Homeschooling

Homeschooling (or home schooling; also called home education) is the education of children at home and in the community, in contrast to education in an institution such as a public or parochial school. It is also in contrast to those who are self-taught.

Legality of homeschooling

In the U.S., homeschooling is generally legal, although in some states homeschool parents are occasionally threatened with prosecution under truancy laws. The U.S. Supreme Court has never ruled on homeschooling specifically, but in Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972)http://www.oyez.org/oyez/resource/case/449/ it supported the rights of Amish parents to keep their children out of public schools for religious reasons.

Related Topics:
Truancy - Wisconsin v. Yoder - Amish

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Registration practices vary from state to state; for example, in California homeschoolers must register as private schools (a category which has no minimum-enrollment requirement), and are required to have attendance records and lesson plans available for state inspection, although this is rarely performed. In 2002, California Secretary of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin announced that such registration was illegal for homeschoolers, but this has not been tested in court. Other states require submission of curriculum plans or require standardized testing.

Related Topics:
Private school - California Secretary of Public Instruction - Delaine Eastin - Curriculum - Standardized testing

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Currently, schools and districts in at least five states are offering a home-school curriculum through virtual schools, charter schools, or other education programs. http://www.k12.com/pdf/program_list.pdf

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A few school districts have extension programs which allow homeschooled students to use district resources, such as school libraries or computer labs, or meet with a teacher periodically for curriculum review and suggestions.

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In the United Kingdom, section 7 of the Education Act, 1996, states*:

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - *

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:The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable:

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::a. to his age, ability and aptitude, and

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::b. to any special educational needs he may have,

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:either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

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