A Brief History of Homeschooling in the U.S.

Homeschooling, or the education of one’s children from home, has a lengthy history in the United States. In fact, its history even extends beyond the establishment of our country in 1776. 

Homeschooling has been practiced since the 17th century—and perhaps even earlier—when Europeans began colonizing and settling in North America. Due to the lack of educational infrastructure at that time, most parents who wanted their children to be literate had to assume the teaching role themselves. Hiring private tutors was also an option, but one that was available only to the wealthy.

Although homeschooling is a well known concept in 2020, the word itself didn’t form part of the American vocabulary until the 19th century or so. Why? Because homeschooling had been the norm up until that point, so there was no need to specify where the learning took place.    

In the mid-1600s, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony decreed that public elementary schools be established in towns of 50 or more families. The main purpose of America’s earliest schools was to teach children to read the Bible and to provide them with other religious instruction.

The next century saw educational law transform from birth to adolescence. In 1790, the state of Pennsylvania made public education free for poor students, with the understanding that wealthy families would continue to pay their way. Then, in 1817, the city of Boston decided its public primary schools would be funded by tax dollars, rather than through the pockets of the affluent. Finally, in 1820, the first public high school (Boston English) opened its doors.

For the next few decades, parents could still choose whether to educate their children (by their own means or at a school) or keep their children from learning altogether. However, in the 1850s, the first truancy laws, which called for compulsory attendance in public schools, were passed in Massachusetts. The last state to enact a truancy law was Mississippi, which did so in 1917.  

The driving forces behind truancy laws were the desires to separate church from state, diminish child labor, and assimilate immigrant children. Parents who failed to abide by truancy laws were usually fined. In extreme cases, they lost custody of their children.

Homeschooling declined in popularity as a result of truancy laws and subsequent improvements in public education. There are still some populations today who view homeschooling as their preferred mode of education, but since the mid-19th century when the U.S. Board of Education was founded, most American families have been trusting educators to do the job for them.

Homeschooling, as a social issue, remained on the back burner until the 1960s when two fervent activists—Paul Goodman and John Holt—voiced their disappointment with the public education system. Goodman published his book Compulsory Miseducation, while Holt, a fifth-grade teacher, printed How Children Fail. Both men highlighted the inadequacies of public education in their texts, thereby urging parents to reconsider their approach to their children’s education. 

The anti-public education movement gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s as more activists joined the cause. In 1971, Ivan Illich published his book Deschooling Society, in which he claimed that “schools teach conformity and strip students of unique ideas.” 

Raymond and Dorothy Moore then jointly published Home Grown Kids in 1981, which warned of how public schooling before a certain age is harmful to children’s development. 

About a year after the publication of Home Grown Kids, states began amending their truancy laws in order to allow for homeschooling. By 1993, homeschooling had become legal in all 50 U.S. states, proving that the efforts of Goodman, Holt, the Moores, and others were not in vain. In fact, from 1999 to 2012, the percentage of American students who were homeschooled increased from 1.7% to 3.4%.

The COVID-19 pandemic has once again raised interest in homeschooling. Even with safety precautions in place, parents worry that schools will not be health-friendly environments for their children. 

Uzma Jafri, a doctor and mother of four, has decided to homeschool all her children this fall. “We cannot understand how schools can open and be safe . . . The best thing for my mental health is to keep them all home, and it’s working for us,” said Jafri.  

Education experts are certain that COVID-19 will lead to a surge in homeschooling numbers this fall. What’s uncertain is whether the shift will be temporary or long-lasting. Only time will tell. 

Tiffany Sorensen holds a Master of Science in Spanish-English Translation from New York University. She works remotely from sunny Mexico, where she gives English and Spanish classes, writes educational articles, and designs practice tests for the ACT.