If home education is not just school in another place, how can we conceptualise it and how does it work? This paper considers the peculiar set of relationships that characterise home-educating families and traces their extension out into the wider community. It further shows how, through the ongoing family conversation, experiences gained from…

This paper gives an overview of the situation of home education in Germany. The first results from a predominantly qualitative research project are presented. This combines participant observation, content analysis and qualitative interviews for a thorough sociological analysis of the German home education movement. Compulsory school attendance…

Homeschooling is becoming increasingly popular in Canada. Drawing on a variety of secondary sources and our own data from the province of Ontario, we advance three arguments. First, homeschooling is gaining legitimacy from the increasingly pluralistic nature of educational politics. Second, the lobbying tactics of homeschool advocates increasingly…

The paper first introduces the national and local framework for compulsory-level "undervisning pa annat satt" [teaching/education otherwise than in school] education in Sweden. According to national statistics in Sweden, every year an average of 100 children are registered as receiving their education at home, arranged in some cases by…

Home education emerged as a deviant practice in the USA in the late 1970s and became an acceptable alternative to conventional schooling in a remarkably short period of time. This paper argues that the trajectory of normalisation has been shaped by cultural and institutional features peculiar to the US national context. The paper also offers…

Home educators are often stereotyped by concerned professionals and others who make statements based upon their beliefs rather than research. Characteristics such as eccentric, arrogant, ignorant, middle-class and hippy are often associated with home educators. Increasingly too, they are represented as a potential danger to their children, either…

The right of parents to home educate is sometimes described as a "human right." Underlying this "rights claim" is the perception that attempts to restrict home education are both unnecessary and dangerous. "Unnecessary," because home education does not harm children or deprive them of the right to education and…

This paper discusses home education (homeschooling) in Israel. The first section reviews the legal situation, the scope and the current status of homeschooling in Israel. The second section presents data from qualitative research conducted in Israel, which shows, among other things, that homeschooling is perceived by those who practice it as a…

This paper studies homeschooling as an alternative form of educational provision in South Africa and USA to determine what knowledge and experiences from research on homeschooling in the USA may be relevant to the South Africa situation. Homeschooling in the USA has a sound legal foundation and has become an acceptable educational alternative.…

The remarkable spread of home education needs to be considered in light of the arguments driving its growth. While acknowledging that there are many good reasons for individuals to choose home education, this analysis examines some of the most prominent assumptions and claims that advance the practice as a mass movement. Specifically, arguments…

In Canada, until now, no studies have focused on the practice of home education in the francophone province of Quebec. While the home-educating population in that province is tangible, it has remained largely unknown. Quebec's distinctive character on three fronts-- political, historical and cultural--make the application of results from the rare…