SALEM, OR, October 29, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Dr. Brian D. Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute has just released the largest-ever study looking at the lives of over 7,000 adults from across the United States who were home educated during their elementary and secondary school years. "For nearly 20 years, critics and the curious have been asking about the homeschooled: But how will they do in the "real world" of adulthood? As a corollary, they have also asked: What about socialization?," said Ray. The study entitled, Home Educated and Now Adults, answers those questions.

A summary of the findings by the Home School Legal Defence Association which funded the study indicates that homeschoolers attain more post-secondary education than do their non-homeschooled peers. Over 74% of home-educated adults ages 18-24 have taken college-level courses, compared to 46% of the general United States.

For parents who sometimes wonder whether they are doing the right thing by homeschooling their children, it will be an encouragement to know that 95% of the homeschool graduates surveyed are glad that they were homeschooled. In the opinion of the homeschool graduates, homeschooling has not hindered them in their careers or education. Eighty-two percent would homeschool their own children. Of the 812 study participants who had children age 5 or older, 74% were already homeschooling.

Addressing one of the most important issues for many parents - happiness for their children - the study indicates that 59% of the subjects reported that they were "very happy" with life, while only 27.6% of the general U.S. population is "very happy" with life.

Another major concern for some parents is that they pass on their faith to their children. While secular schooling often disappoints in this regard, an incredible 94% of the homeschooled adults strongly agreed or agreed to the statement, "My religious beliefs are basically the same as those of my parents."

Only 4.2% of the homeschool graduates surveyed consider politics and government too complicated to understand, compared to 35% of U.S. adults. The study found much greater political involvement of adults who were homeschooled. 76% of homeschool graduates surveyed between the ages of 18-24 voted within the last five years, compared to only 29% of the relevant U.S. population. The numbers of homeschool graduates who vote are even greater in the older age brackets, with voting levels not falling below 95%, compared to a high of 53% for the corresponding U.S. populace.
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/oct/03102903.html
See the HSLDA summary and the URL to order the full study:
http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/HomeschoolingGrowsUp.pdf
http://www.nheri.org/store/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=77&category_id=6efb2ef016e19 8e18af004b20b919128

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