| Today, the phrase 'Home Learning' refers to receiving | | | | California, they decided that the matter needed |
| one's education at home, either at lower, junior, or | | | | re-clarification. |
| secondary level; but also encompassing extra-curricular | | | | That's not to say that the UK hasn't had similar efforts |
| learning and further education such as undergraduate | | | | made to help prospective home-schooling parents to |
| and master's degrees. The reason for this broad | | | | withdraw their kids from schools. In 2002 statutory |
| meaning now can be seen to have arisen, not only | | | | guidance was introduced to help them do just that. |
| because of the increased accessibility of home | | | | However recently, another article concerning home |
| learning via online courses and e-Learning, but also due | | | | teaching has appeared. Children and Young People |
| to the growing acceptance of a home education being | | | | Now reports of a Lancashire investigation into a |
| as legitimate as a traditional school-based one. | | | | sudden rise of children being taught at home. The |
| However, between the UK and the US, opinions of | | | | number has doubled to over 450 in eight years, but this |
| home learning can still be seen to vary. | | | | is a cause for concern for some because there is no |
| The last major national reflection of home schooling | | | | law ensuring that teachers can observe whether |
| came just over a year ago when the BBC reported of | | | | home education matches that of traditional schools. |
| a "sharp increase" between 2005 and 2006. In an | | | | Aside from the numbers themselves (there are nearly |
| article still available at bbc.co.uk it is stated, that in that | | | | 2 million home taught children in the US), it is when one |
| one year alone, there was a 39 per cent increase of | | | | notes the religious and moral connection with |
| children being withdrawn from school and being taught | | | | home-schooling that the major differences between |
| at home instead. What is interesting about the report is | | | | the US and UK opinions are most prevalent. In the UK |
| that rather than view this as a positive thing at all, this | | | | press, one rarely hears of the reason for |
| increase seems to be considered as much a negative | | | | home-teaching being a moral or religious one, in fact it |
| by-product of what is wrong with the school-system | | | | is usually considered a very liberal alternative. Yet |
| as opposed to an improving national standard of | | | | stateside by 2007, religion was the primary reason for |
| home-schooling. | | | | children being withdrawn from school in 83 percent of |
| Interestingly, in the US, opinions tend to differ from | | | | home taught families. Yet, what perhaps is most |
| state to state. In an article earlier this month at | | | | important (aside from the discussion of whether the |
| onenewsnow.com, Pete Chagnon and Jody Brown | | | | child should choose) is the academic quality of a home |
| report a new bill in the state of Idaho which will ensure | | | | education. In a report by the US National Centre for |
| that parents who choose to educate their children at | | | | education Statistics home taught children "typically |
| home 'are in compliance with the state's compulsory | | | | score 15 to 30 percentile points above public school |
| attendance law'. Up until this point Idaho law has | | | | students on standardized academic achievement |
| considered home-schooling as "comparable instruction", | | | | tests". Therefore, it is seemingly hard to argue with the |
| but after the method of teaching was outlawed | | | | worth of a US home education, but in the UK we |
| completely in 2008 (for a brief time, at least) in | | | | remain unaware of its comparative academic worth. |