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CNN Live Saturday
Weighing The Benefits of Home Schooling
Aired August 18, 2001 - 17:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: Now, back to school where it's all about making the grade, but a few years ago few thought this next topic would. We're talking now about home schooling, a concept that remains controversial but does get high marks from a lot of people.
Take a look at these numbers now: Approximately 1 1/2 to 1.9 million students were taught at home last year, according to the National Education Research Institute. That same study indicates a seven to 15 percent growth rate every year with home-schooled students on the average performing well, scoring in the 80th percentile when it comes to standardized test scores.
Interesting numbers? We think so. To take this to the next level now we're joined by Bill Lloyd from the research group that did this study, and Anne Thompson from the National PTA Board of Directors. Thank you both, Professor Lloyd and Miss Thompson, for joining us.
Let me ask you first, Professor Lloyd. There may be as many reasons for choosing to educate your children at home as there are families doing that now. What are the most popular that you hear?
BILL LLOYD, NATL. HOME EDUCATION RESEARCH: The main reasons that people home school their children are because they have a religious or a philosophical reason to do it.
They are doing it because they want to develop close knit families. They want to focus on higher academics. And they want to control the kinds of social interactions that are happening to their children, not prevent certain types of things, but to allow their children to have more guided kinds of social interactions with other children.
FRAZIER: I'm curious whether you hear any parents say they're worried about the safety of their children now in large schools.
LLOYD: We do hear that at the institute, especially after fairly famous kinds of shootings like what happened in Columbine. There was a large increase in calls to our institute from parents looking to find out about home schooling as an educational alternative.
FRAZIER: Miss Thompson, if I may, I know you see the close involvement of parents in home education as a big plus, but you also cite some minuses too.
What would you include among those?
ANNE THOMPSON, NATL. PTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Let me make it very clear the national PTA is not anti home schooling, we are pro public education. And we are, above all else, in favor of informed parental involvement.
For those parents who feel they have the skills and the time and the patience to educate their children at home, I think that's great. But quite frankly, the vast majority of parents don't have the skill or the inclination to make that choice.
The majority of our children will be educated in public schools, where we hope that they'll all be able to receive a quality education, benefiting from that same level of passion and parental involvement that the home schooled parents are giving.
FRAZIER: Well that's -- let's talk about where the passion needs to be directed. You said you're pro public schools.
What do you think the effect is on public school systems of losing these great families that are so committed, that they opt out in fact?
THOMPSON: Well, of course you're always sorry to see families not be part of the public school system, but families have to make the choices that are right for them.
You've mentioned some numbers that are rising, but they're still not at a level, nor do I ever expect that they would reach a level where we're going to close public schools because people are staying home to educate their children.
FRAZIER: Right.
THOMPSON: It's just not realistic for this society.
FRAZIER: Before I turn back to Professor Lloyd, let me ask you Miss Thompson, and about those numbers: About how many schoolchildren or children of school age are in the U.S. Now? Would it be around 80 million or so? I'm trying to do the math in my head.
THOMPSON: That's approximately correct.
FRAZIER: All right. So there are maybe two million tops at home. So that gives you a sense of perspective there.
Professor Lloyd, tell us about how you would determine a curriculum. If I were a parent interested in doing this, where would I turn to get some guidance on what I should be teaching?
LLOYD: Well there are curriculum providers that are throughout the United States that provide curriculums for both public and private schools. Right now they are looking to provide curriculum for the home-schooling community because they see that this is such a large growing aspect of the population.
FRAZIER: Is there anybody to look over my shoulder, and make sure I'm doing a good job?
LLOYD: Yes. In many states what we have is a situation where parents have to have some level of oversites, be that from a public school system or a private school or an umbrella program; so that the parents can make sure that their doing the right kinds of things of things, and following the proper scope and sequence for what's supposed to happen in a given grade.
FRAZIER: Let's talk for a minute about this issue of children getting socialized, learning to relate to other children.
Miss Thompson, do you have any evidence to support the idea that at home, because the children are more isolated, that there are losses there?
THOMPSON: I don't know that there have been any studies done on that. I think we are very well aware that the public school system is the laboratory in our society to create citizens who are able to negotiate a free society. I know that those parents who do choose home schooling have to create situations for their children where they're able to experience those same group interactions.I'm sure there's a great challenge for them.
FRAZIER: Professor Lloyd, have you looked at that issue?
LLOYD: Yes we have, in quite some detail. Our research tends to show that home schoolers are better socialized, and that they're less peer oriented, they're less peer dependent, they have better critical thinking and reasoning skills. They have the same amount of extracurricular time available to them that other children do.
So in terms of looking at a child and saying, are they isolated - the answer is no.
FRAZIER: How is that possible though?
LLOYD: Are they with other children, yes.
FRAZIER: Excuse me, I'm sorry. How is that last fact possible when so much of extracurricular work is school driven? You know, sports teams, and the chess club, and the AV club, that sort of thing.
LLOYD: There are private organizes like little league, and swim clubs, and private organizations, such as private schools, that certainly fill the gap in these kind of situations. So that if someone can't join a public school activity, there's a private or a private school organization usually that can fill that gap.
FRAZIER: We have filled our gap, I'm afraid we've run out of time. But I'm grateful, as this school year approaches, for the insights you've both offered us. Anne Thompson from the PTA, Bill Lloyd from the Home Education Research Institute.
Thank you very much to both of you now.
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