According to USA Today, a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Education shows that the percentage of homeschooled children has nearly doubled in the last 10 years. In 2007, 2.9 percent or roughly 1.5 million of all school-aged children were homeschooled compared to an estimated 1.7 percent in 1999. The report also indicates an increase in the number of girls being homeschooled over boys, which were almost an even match in 1999. Girls now account for 58.1 percent of homeschoolers compared to boys at 41.9 percent. Findings from the report also reflect the changing demographic of parents who homeschool. They are increasingly white, wealthy, and well-educated.
When parents were asked why they chose to homeschool, 36 percent—the largest proportion—said they wanted to provide religious and moral instruction, while 17 percent said they were not satisfied with the academic instruction offered in schools. Twenty-one percent of parents expressed concern about the school environment in general.
