U.S. Census data indicates that since the Covid-19 pandemic, although there has been an overall increase in homeschooling rates among American children in general, the most dramatic increase has been seen with black families.
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The data reveals that the number of black children homeschooled rose from 3.3% in the spring of 2020 to 16.1% in the fall of 2020. This trend started before 2020, but the experience of remote learning at home led more families to make that leap. Most black families have gone to virtual schools.
There could be a number of reasons why black families homeschool their children. In this article, we will explain the most crucial of them.
6 Reasons Black Families Opting for Homeschooling
1. Implicit Bias
Black parents have tolerated implicit bias for a long time. It describes situations where instructors assume that students from certain backgrounds, like black children or social groups, have different intellectual abilities and/or ambitions.
Implicit bias can contribute to issues like adultification bias and the school-to-prison pipeline, which may be a growing concern for black parents.
Black students were left behind when public schools were closed during the early stages of the pandemic. And the school administration ignored their parents.
For example, they didn’t have adequate resources, like laptops and Wi-Fi, while students in affluent neighborhoods already had the needed resources.
2. The Teaching of Black History
An added worry is the push by some U.S. lawmakers to ban black history teaching. Hence, many black parents are taking their children’s education into their own hands by homeschooling.
Black parents have the option to teach their children true American history without watering it down or romanticizing enslavement history. One of the advantages of homeschooling is a parent’s ability to share sensitive information based on their history.
While parents don’t necessarily have to teach their children themselves, they can choose the curriculum. And this is because some homeschool curricula can be more whitewashed than the traditional school curriculum. They can also hire the right tutors.
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3. A Healthy Learning Environment
The formal education system mostly focuses on teaching kids to pass a test, ignoring other aspects of child development. Some black parents believe that their children would enjoy learning in an environment that isn’t driven by tests and assignments. Here’s the thing, They believe that passing a test or a child’s grade levels doesn’t equate to achievement.
Moreover, with homeschooling, parents can protect their kids from harmful influences such as drugs or alcohol. Children can also avoid bullying and peer pressure. Parents can also foster a healthy learning environment for their kids by modeling high morals and conduct.
4. Racism
Black children can be bullied into believing they’re not worth it, especially for their skin color and kinky hair. Some black children returned from school day with flawed perceptions about their looks.
Some black girls ask their parents to straighten their kinky hair because some white boys constantly tease and bully them.
This is a concern black parents feel should be addressed properly so that their kids may grow up with high self-esteem and confidence.
And so, they choose to homeschool their kids to have them in a course of study where they see themselves reflected among their peers, in the curriculum, and in the literature they’re reading.
5. Inadequate Curriculum
It’s not uncommon to find limited black representation in curricula centered around Eurocentric narratives. Black parents can choose a curriculum that reflects their identity.
Besides, parents can also choose a customized curriculum for their kids that suits their needs and wants. A customized curriculum allows parents to concentrate on topics relevant to their children’s future careers or academic objectives.
For instance, parents can include programming classes and activities in their curriculum if their child is interested in computer programming.
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Similarly, parents can add extra art-related classes and projects to their curriculum if their child is interested in them.
6. Severe Punishments
According to the Office for Civil Rights of the Education Department, black students who break the same rules are punished in schools more frequently and with harsher consequences than white students.
Of preschoolers who have been suspended more than once, nearly 50% of them are Black, even among the youngest students.
This reeks of discrimination, bias, and inconsiderate behaviors towards black kids.
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Common Myths of Homeschooling
Homeschooling is Expensive
Contrary to the perception homeschooling is expensive, you actually save a ton of money if you home school your kids. This is because you’re spending thousands of dollars a month on public or private school fees. With homeschooling, you’ll be spending very little.
There may be a software charge between $100 and $500 a year for the entire software program.
You can benefit from the free resources available through the homeschool library. There’s also a lot of curriculum used in Facebook groups online.
Additionally, you get to pass down books. For example, when one of your kids finishes their Algebra 1 book, it’s passed down to the next kid. You spend very little on homeschooling supplies—less than $1,000 a year per child.
Socially Awkwardness
Social awkwardness is one of the biggest myths about homeschooling. Apart from family time, flexibility, and building strong social relationships with their children, black parents can prioritize homeschool centers near them.
Homeschool centers provide classes for homeschoolers and help children from similar backgrounds socialize and learn from one another. No matter the child’s age, homeschooled students are not socially awkward.
The other thing people don’t think about is how kids spend their time in class with their grade peers only. For homeschooled kids, the world is their learning environment. They’re not always around their parents.
Your kids grew up in your business. Going into your office, they interact with your elderly clients. They’re interacting with people of all ages, which will make homeschooled children more well-rounded because they’re given opportunities outside of the box of the school system.
Parents Need to be Teachers
Homeschooling parents are facilitators of their children’s learning, not teachers per se. A lot of times, what’s stopping parents from wanting to try to homeschool is they think they need to be teachers or certified teachers. In addition, some parents assume they need expertise in every subject.
But parents are facilitators if they homeschool their children. They can schedule and find the right teachers and tutors to get the job done. No matter the circumstances, home education requires instructions just like any public school system.
Parents who are knowledgeable in a particular field can teach those areas. For example, many black parents may enjoy sitting down with their kids to teach them black history or history in general.
But for some subjects, like coding or math, they interview and hire a tutor, whether online or locally at a tutoring center.
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Several factors contribute to black families opting for homeschooling, including a desire to have greater control over their children’s education and well-being.
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Historically and currently, disparities within the traditional education system have led to feelings of exclusion and a perception that public schools do not sufficiently address the unique needs and experiences of black children. These include systemic racism, biased curriculum, and disproportionate disciplining and labeling of black students.
Choosing to homeschool provides black families with a nurturing and culturally affirming learning environment that fosters academic excellence, cultural pride, and identity. Besides, it complies with the compulsory school attendance law.
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