(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - "Discussion with home-school leaders across the nation indicates that the number of Muslims in home-schooling is expanding relatively quickly, compared with other groups,” Britain D. Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute told The Washington Times on Wednesday, February 22.
Estimates show that Muslim families turn to "home-school” their children instead of sending them to public schools to protect them against teachings seen contrary to their beliefs.
Estimates show that growing numbers of American families "home-school” their children to shield them against teachings seen contrary to their beliefs.
According to 2007 data by the Department of Education, there are estimated 1.5 million students home-schooled in the United States.
Christian students make up the vast majority of all home-schooled children in the country.
Research suggests that home-schoolers more than hold their own academically, even accounting for income and other factors.
According to National Home Education Research Institute, home-schoolers tend to excel academically, performing 15 to 30 percentile points higher on standardized tests than students in public schools.
"The Muslims looked at that and said, ‘We can do those same things,’” said Cilia Ndiaya, a Muslim woman from Maryland.
However, the practice faces criticism as it could further the Muslim community’s isolation and cultural distance from the American mainstream.
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