Hegseth orders review of military homeschool support
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed a review of the Pentagon's support for military families who choose to homeschool their kids, according to a new memo released Tuesday.
The review, ordered on May 15, calls for officials to look at 'current support for homeschooling military-connected families, as well as best practices, including the feasibility of providing facilities or access to other resources for those students.'
Hegseth said the evaluation was part of Defense Department-wide review of educational choices for military families following a Jan. 29 executive order directing the Pentagon to consider using its funding to foot the bill for private, religious or public charter schools for children in military families.
He added that ensuring military families receive strong educational support 'maintains morale and readiness, reinforcing the overall stability and effectiveness of our military communities.'
The document did not specify when the review is expected to be completed.
Roughly 12 percent of active-duty military families homeschooled their children in the 2023-2024 school year, double the rate of civilians, at 6 percent, according to a Johns Hopkins University study released in March.
That percentage rate has remained consistent even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools were temporarily shut down across the country.
Homeschooling is seen as a more desirable choice among military families as it can 'stabilize and prioritize their family life' even with frequent moves or family separation due to service members' deployments, the study found.
Hegseth in the past has criticized public school education, arguing for more Christian-based teaching. He has claimed that the country's public schools are failing to educate students and lack 'virtue and excellence,' according to his book 'Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation.'
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