Issues surrounding parental decisions to privatize their children's education are examined in this paper, which focuses on three issues: (1) the declining credibility of state-sponsored education; (2) the nature and causes of privatized education as a viable alternative; and (3) the context in which this option occurs. The first section discusses…

The political and religious characteristics of parents in four western states who educate their children at home are examined. The relation of those characteristics to parents' decisions to circumvent state-sponsored education services are also considered. Additional discussion focuses on the relevance of the findings for public policy. The target…