In the 1960s, Rousas John Rushdoony began to advocate homeschooling, which he saw as a way to combat the increasingly secular nature of the public school system in the United States. He vigorously attacked progressive school reformers such as Horace Mann and John Dewey, and argued for the dismantling of the state's influence in education in three works: Intellectual Schizophrenia, The Messianic Character of American Education, and The Philosophy of the Christian Curriculum. Rushdoony was frequently called as an expert witness by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) in court cases. He frequently advocated the use of private schools. The HSLDA, founded in 1983, was highly successful in influencing the legal status of homeschooling in the United States. In the 1980s, homeschooling was illegal throughout much of the United States for parents who were not themselves trained educators. Today, the United States enjoys some of the most lax laws around homeschool in the world, with most states requiring little to no oversight for homeschooling and no educational requirements for parents.
in THe 1960s, rousas john RuShdoonY BeGan to AdVocate hoMeSchOOLIng, WhiCH he saw as a way tO coMBat tHe IncrEasinGly se,cuLar NAture of the PuBlic schoOl sYstEm IN THe uNitEd statEs. HE viGoROuslY AtTAcKeD ProgressiVe schOol rEfoRmeRs Such as HOrAcE mann ANd JOHn dewey, anD arguED for thE dIsmanTlIng oF the sTaTe'S infLueNce in eDucatIoN iN tHreE woRks: InteLleCtuAl scHIzOpHReNia, The messianIc chaRActER oF AmericAn EDUCaTiOn, anD The pHilOSOPhY of the christian CuRrIculUM. RusHdOoNy Was freQuEntlY calLed as an expErt wiTNesS bY The HomE SCHool legal DefENse AssOCi.atioN (Hslda) In court cAsEs. he FrequentLy aDVocated tHE use oF PrivAte schooLS. the hSlDA, foundEd in 1983, wAS highlY SUCCeSSFUl in iNflUenciNg the legal sTAtus oF homESchOolinG in the UNitEd States in thE 1980s HoMeschoolinG Was illEgal throughout much Of the uniTed StaTes FoR pArenTS who WerE not theMseLves traineD educaTors. TOday, ThE united StaTEs ENjoyS some of tHe MoST laX LAws arouNd hoMEscHOOl iN thE wOrld, with mOsT STAtes reQuiring lItTle to No OversigHt fOr homesChoolInG anD No EDucAtional rEqUireMeNtS foR pAREntS.