[Sopater]

To judge home-school applicants, they rely mostly on standardised tests of factual knowledge. Such tests cannot, however, reveal whether or not a student understands scientific method, a compulsory subject in public schools but not for home-schoolers.

Abeka, the publisher of the 9th grade science book that this article singles out, teaches the scientific method. Sounds like evolutionists are scared of the acedemic success of home-schoolers.

[Tired of Taxes]

Ping...

[CertainInalienableRights]

When will we begin applying the scientific method to global warming?

[dawn53]

Many such universities today accept home-schooled students, although this was not the case a decade ago

Oh phooey! Not true. My sister has homeschooled for years. Her oldest kids had no problems getting into secular universities. One's a structural engineer, the other has a degree and is a pilot.

The Colfax kids (Homeschooling for Excellence) went to Harvard, and they homeschooled in the 70's and 80's.

[brooklyn dave]

If a parent is smart they will teach what Darwinism consists of so that the child will know what it is rather than indoctrinate the child (as the school would) that this is the only scientific truth. I myself am not a Biblical literalist, but definitely do believe that the material world had/has a Creator. Darwinism is used in school indoctrination to support atheism unfortunately.

[LadyNavyVet]

Quite the hit piece. So now we homeschoolers are subverting the public school system. Sorry, I have no intention of offering up my children to the tender mercies of the NEA socialists, much to the writer's chagrin.

[taxcontrol]

I believe that the single greatest contribution that can be made at this time to the education space would be the development of a freely available, down loadable, k-12 curriculum. If backed with a test and acceptance via third party or proctor that would provide accreditation, then you would have a the ability for anyone... regardless of religion or location or finances.

[antiRepublicrat]

Sounds like evolutionists are scared of the acedemic success of home-schoolers.

Nope. Not all homeschoolers do it so they can better indoctrinate their children in religion. Many do it simply because they believe they can provide a better education in a safer environment.

[mrs. a]

"is quietly transforming the landscape of science education in the US, subverting and possibly threatening the public school system..."

If the US public school system is really so fragile that it is threatened by the small minority who homeschool and attend parochial schools, then they need to make some major changes, like, yesterday.

[TommyDale]

Oh, boo-hoo! The home schooling phenomenon must be hurting them financially now.

[TomSmedley]

As the oh so erudite britishers slide back into the barbarism of moloch worship (statism), their anxiety increases concerning those who are unwilling to go down with their sinking cause. Disease resents health.

[azcap]

What a warped and narrow view of home schooling. From this article you would think that the entire motivation for the American home schooling movement is to teach children creationism and hide them from evolutionary biology. We home school our kids and know dozens of families who do the same. I don't know a single one of those families whose primary motivation to home school was creationism. I know a lot of them who wanted their kids to learn to read before 4th grade, and a lot of them who wanted their kids to learn American History from a viewpoint that America is not the greatest force for evil in the world. You can make the argument that home schooling is strongly driven by the desire of parents to have their kids get a Christian education, but creationism is only a small part of that and then only for some families. My kids know God created the world. They also know the chemistry of DNA and current theories of matter energy. I think these folks at the "New Scientist" magazine are in for a big shock in 15 to 20 years when the big brain jobs s at the JPL and the Salk Institute, etc are dominated by home schooled kids.

[JenB]

I like the chart that shows the estimated h/s population. About time they came up with updated figures, I have been hearing "1.1 million" for years now and I knew it had to be twice that by now.

The first wwave of homeschoolers has graduated college and is starting to make a difference. Within a couple years we're going to see a huge new homeschool demographic; the homeschooled graduates homeschooling their own kids. I expect the curriculumn market to grow and diversify even more as people like me, who know homeschooling works because we were homeschooled, start trying out new things. I think there will be some changes no one is expecting.

[Tired of Taxes]

Consequently, there is virtually no government regulation of home-schooling.

Note he uses the word "virtually". I guess that means he doesn't think there are "enough" regulations. Every state (except mine) has homeschool regulations. In some, homeschooling is regulated very heavily.

Also, his description of homeschoolers doesn't fit my state where the Christian/secular ratio is reportedly 50/50.

And here's something curious: He's going on and on about how creationism isn't science. But then he throws in a note about Southern Baptists opposing homosexual activism in public schools. As if the theories pushed today in schools about homosexuality are soooo scientifically sound. LOL.

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

From a homeschooler's blog about this article:
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/SusannahCox/

Nov. 13, 2006 - Negative Press on Homeschooling from Scientists
Posted in Education
Here's a nice little article from NewScientist.com, leading off with a description (completely unbiased, of course) of Patrick Henry College as a doctrinaire breeding ground for scientific illiterates. Writes intrepid investigator Amanda Gefter (after all, she courageously invaded a den of Evangelical Christianism):

"New Scientist investigated how home-schooling, with its considerable legal support, is quietly transforming the landscape of science education in the US, subverting and possibly threatening the public school system that has fought hard against imposing a Christian viewpoint on science teaching." [Emphases mine]

As opposed to the thoroughly godless viewpoint currently imposed on Christians in the public school system, of course. It's their state-given duty to brainwash us.

