Home Education

Home Education, the education of children at home by their parents or carers, rather than at school. Home education was quite common until the introduction of universal schooling in the 19th century. Thereafter, a very small number of children continued to be educated at home, including such notables as Bertrand Russell and Yehudi Menuhin. The number has steadily increased, certainly since the 1970s, especially in Western Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Although accurate figures are not available, home education is almost certainly most prevalent in the United States, where at least half a million children have some experience of it. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that up to 10,000 families educate their children at home.

The right to educate at home has always been protected by law in England and Wales. Section 7 of the 1996 Education Act states that all children should receive a full-time education “either by regular attendance at school or otherwise”. Similar laws apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Home educators are not required to have any post-school qualifications. Parents who wish to withdraw a child from school must simply inform the head teacher, who in turn must inform the local education authority (LEA). The LEA has the duty to intervene in home education only if it appears that a child in its area is not receiving an education in accordance with his or her educational needs. In the past, legal wrangles between LEAs and home educators were common, but over the past two decades LEAs have gradually become more tolerant, in some cases even supportive. While laws in most other English-speaking countries vary, in practice very few parents are actually prevented from educating their children at home.

Home-educated children divide into two broad groups, those who have never been to school and those withdrawn from school. Home educators might be motivated by the conviction that school cannot offer an education geared to an individual child’s needs, by concerns about negative social aspects of schooling such as peer pressure and bullying, or by religious or moral values. In general, parents receive very little support, and have to supply all educational materials themselves, including books, scientific equipment, and computers. There is also the loss of an income to consider, which is particularly difficult for single parents. Home education organizations and networks, both national and local, provide support, especially for parents new to home education.

The main advantage of home education is one-to-one teaching, which allows parents to adapt to their children’s individual learning needs. Children of all ages are educated at home, some going on to take General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) or other examinations. In general, academic achievement compares favourably with school. There are obviously reduced opportunities for mixing with other children of the same age, and parents usually go to great lengths to ensure adequate social contact. They are helped by networks of home educators who provide opportunities for social mixing, for both parents and children. Home-educated children who return to school or start school for the first time appear to experience little difficulty, academic or social, in settling in.

Home education is now more widely accepted as a viable alternative to school. It is likely to expand further as more parents work from home; as advances are made in information technology and computer-linked learning; and if schools become more supportive and flexible, for example, by allowing for part-time attendance.