Movie Reviews

New documentary by the Botkin family thoughtfully explores the shortcomings of the second generation

Being a homeschooler is hard. No one knows this better than our parents who dared to swim against the cultural current in order to educate their children at home. In their latest documentary, Homeschool Dropouts, the seven Botkin siblings call these people, who fought the system and sacrificed their “normal” lives, “the first generation” of homeschoolers. They explain that it is now up to “the second generation” to maintain the original vision of Godly homes and Bible based education.

Homeschool Dropouts asks whether this second generation is living up to their parents’ original intentions and whether they will strive to maintain the solid Christian convictions that birthed the movement. The Botkin siblings claim that, rather than following the road their parents’ laid for them, the current generation of homeschoolers is allowing complacency and bitterness to snuff out the dream of Christ-centered home education. As they interview their fellow homeschoolers, Isaac, David, Anna Sofia, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Luke, and Noah Botkin thoughtfully explore the shortcomings of the second generation.

They begin by presenting a brief history of home education, tracing the tradition from the Puritan settlers of New England, through our nation’s founders, to the pioneering “first generation”, who shaped homeschooling as we know it today. They go on to present six key sins attacking the current generation of homeschoolers, suggesting that the movement will crumble if the “second generation” yields to its worldly surroundings. They remind us that it only takes one weak link to break a strong chain, warning their peers not to be the generation that forsakes its parents’ vision of the Biblical family.

As they describe these six sins, the Botkin siblings interview a variety of men and women, including the first homeschool graduate of Japan, Marie Suzuki, and well-known speaker and homeschool dad, Kevin Swanson. These people share thoughtful insights into the challenges homeschoolers face today and ways in which they have failed. They also articulate perspectives and experiences to which any true homeschooler can relate.

The Botkin siblings present their generation’s failures with a poise and depth beyond their years. But Homeschool Dropouts focuses so passionately on the negative aspects of their research that it neglects to mention the many faithful homeschooling Christians and their accomplishments. It is not as encouraging as it could be.

Still, it is an excellent reminder of the advantages homeschooling parents have passed down to their children and how valuable this movement is to a Christian society. Despite a few audio flaws and less than perfect cinematography, Homeschool Dropouts serves as a compelling warning to today’s homeschooling youth. It is itself a testament to what homeschoolers can and should be accomplishing.

Purchase Homeschool Dropouts through Vision Forum.