Figures for home schooling are sketchy. Many states or local education authorities require that parents register children to teach them at home, but some do not keep close tabs on them. The institute says 1.3 million to 1.7 million, or about 3 percent of all 53 million school-age children, attend school at home. And the numbers of these children are growing 7 percent to 15 percent a year, far faster than the school population, Mr. Ray said. Here in Maryland, where the O'Malleys live, the State Department of Education said that in the 1990's the number of public school students rose 19 percent, to 850,000, while those registered at home schools jumped to 15,651 from 2,296.
Critics fault home schooling for isolating children.
They say it discourages social interaction and development of the skills of teamwork and collaboration. They say parents can use it to cover up truancy and, by keeping their children apart from others, to encourage racism. And they say unschooling lets children indulge their childish whimsies. Children who want to participate in conventional school activities, like sports, face a decision about whether to enter conventional high schools. The National Education Association, the largest teachers union, has adopted a resolution saying that home schools cannot provide a comprehensive education and urging that only licensed teachers be permitted to run home schools.