Religious beliefs and values form the most compelling reason, with most people in this category being Christian fundamentalists. A second reason is family cohesion. Through home education, they feel they can get to know their children in a way most parents don't. A third reason is concern with the public schools in general. Home schoolers often have reservations about such factors as the administration, peer environment and discipline policies of their local school district.
Public schools are institutions aimed for a general audience.
Because of this, parents who believe their children have special needs and capabilities may be more inclined toward home schooling. In Pennsylvania, individual school districts determine the extent to which they will acknowledge and support home schoolers. At that point, home schoolers would be more inclined to accept some standards from states and public schools.