I don't know about y'all, but I'm getting a bit weary of the "homeschooling as theocon conspiracy" meme. It's been running here in the local papers lately as well.

Were you aware that we homeschoolers are "well organised from the top down, led by groups with strong political ties" and mind-controlled by the likes of "the Discovery Institute, Exodus Mandate, HSLDA and Patrick Henry College"? Now, thanks to Ms. Gefter, you know the truth.

Not that she's bigoted towards Christians, or anything, or would ever try to construct a bogeyman out of homeschooled six-year-olds.

However, we might do well to question Ms. Gefter's investigatory prowess when it's apparent she doesn't even know how to Google. Here are some facts that are just a tad more accurate, and freely available online, from the National Center for Education Statistics [emphases mine]:

---

Question:
How many children are homeschooled in the United States?

Response:
In 2003, the number of homeschooled students was 1.1 million, an increase from 850,000 in 1999. The percentage of the school-age population who were homeschooled increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.2 percent in 2003. The majority of homeschooled students received all of their education at home (82 percent), but some attended school up to 25 hours per week. Twelve percent of homeschooled students were enrolled in school less than 9 hours per week, and 6 percent were enrolled between 9 and 25 hours....

...Parents give many different reasons for homeschooling their children. In 2003, the reasons most frequently reported by parents as being “applicable” were concerns about the school environment (e.g., safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure) (85 percent of parents); a desire to provide religious or moral instruction (72 percent); and dissatisfaction with academic instruction (68 percent). As their “most important” reason, parents most often cited concerns about the school environment and a desire to provide religious or moral instruction.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2005). The Condition of Education 2005 (NCES 2005-094) Indicator 3.

---

Ms. Gefter would have us believe that a mere 2.2 percent of all U.S. school-age children are a huge threat to the stranglehold secular humanism exerts over our public schools. That's not even taking into account that parents often homeschool not primarily for religious reasons, but because their local schools are dismal failures at teaching science--or even reading, writing, and arithmetic, for that matter. Either that, or the unsafe school environment would threaten the welfare of their children. (I mean, for gosh sakes, school kids in the U.S. are being taught how to duck potential shooters nowadays!)

Not all U.S. homeschoolers are Christians, and not all Christian homeschoolers are evangelical. It's safe to say a decent percentage of that oh-so-scary 2.2 percent is not even being taught creationism.

Not that there is a single thing wrong with passing on one's faith to one's children, mind you. It's not yet criminal in the U.S. to believe that God created the heavens and the earth. Frankly, I don't see why it's any of Amanda Gefter's business what our family believes or where my children choose to go to college. There's that old American principle of freedom of association, you know. It must be out of fashion in the U.K. and across Europe. Oh yes, that's right...German homeschoolers are told to put their kids in school or go to jail. That's infinitely preferable to the American way of doing things.

In the interests of full disclosure, I'm going to out myself as a PHC faculty wife. Yep, PHC is where hubby has worked since August. And I must say that it's not surprising at all that PHC students are well-received within the Beltway, especially by a purportedly conservative White House. These kids are brilliant. I guarantee you they could out-reason any ivy league student, given the PC hogwash that's taught on college campuses these days. And in fact, they have.
http://www.phc.edu/news/docs/06242006Media.asp

No wonder Ms. Gefter finds them so intimidating.

[stinkerpot65]

Which is why liberals despise home-school. They want to control the morals of children.

[AppyPappy]

all centred on the idea that God created Earth in six days about 6000 years ago

I wonder if this is a strawman

[Aquinasfan]

Sounds like evolutionists are scared of the acedemic success of home-schoolers.

Pray for them. It's more of a spiritual problem.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Such tests cannot, however, reveal whether or not a student understands scientific method, a compulsory subject in public schools but not for home-schoolers.

Considering the number of people who swallow junk science whole I would say that the home schoolers couldn't do any worse then public school does.

Whether it is "a compulsory subject" subject or not obviously the scientific method is not being taught in public schools either.

[wintertime]

According to the US government's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 72 per cent of home-schooling parents interviewed said that they were motivated by the desire to provide religious and moral instruction. ( from the article)
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

What a distortion!

This is presented as if religious and moral instruction were the ONLY reason parents chose homeschooling. Parents also choose homeschooling because homeschoolers are academically and socially more successful. They homeschool because it is a healthier way ( emotionally and physically) to raise a child.

By the way, I have never met a fat homeschooler who has been homeschooled from the beginning. In fact, I can't even recall meeting a chubby one!

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

To judge home-school applicants, they rely mostly on standardised tests of factual knowledge. Such tests cannot, however, reveal whether or not a student understands scientific method, a compulsory subject in public schools but not for home-schoolers.

Interpretation: How can they be considered educated when they do not believe in darwinian evolution?

Apparently the author believes that to deny evolution is to deny or to be ignorant of the scientific method. Perhaps he is the one who needs to go back to school.