they were required to attend.
It wasn’t long after that kids were required by law to attend school and could no longer be educated at home.
The Georgia Home Education Association (GHEA) notes that this first public school created the “first statewide school system in which schools were centralized, state-controlled, and financed by property taxes.”
This shift was the start of state-controlled education and a significant loss of freedom for families in Massachusetts, setting a precedent for the entire country.
By 1918, every state had enacted compulsory education laws, making school attendance mandatory and essentially criminalizing homeschooling.
What was once a common practice became illegal across the nation.
Fascinating Homeschooling Fact:
Compulsory education is determined by the child’s age. Each state in the United States of America determines the compulsory education age for their state.
Why Homeschooling Was Outlawed in the U.S.
The outlawing of homeschooling was largely driven by the movement toward standardized public education and the desire to create a uniform educational system.
Several factors contributed to this shift:
Socialization and Citizenship: There was a strong belief that public schools played a crucial role in socializing children and preparing them to be responsible citizens. By attending public schools, children would learn to interact with peers from diverse backgrounds and develop a sense of community and civic responsibility.
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Educational Standards: Public schools were seen as a way to ensure that all children received a basic education and met certain academic standards. This was particularly important during a time when the U.S. was rapidly industrializing and needed an educated workforce.
Child Welfare: Compulsory education laws were also motivated by concerns about child welfare. There was a growing concern that children should be protected from child labor and other forms of exploitation. Mandatory schooling was seen as a way to ensure that all children had the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment.
Control and Regulation: The move to public education allowed for more centralized control and regulation of education. This ensured that certain curricula and standards were maintained across the board, providing a perceived consistent educational experience for all children.
These factors combined to create a strong push for compulsory education laws, which ultimately led to the outlawing of homeschooling across the nation.
What was once a common practice became illegal, as the focus shifted to creating a standardized, state-controlled education system.
Free 60s and 70s and the Rise Of Homeschooling Popularity Again
Jump forward a few decades to the liberating 1960s and 70s and homeschooling started to gain a widespread interest again.
The post-World War II era saw a rise in countercultural movements that emphasized personal freedom and individual rights, leading some parents to seek alternative educational paths for their children.
However, at that time, removing children from public schools to homeschool was illegal.
According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), school officials called the process of removing a child from a public school to a home school “criminal truancy,” which made it dangerous and illegal for families.
During this time, when parents removed a child to homeschool, the traditional schools recorded the amount of time that children were out of the school as unexcused absences instead of a formal withdrawal from the school.
This forced parents who wanted to homeschool to take an illegal, underground approach.
To get around the strict homeschooling laws, parents started homeschooling before children were ever enrolled in the traditional school system. That way, no public school record of the kids existed.
Some families even went as far as to move to a new community where their children were never enrolled in that local school system just so they could start home educating their own children.
Unbelievably, some parents were still fined or even served jail time for simply wanting to teach their children at home.
It truly was an era where homeschooling was hidden and only spoke about in hushed tones for fear of retribution.
So… when did homeschooling become legal in the US again?
The mid-20th century saw a resurgence of interest in homeschooling due to several factors.
One major influence was dissatisfaction with the public school system. Parents were concerned about the quality of education and the growing emphasis on standardized testing.
Religious motivations also played a significant role.
Many families wanted to provide their children with a faith-based education that aligned with their beliefs, which they felt was not adequately addressed in public schools.
This led to a push for more educational choices, including the option to homeschool.
The combination of these factors prompted some states to revisit and relax their strict compulsory education laws, allowing homeschooling to emerge from the shadows and become a viable educational option once again.
Nevada and Utah started to allow homeschooling again with Nevada passing homeschooling legislation in 1956, followed closely by Utah in 1957.
It wasn’t until 24 years later in the 1980s, that other states followed.
(WOW. I KNOW.)
By 1989, Michigan, North Dakota, and Iowa were the only three states that still considered homeschooling illegal.
By 1993, all 50 states had enacted legislation to make homeschooling legal.
Today, homeschooling legal requirements vary based on the state where you live, but it is legal to homeschool in all 50 states.
Not only is homeschooling legal in all states, there are many different methods of homeschooling, from relaxed homeschooling, to curriculum-based homeschooling, to unschooling and wildschooling.
In 2023, it was estimated that there are around 5 million homeschoolers in the United States, representing about 11.1% of all K-12 students.(Brighterly)
Because of the increase in homeschooling, many states are now pushing for tighter regulation on home education.
Is Homeschooling Legal In Other Countries?
If you live in another country, you will need to check the homeschooling laws for that country.
In some countries (like Germany), homeschooling is illegal!
But, if you live in the United States, go ahead and homeschool!
Just be sure to first check your the homeschool requirements for your state before starting!
READ MORE ABOUT EDUCATION HISTORY
Overview Of Standardized Testing History
Those standardized exams we expose children to each year have kind of a shocking history in education.
You may be surprised to learn that the ideas for standardized testing first started in 1838.
(Whoa. I mean, who knew?)
According to the National Education Association (NEA), in the years between 1840 to 1875 schools and educators began to replace the standard oral examination process with written exams.
In 1914, Frederick J. Kelly, a life-long educator, invented the multiple-choice test, which was a significant advancement in standardized testing.
He was addressing a national crisis where students the nation needed to process students quickly and efficiently so they could meet the needs of the industrialized country and the influx of immigrants during that time.
Get this:
Frederick’s tests were designed to meet the needs of the Machine Age where people were trained exactly the same to work in factories in the exact same way.
I hope you enjoyed learning about the history of banning homeschooling and the popularity of homeschooling again!
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