Parents who home-school their children have been criticized by the educational establishment for choosing to teach outside the public school setting. Despite the criticism, a growing number of parents turn to home schooling for various reasons. The most significant is that home schooling puts to use more effective educational methods than those implemented in the public school system.

The first, and most important, reason why home schooling may be considered a better alternative than a public school education is the idea that it somehow allows children to learn in an environment that is more conducive to the process of learning. In 1996, the National Home Education Research Institute surveyed 2,245 home schoolers; 42 percent said that the number one reason for home schooling was the dissatisfaction with the public school environment. (Lyman). Many supporters of home schooling tend to believe that public schools are filled with students that engage in cruel...