I made it through my first 17 years of life without ever setting foot on a school
campus. My first day at Trinity Western University in British Columbia, Canada,
was my first day in a classroom with students other than my brother, and the first
time my teacher was someone other than my parents. Across the nation, millions of
other homeschooled students have had similar experiences.
Over 2 million students are homeschooled nationally. Around 10,000 of them live
in Hawai‘i. On Kaua‘i, where I grew up, there were 50 of us in my homeschool
support group. Homeschoolers may be a minority, but our numbers grow gradually every
year.
My typical school day started around 7 a.m. Trying to sleep in was a hopeless endeavor.
Although my mom was my teacher, she’s still my mom – and she made sure
I got out of bed on time.
Like any other student, I studied subjects like math and science. And I had strong
motivation to study hard: Class wasn’t dismissed until I finished my assignments.
In Hawai‘i, homeschools must adhere to regulations set by the Hawai‘i
Department of Education (DOE). Parents notify their local public school of their
intent to homeschool and choose the curriculum that best fits their child’s
needs. Then, they send annual updates to the DOE on their child’s progress.
A standardized test is administered for grades three, five, eight and 10. Homeschools
receive no financial support from the government, which saves taxpayers approximately
$16 billion annually, according to the National Home Education Research Institute.
Choosing to homeschool is a personal decision. Statistically, the top reason parents
homeschool is because they’re concerned about the quality of public education.
My parents chose to homeschool for that reason, and also to instill strong religious
values. Although I agree with them, I didn’t have a choice; the decision was
made before I was born.
Homeschooling had its advantages. There was no such thing as homework, although
I’d get my free time only after I’d finished my assignments. And my
parents formulated an engaging curriculum that worked best for my learning style,
enabling me to excel and even advance several grades.
Still, being homeschooled wasn’t always easy. Making friends took more effort,
but I was never short of friends. I joined community sports teams, belonged to a
church youth group, volunteered with various organizations, and – like many
Hawai‘i kids – went to the beach.
Like any other educational system, you get out of homeschooling what you put into
it. I can attribute my solid work ethic and adventurous spirit to my homeschool
experience. Its unconventional nature helped me to be disciplined, focused, and
not afraid to try new things.
Now that I’m away at college, I also see how it boosted my confidence and
self-esteem. My parents always pushed me to excel. And when you aren’t always
comparing yourself to others, you see that you are free to be who you are.
While I’d never trade my homeschool experience for anything, my college professors
have my mom beat on one point: Unlike her, they won’t wake me up if I sleep
in.