Why Home Education: More Families Are Making the Switch in 2024

The pressure is on! Enroll in the top schools from birth. Move house to the best schools catchment area. Sign up for educational toddler classes and pre-school groups with a focus to get small children “school ready”.

Gone are the days of play school and making mud pies. In are the days of early readers and writing paragraphs by 5 years old, or are they?

There is a grassroots movement within education to reclaim childhood and to reform the education system to be more child-led. This movement while in the early stages is led by dedicated individuals who want change.

Home Education is becoming a more popular and normalised alternative to Public School which allows for a more personalised educational approach.

Because of this many people are asking the question: Why Home Educatation?

You may be wondering if Home Education is right for you and your family. Or maybe you know someone who is home educating and you want to understand them better.

Whoever you are just know there is not an exhaustive list for why families choose to home educate. There can be some very personal reasons for educating outside of the government school system.

What is Home Education?

Home education – sometimes known as home schooling – is a legal alternative to public schooling in many countries around the world. Some countries will have specific stipulations, application processes and annual reporting requirements.

These laws can change from year to year. If you are considering home educating check the laws for your own country or state in the USA. I am writing about Home Education in the UK. At the time of writing Home Education is legal in the UK.

This post contains affiliate links, which means Barefoot Bliss and Books make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See the full disclosure here.

Finding Your Why

If you are considering Home Education then it is a good idea to identify your ‘why‘. Recognising and recording your reasons can provide clarity and direction on this educational journey. There is no right or wrong answer for wanting to Home Educate and as you will see there are many valid reasons for choosing this educational path.

10 Reasons Why People Home Educate

There are many reasons why people choose to home educate their children. Some of the common reasons include:

1. Educational freedom:

Home education allows parents to have more control over their child’s education and curriculum. They can tailor their child’s education to their specific needs and interests, and provide a more personalised learning experience.

2. Religious or cultural beliefs:

Some families choose to home educate because of their religious or cultural beliefs. They may want to incorporate their values and beliefs into their child’s education, or they may feel that traditional schools do not adequately support or respect their beliefs.

3. Secular Education:

Some families do not want their children to receive any form of religious instruction and instead want their children to learn about religions as they learn about any other subject, in these cases some families may feel that traditional schools are not truly secular in their approach.

4. Special needs:

Children with special needs, such as learning disabilities or chronic illnesses, may not receive the necessary support in a traditional school setting. Home education can provide a more flexible and supportive environment that can better meet their needs.

5. Safety concerns:

Some families may choose to home educate because of safety concerns, such as bullying or violence in traditional schools.

6. Lifestyle choices:

Some families may choose to home educate because of their lifestyle choices, such as traveling frequently or living in remote areas. Home education can provide the flexibility to accommodate these lifestyles.

7. Elite Athletes:

Child athletes often choose to be home-educated because of the unique demands of their athletic pursuits. Home education allows these young athletes to have more flexibility and control over their schedules, which can be essential for balancing their training, competition, and academic commitments.

8. Personal preferences:

Some families simply prefer to home educate their children. They may feel that it is a better fit for their family, or they may have had negative experiences with traditional schools in the past.

9. Learning speed:

Some children learn academic subjects faster than others (also known as gifted children) and home educating these children allows for them to move at their own pace and not be kept back by the curriculum. Likewise some children are more hands-on learning focused and these children may not learn to read or write at the “normal” stage with their time initally spent on building or creating.

10. Specialised Classes:

There are subjects that families feel are important that are not available in schools. Mostly traditional skills such as homesteading, bush craft and survival skills and other non academic pursuits. But there are also other specialised classes that a home educating families can take such as language classes and computing skills.

Can you think of any other reasons why families choose to home educate, let me know in the comments below.

Home Education FAQs Series

This post is part of a series of Frequently Asked Questions concerning Home Education in the UK. If you are new to Home Education, are considering it in the future or you know people who Home Educate then reviewing the list of FAQs can be a good place to start. You may also be interested in being notified when my Home Education FAQs Ebook is published and if so please sign up below to be added to the list.