This document discusses home-schooling as an alternative to traditional schooling. It notes that home-schooling is allowed in all EU countries except Germany, with some restrictions. Reasons parents may choose home-schooling include a particular understanding of education, unhappiness with previous school experiences, difficulties adapting to school structure, lack of school places, and insufficient state services. Experts say the only prerequisites for home-schooling are parental motivation, time, commitment and dedication to the educational process. The document also discusses debates around the pros and cons of home-schooling and ways that home-schooled children can stay connected to the education system or be prepared to return to mainstream schooling.
3. Home-schooling must be a free choice and
never a result of insufficient services provided
by the state.
Home-schooling as an alternative educational
option allowed in all EU countries except
Germany with certain restrictions.
Some parents think it a form of education that is
more beneficial for their children then sending
them to a traditional school. There is an
especially strong movement for this in the
Silicon Valley associated with innovation and
creativity.
There could be different reasons why parents
take the decision of educating their children at
home: their particular understanding about
education, unhappiness with previous
experiences at school, their children's difficulties
to adapt to the school structure and
programmes, few school places, and so on.
Some of these reasons come from governments
not acting according to their legal obligations
Activities performed in leisure time can
contribute to self development and to discover
what we really are good at and love.
4. According to experts on this movement, the
only prerequisite for parents home-schooling
their children is the motivation to do so, along
with time, commitment and dedication to the
educational process.
There is an ongoing social debate about the
pros and cons of home-schooling.
Experts claim that home education can cater to
the specific learning styles of the children and
offer continuity and stability as an alternative
to a local school when keeping the connection
to the education system in order to aid
reintegration in the future.
In some countries parents joining this
educational option should prepare their
children in a way that they will not be
disadvantaged if at any time he/she decided to
return to mainstream schooling. In others
parents are free to choose the curriculum, so
that parents can match each core subject/key
competence building to the child's ability
rather than his or her physical age.
5. In some countries parents delivering
home education can find curriculum packs
in the market to support their children's
learning. These resources usually cover all
the necessary academic work: from early
literacy and numeracy to working
independently. In other countries parents
find support to the curriculum they design
for their children themselves.
Home-schooling does not mean a lack of
social education as families usually meet
and organise activities together regularly.