Learning begins at home — and that’s where many Gen Z parents, even those raising children in go-go New York City, appear to want it to stay.
As the flames of controversy over early childhood education and school curriculums blaze nationwide, a recent study showed that seven out of 10 moms and dads under the age of 26 would prefer to home-school their growing broods — partly to provide a “safer environment,” but also to shield them from “toxic socialization.”
Big Apple parents are right upfront in sharing these concerns, according to the April 2023 poll, conducted by edutech company Age of Learning — Gotham now ranks as one of the 10 cities in the country where young mamas and papas are most likely to pursue in-house ed.
Researchers commissioned an online survey of over 1,000 mothers and fathers, as well as parents-to-be, to gauge interest in the concept.
Portland, Atlanta, Miami and Las Vegas were other home-schooling hot spots.
Overall, research showed that the concerned younger parents were 74% more likely to opt for a DIY approach to schooling than millennials and Gen Xers.
“The term ‘home-schooling’ was searched more than 1.1 million times over the past year, an increase of 150%,” read the study, adding that the phrase “home-schooling online” saw a 365% bump up in search engines over the last 12 months.
The analysts credited the global health crisis, in part, for the uptick.
“Many families who never would have considered home-schooling have looked into it because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the authors. “As a result, many who felt they couldn’t balance a job with being a home educator discovered that not only was it doable, but it was preferable for the flexibility and increased time spent with their children.”
The researcher’s findings come just weeks after a New York State data analysis showed the number of home-schooled students in Gotham has more than doubled, to roughly 12,900 kids, since the pandemic.
And according to the Art of Learning study, due to parents’ newfound keenness for teaching tots, 66% of moms and dads polled listed “providing a safer environment” as their top reason for opting against public or private education.
“Many parents are worried about their kids’ physical safety at school due to increased school violence in recent years,” said the researchers, noting the seismic rise in school shootings, bullying and fights.
A staggering 55% of survey contributors also indicated preventing what’s been called “toxic socialization” as a key factor in wanting to keep their kids home.
“Parents are also concerned about how school social settings might affect their kids’ behavior and mental health,” read the study. “Kids spend over half of their waking hours at school, so it’s no wonder their school environment plays a big role in their mental and emotional development … toxic socialization could be considered a safety issue.”
One NYC home-schooler, known as @InfiniteMamaof4 on TikTok, has achieved viral success with posts touting the mental, physical and emotional benefits of teaching the ABCs and 123s on her own terms and turf.
“Did you know that we are in a state of emergency because of the violence that’s going on in New York City schools?,” she asked her virtual audience of over 10,000 viewers in June. “If you’re interested in home-schooling your child … it’ll pay off.”
And a mother of five named Rachel, who asked to withhold her last name over privacy concerns, told The Post that home-schooling haters should not fear that parent-taught children won’t develop the same socialization skills as kids who file into a school building every day.
“Forced socialization isn’t socialization,” said the mom, 34, from St. Louis, MO. (Per the nationwide poll, Kansas City, MO., ranked in the top 20 regions with the highest lean toward home-schooling.)
“If my child is being bullied, we can make the decision not to be around that person anymore — unlike when you send your children to public school,” she explained.
“I believe more parents are looking at home-schooling to help provide a more well-rounded education for their children, and the safest environment possible,” Rachel continued. “So many children have undiagnosed mental health issues that aren’t being addressed by the public school.”
“Parents are tired of seeing their children suffer.”
