Homeschooling Isn’t the Problem

Gavin Peterson’s family pulled him out of school to homeschool after allegations of abuse were brought against the father. The end result was a tragic death, leading some to call for more regulation of homeschool families. 

(GoFundMe) Gavin Peterson, 12, died in July after authorities suspect his father, stepmother and older brother abused him for “several years.”

Homeschooling Isn’t the Problem

This isn’t the first time individuals call for stronger regulation on homeschooling following a tragedy. It is a knee-jerk reaction, trying to prevent something bad from happening again. 

But homeschooling isn’t the problem. Abusive parents are. 

In fact, Brian Ray researched rates of abuse among homeschool families versus traditionally schooled families. He found that there was no difference in the rate of abuse between the two populations. Furthermore, abuse rates in homeschooling were about the same in states with strict or relaxed rules.

More rules won’t prevent tragedy.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox seems to agree with this idea, stating, “We’re never going to have [a] government big enough to be living in people’s houses to be able to prevent all of this.” And he’s right. The real issue isn’t homeschooling—it’s abusive individuals.

Protect Homeschool Freedom

The vast majority of homeschool families do it to meet the unique needs of their child. Putting restrictions on them disrupts their freedom. Homeschooling parents are able to individualize education in a way that a traditional school simply cannot. Creating limits will damage that ability, harming homeschooling families.