Home Schooling and Home Education

Kalwant Bhopal is Professor of Education and Social Justice at the University of Birmingham. Martin Myers is Lecturer in Education Studies at the University of Portsmouth.

• 1 Introduction2 Global Perspectives of Home Education3 Situating Home education in global education economies4 Middle class families: ‘our children do better at home’5 Gypsies and Travellers: ‘we have always educated our children at home’6 Religion: ‘we want our children to learn specific values’7 Special educational needs and disability: ‘most schools don’t want and have never wanted our children’8 Race and ethnicity: local, global or cosmopolitan identities?9 Conclusions: home education, risk and belonging

"This original text brings together for the first time discussion of how different identity categories are articulated in experiences of home education. Based upon detailed research with families who home educate their children, its focus upon risk is conceptually innovative and illuminates striking differences in the motivations and experiences of diverse home-educating families. The book’s findings – particularly in terms of race, religion and special educational needs – provide a much-needed stimulus for academic and policy debate about educational provision, social justice, and children’s rights."Professor Peter Kraftl, University of Birmingham, UK"Over the years, there has been very little on the subject of home education, especially in the UK. ‘Home Schooling and Home Education’ therefore provides an essential contribution to the field. Moreover, home education is a very sensitive subject and many have avoided addressing the topic. For this reason, this book is particularly helpful as it brings to the forefront and addresses the risks in relation to home educated children. The reader is provided with a comprehensive overview of the different issues at play across the global and local context of traditional schooling. A compelling and fascinating read."Dr. Kate D’Arcy, University of Bedfordshire."Its innovative focus is on concepts of risk, both from the point of view of society as a whole and from the subjects in the detailed case studies. By examining home education from the point of view of risk, this book is successful in giving a voice to home educators choosing the approach specifically to manage risks within their children’s lives."Wendy Charles-Warner. PEN Journal "The purpose of this study is neither to promote nor criticize home education, but rather to explore the experiences of very different types of home education families, with a particular focus on their reasons for home education. The book draws on 33 case studies from home educating failies in England."— Family Education Trust Bulletin