Motivations

Parents give many different reasons for homeschooling their children. In the 2003 and 2007 NHES, parents were asked whether particular reasons for homeschooling their children applied to them. The three reasons selected by parents of more than two-thirds of students were concern about the school environment, to provide religious or moral instruction, and dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available at other schools. From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of students whose parents reported homeschooling to provide religious or moral instruction increased from 72 percent to 83 percent. In 2007, the most common reason parents gave as the most important was a desire to provide religious or moral instruction (36 percent of students). This reason was followed by a concern about the school environment (such as safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure) (21 percent), dissatisfaction with academic instruction (17 percent), and "other reasons" including family time, finances, travel, and distance (14 percent). Other reasons include more flexibility in educational practices and family core stability for children with learning disabilities or prolonged chronic illnesses, or for children of missionaries, military families, or families who move often, as frequently as every two years.

Number and percentage of homeschooled students in the United States, by reason for homeschooling: 1999, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Reason for homeschooling
                                                              Number oF homeschooled students    Percent      s.e.
Can give child better education at home                         415,000                       48.9        3.79
Religious reason                                                            327,000                       38.4        4.44
Poor learning environment at school                               218,000                       25.6        3.44
Family reasons                                                              143,000                       16.8        2.79
To develop character/morality                                       128,000                        15.1        3.39
Object to what school teaches                                       103,000                        12.1        2.11
School does not challenge child                                       98,000                         11.6        2.39
Other problems with available schools                             76,000                           9.0         2.40
Child has special needs/disability                                      69,000                          8.2         1.89
Transportation/convenience                                              23,000                         2.7          1.48
Child not old enough to enter school                                 15,000                          1.8         1.13
Parent's career                                                                 12,000                          1.5         0.80
Could not get into desired school                                      12,000                          1.5         0.99
Other reasons*                                                               189,000                         22.2        2.90