In a recent opinion article featured in the Washington Examiner, Dr. Ben Carson discusses the rising trend of homeschooling in the United States, highlighting its growth and addressing its implications for conservative ideology.
An analysis by The Washington Post suggests that the number of homeschooled students in the U.S. ranges between 1.9 and 2.7 million.
Carson suggests several factors contributing to the move away from public schooling towards homeschooling. A key reason, he notes, is the poor handling of the education system during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the implementation of mask mandates and the transition to online learning. He asserts that these changes significantly degraded the quality of education.
Carson, with his background as a neurosurgeon specializing in pediatric care, stresses that children struggle to learn effectively through digital platforms like Zoom. He believes that the pandemic’s alteration of traditional learning environments has been detrimental to young learners.
The pandemic also allowed parents to gain insight into what was being taught in schools, exposing them to the ideologies being presented to their children. Carson raises concerns about teachings that he perceives as divisive, such as critical race theory and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He argues these teachings focus excessively on racial identity.
Carson also points to content in children’s books he deems inappropriate, the use of opposite sex bathrooms by children, and encouragement of gender exploration without parental knowledge as reasons for the shift towards homeschooling.
He mentions the backlash against parents who protested at school board meetings, referring to a response from President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice, which he viewed as overly harsh.
Carson questions whether the current education system adequately teaches critical thinking skills, using the example of young people being influenced by extremist propaganda.
To address these issues, Carson discusses the “Little Patriots Program,” developed by his organization, the American Cornerstone Institute. This program aims to provide an unbiased, patriotic education and has been approved in Alaska as a supplemental curriculum option.
While Carson supports the right of parents to choose homeschooling, he doesn’t see it as a comprehensive solution for the broader challenges facing public education. He advocates for school choice as a means to introduce competition and allow parents to select schools that best fit their children’s needs.
Carson emphasizes the importance of investing in the education of the nation’s youth for the future prosperity of America.
