When parents want their children to have a religious education alongside a traditional one, they may turn to Christian homeschools as a viable option. Christian homeschools are home based schools where parents instruct their children instead of sending them to an outside school. The instruction may also involve religious studies. This type of home based education is usually an alternative to sending children to Catholic or Christian private schools, which may be too expensive for the family. Parents may also decide on homeschooling so that they can take more responsibility for their children’s education and foster family closeness in a Christian environment.
Christian homeschools, like their non-Christian counterparts, must follow regular, mandated curriculum, which usually requires testing to make sure students are on par with educational standards set by the region or country. Yet, as long as the students are achieving, they are allowed to receive as much religious instruction as the parent desires. Not all Christian homeschools teach religion though. some parents just want their Christian lifestyle to influence school time, passing on values and traditions to their children as they learn to read and write.
Sometimes Christian parents decide to home school their children because they are unhappy with the educational system, or they have a special needs child, who requires a different kind of care that may be better addressed in the home environment. Some parents also decide to home school their children because their children are not challenged in the school system, whether in a public or private school. Of course, some Christian homeschools are started because parents feel it is their duty to instruct their children and to teach character and a Christian way of life.
Parents who decide to offer a Christian home school experience usually have a broad parent support base and enjoy the flexibility that homeschooling offers, from impromptu family field trips to extended vacations. Socializing tends to be taken care of by church activities and neighborhood contacts, so the children are usually able to make friends outside the family circle. Some parents also believe their children are more advanced due to a homeschooling environment when compared to their peers in traditional schools.
Often the decision to offer a home based education is made because parents cannot afford tuition for a private school. Yet, after parents begin the process of teaching from home, they tend to be empowered by the experience, which may improve relationships at home. Homeschooling also tends to give parents a sense of achievement by allowing them to fully participate in their children’s education while living a Christian lifestyle.