Different solutions to similar problems: parents’ reasons for choosing to homeschool and social criticism of the education system

Abstract

The article addresses the way in which characteristics of the education crisis in the postmodern era are manifested in parental deliberations when choosing to homeschool their children in Israel. Based on a review of the characteristics of the education crisis and examination of possible solutions, homeschooling is presented as an optional solution to this crisis. The article is based on a qualitative study that examined the reasons of Israeli parents for selecting homeschooling, which demonstrates the link between the deliberation process of those choosing homeschooling and the characteristics of the education crisis. The article ends with an explanation about why it is important to regard homeschooling as a unique solution.

Highlights

• Education crisis characteristics.

• Possible solutions for the education crisis.

• Home education as one of the possible solutions for the education crisis.

• Link between the deliberation process of those choosing home education and the education crisis.

• The importance of regarding home education as one of the solutions to the crisis in education.

Keywords:

• Education crisis
• homeschooling
• home education
• school reform
• education system reform

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ari Neuman

Dr. Ari Neuman is a senior lecturer in the Department of Education at the Western Galilee College in Israel where he chairs the Education Systems Management Division. He is interested in home schooling as the ultimate form of parental involvement in their child's education, and also as a parental response to the crisis in education. Dr. Neuman's research explores the process of choosing to home school, the reasons for this choice, the significance of the choice itself, and the ramifications for home schooling families. He also explores the overall significance of the home schooling phenomena and its role in better understanding education today and in the future. Dr. Neuman is also interested in program evaluation, an activity in which he has been engaged for more than 15 years, and co-chairs a private consultancy firm called the “Muvanim – Evaluation Team.”

Guterman Oz

Dr. Oz Guterman is a senior lecturer and chair of the Department of Human Resource at Western Galilee College in Israel. His interests include several fields: nonverbal perception of emotion, factors of academic excellence among students, and homeschooling. Dr. Guterman researches the implications of homeschooling for children and their families and the various ways that homeschooling is implemented in different families. Dr. Guterman conducted a series of studies on this subject in collaboration with other researchers, resulting in a group of scientific publications in the field. In addition, Oz Guterman has carried out several research projects that deal with the academic achievements of students, and particularly the factors that promote academic achievement among members of minority groups.