It's been a while. For anyone new to the blog, welcome and thank-you for checking it out. For anyone who was shocked to receive an alert to a new post, hello again! I'm back, baby!
Slight change of angle, since my little boy is now a pre-schooler (where did the time go?), and I find myself increasingly on the parent side of the parent/teacher divide, my posts are now (probably) going to be more parent-friendly. Still about education - I'm a teacher; I can't help it, just a little more from inclusive of the parent angle.
That said, this week I want to tackle a topic that's been buzzing on my radar: home education. It's a subject that's seen a massive surge in interest recently, with searches for "homeschooling" and "home education" spiking in the UK. I've been doing some digging, and it’s a fascinating, complex topic that touches on a lot of the things we've talked about before, like the pressures on the school system and the emotional well-being of our children. This isn't just about parents trying to teach their kids; it's about a fundamental rethinking of what education is and who is responsible for it.
TL;DR:
Home education is on the rise, and while it's a legal and valid choice in the UK, it comes with a lot of challenges and a lack of support. We'll be looking at the situation in the UK compared to other countries and questioning if the government is doing enough to support these families.What is Home Education?
Home education, often called homeschooling, is the practice of parents taking on the primary responsibility for their children's education outside of a formal school setting. It's a concept that's been around for centuries, but in recent years, it's evolved from a niche choice into a more widely discussed alternative to mainstream schooling. The reasons for choosing home education are varied. Some parents may feel the curriculum isn't meeting their child's specific needs, while others may be concerned about bullying or a negative school environment. It's a deeply personal decision, and the rise in interest, particularly in the UK, suggests that more parents are looking for options beyond the traditional classroom.
The Situation in England and the UK
In England, the government's stance on home education is clear: parents have a legal right to educate their children at home. In fact, a parent can legally take their child out of school at any time and choose to home educate, even in the middle of a school year. However, the government's support for this choice is, shall we say, a little lacking. There is no central register of home-schooled children, and local authorities are not funded to provide support to these families. The result is a lot of parents turning to online resources and search engines to find educational materials and guidance, which is exactly what my research on Google Trends found. This lack of formal support means that the burden of curriculum planning, resource gathering, and accountability falls squarely on the parents. This is a far cry from the government's white paper, Opportunity for all, which talks about the importance of strong, supportive schools. It seems that for those who choose a different path, that support is not on offer.
Is it just us here in the UK?
Across Europe, the approach to home education is far from uniform. While some countries, like the UK, allow it with relatively few restrictions, others have a much stricter approach, and some have banned it entirely. In Germany, for example, home education is illegal, and parents who try it can face fines or even imprisonment. In Sweden, while not illegal, the government has made it so difficult to home educate that very few people choose it as an option. The reasons for these strict policies often boil down to the belief that every child has a right to be part of a wider community and to a consistent, state-regulated education. It's a stark contrast to the UK's laissez-faire attitude, and it highlights a broader debate about the role of the state versus the rights of the parent in a child's upbringing.
What about way, way across the pond?
Zooming out even further, we see a whole spectrum of attitudes towards home education. In the United States, for instance, homeschooling is a well-established and widely accepted practice, with a variety of state laws governing its implementation. There are even entire support networks and co-ops dedicated to helping homeschooling families. Conversely, in places like Japan, while the number of home-educated children is growing, it is still considered a fringe choice and lacks the widespread acceptance seen in the US or even the UK. The differences in these approaches often reflect cultural values, historical educational models, and the level of trust placed in parents to be effective educators.
So what does this all mean?
For me, the lack of support for home educating parents in the UK is a real concern. While the government is focused on improving school standards, a significant number of parents are choosing to opt out of the system altogether. This isn't just a trend; it's a symptom of a larger issue. If the government truly wants every child to succeed, as the Opportunity for all white paper suggests, then it needs to acknowledge and support the thousands of children who are not in the mainstream system. This means more than just having a legal right to home educate; it means providing resources, guidance, and a central point of contact for these families.
To be fair, everyone has access to the Government's own 'Oak National Academy', which isn't bad (if you know what you're doing in the first place) but we've seen in the past that a one-size-fits-all approach to education doesn't work, and it's time to apply that same thinking to home education. It's a good first step to explore the data behind the decision to home educate, especially since it could reveal some gaps in what the DfE in England currently provides.
So, let me hand it over to you:
Thanks a lot for reading and I'll see you next time!
References for this post:
Zahawi, N. (2022) Opportunity for all: Strong schools with great teachers for your child [White Paper]. Crown.
Elective home education: Guidance for local authorities. (2019). Department for Education.
Home Education Statistics UK. (2023). Home Education UK.
Ofsted. (2023). Inspecting schools: Guidance for inspectors.
Google Trends data for 'home education' UK (2020-2023).
The reasons for home education: A study of parents' motivations. (2022). Home Education Advisory Service.
Google Trends data for 'homeschooling' UK (2020-2023).
National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Homeschooling in the United States.
European Court of Human Rights. (2019). Konrad and others v. Germany.
Skolinspektionen. (2021). Homeschooling in Sweden.
Home education in Japan. (2023). Home Education Association of Japan.