Growing Number of Parents Consider Homeschooling After School Shootings

Homeschooling groups say they've seen an uptick in the number of parents inquiring about educating their kids at home following deadly school shootings across the nation.

There have already been 23 school shootings in 2018, the latest happened May 20 in Texas at Santa Fe High School.

Ten people were killed and 10 others were wounded. 

In February, 17 teachers and students were killed during a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

"When the Parkland shooting happened, our phone calls and emails exploded," Tim Lambert, president at the Texas Home School Coalition told The Washington Times. "In the last couple of months, our numbers have doubled. We're dealing with probably between 1,200 and 1,400 calls and emails per month, and prior to that it was 600 to 700."

Jim Mason of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association said his group has seen more inquiries following incidents of school shootings.
 
"We have been receiving more calls than normal of late," Mason said in an interview with CBN News. "Some people have specifically referenced school safety."

Millions of children are homeschooled each year for a variety of different reasons, including a higher quality of education and religious beliefs.

"The school environment has always kind of been one of the big ones, that includes things like bullying and peer pressure, exposure to drugs," Mason explained, "But one of the all-time big ones has been the wish to provide moral and spiritual instruction and religious instruction that can't be done in the public school as well as it can be in homeschooling."

Mason said over the years, homeschooling has become more accessible, even for parents with busy schedules.

"Homeschooling today is available in a way that it hadn't been in years past, even to people who may not be able to do it themselves. For example, retired grandparents can homeschool your children. There are a lot of online options. We help a lot of people who work full time, but nevertheless homeschool their children."

He added, "If you're committed and dedicated to doing it, there's a way for anyone to do it."