Back to School!

With the Labor Day weekend, the summer officially comes to an end. And with that, the traditional school year is getting ready to begin. For the K-12 crowd, it a time of anxiety for the children, and both scrambling and relief for the parents.

According to Indiana States Division of Education at http://www.doe.in.gov/sservices/homeschool/index.html statistics show continuing rise in the numbers of kids being homeschooled. Of course, this will come as no surprise to those in the home school community, however for many parents who are just beginning to teach their children at home, it can provide some comfort.

Within the U.S., these numbers have been in steady increase for at least the last couple of decades. Various academics claim the rise is attached to various social conditions such as economic decline, economic recovery, aging population and diminishing numbers of school-age children, shifts away from urban population centers to suburban areas, etc. In other words, every measurable condition is the "reason" according to someone or another.

Personally, I attribute much of the increase to the very "public" decline of the public education system in this country. Some of that - much of it, really - is due to economics: school districts that cannot afford adequate teachers pay, closing of schools within districts, etc.

Regardless of the reason, the trend is clear. As a result, almost every community now have parent support groups, resources, etc., that didn't exist in the past. All of that is a tremendous benefit to parents engaged in homeschooling.

In that respect, we are more fortunate that those in some of the underdeveloped countries where home schooling is the only option, but because of different reasons.

Whether you teach your kids at home, in private school somewhere, or through the public school system, one thing we all have in common: summer is over! Time to stock up on supplies, clothing, and the like, and time to say good bye to summer's vacations and free time!