The Homeschool View
Homeschooled through the ages
By Hunter Fell

February 3, 2011

___Since the dawn of education there has been homeschooling. Think about it … way back when, before there were public schools, the children were taught at home. Even after the first schools began popping up, only the rich could typically send their children to them. Most people couldn’t afford it or just couldn’t afford to be without the help of their children at home and in the fields. That being said, it may not surprise you that many of our founding fathers and statesmen were homeschooled: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Winston Churchill, Patrick Henry, and William Penn, just to name a few. You may be more surprised to learn that there are members of past and present Congress who were homeschooled, in addition to those who have sat on the U.S. Supreme Court (Justice Sandra Day O’Conner, for one).
___Great names in homeschooling don’t stop with politics; however, the military has also seen its fair share of important leaders such as Civil War generals, Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee; U.S. generals, MacArthur, Patton, and Pershing; as well as, the ‘Father of the American Navy’, John Paul Jones. You can also find famous homeschooled scientists and inventors, artists and musicians, composers & authors, business moguls and educators, religious leaders & presidents, and yes, even celebrities.
___Don’t believe me? Here are some examples…
Sibling music sensations, the Jonas Brothers, the band Hanson, and Christian music stars Alyssa, Rebecca, and Lauren of Barlow Girl were all homeschooled. While traveling on movie locations, many young actors and actresses are taught by parents, private tutors, or other family members (Tom Cruise’s sister teaches his and ex-wife Nicole Kidman’s kids). I wonder if that’s called Studioschooling!? Many celebrity parents homeschool their kids in an effort to spend more time with them while working, or to create a more normal, private life for them. Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have been homeschooling their children for several years themselves in order to be together while traveling for films and to pursue their kids’ interests in music and acting. John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, have homeschooled all of their children; and even the current Miss America was homeschooled!
___No matter where you look through history, homeschooling exists and has offered families a way to educate their children to suit their family’s needs. In my next column we’ll explore some other famous homeschoolers; but until then, thanks for reading the Homeschool View. If you have any questions or comments feel free to email your views to me at dillsburgbanner@dillsburgbanner.net.