A Critical View of Home Education

Abstract

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 regarding the rights and responsibilities of parents, and the impact of home education on students and schools are considered with regards to organisational theory, democratic governance and social science standards. These arguments promoting home education highlight the individualised or privatised focus of the phenomenon. The paper contends that home education amplifies the advantages and disadvantages of students' background characteristics, yet such serious equity issues are too often disregarded in an emerging paradigm based on the pursuit of individual advantage.

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