I'm always amazed how non-home educaters confidently state that school is good for 'socialisation'. That's certainly not what it was ever designed to do and what evidence is to prove it? None. A stable home life, interested parents and good friends are needed for social development. Home ed is great

Jacqueline Wheeler, london, uk

Have been home educating for 11 years now and although, like life, it has its ups and downs it has been an amazing experience both for me and my three young people. It can be done very cheaply and you don't have to give up your job. I have a full time job which I fit in around my youngsters

claire , Bromley,

Generally an excellent and positive article. I have been HE'g my 7 children for 6 yrs now have found it to be a challenging yet reward'g experience for us all. HE is poss' on a shoe-string - there are SO many FREE resources out there on the net, or you can make your own! It CAN be done - believe me!

Caroline, Na,

A child taught at home will be like a sacrificial lamb when it goes into the work community. It will have to learn all those social skills which it should have absorbed at school. School is so much more than teaching academic subjects.

Kevin Straw, Leicester,

We homeschooled all 5 of ours. They grew up to be my closest friends. Compared with publicly-schooled, they are more individualistic & obtain knowledge on their own better [having been taught to think & research for themselves] - but are weaker with deadlines [you can always do the work tomorrow!]

Robert Romansky, Kalispell, USA

Great article. We've been homeschooling for 6 years now. It's great to "be" a family, rather than to just share a house at night.

Also: the institutionalized schoolers do soooo much homework. What did they do in school all day? It's just warehousing at best, grotesque indoctrination at worst.

Glenn Brise, San Jose CA,

Last month, my mom, a former teacher's union pres. threatened to file for custody of our 3 children and get child welfare folks to investigate us for abusing our children. All because my wife and I filed to homeschool.

We're moving out of the county, and will homeschool in the countryside.

bhparkman, Salt Lake County, USA

There are a lot of free homeschool programs, and some university's offer post elementary through bachelors degree classes online. They cost more, but are worth it!

Also, try joining with a homeschool organization. Some are religious and all organize group activities like a homeschooler's prom.

bhparkman, Salt Lake County, USA

We homeschool six kids, are lower middle class, don't even do a great job of it. Still our kids shine out in the real world and people let us know it. Homeschooled children will play a huge role in a brighter future for all the earths people. Expecially those who follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dan, Phoenix, AZ

Hope that the homeschoolers will begin to withold the part of the Council tax and Government taxes that go into social engineering and dumbed down twaddle that passes for curriculum content in those holding pens of misery called schools.

chris, Dorchester, England

I home schooled my son for about a two year period when he was 7-9. It was a wonderful experience for both of us. I re-experienced my inner-kid, and allowed him to explore whatever subject he wanted. We had frogs and studied them. We borrowed history videos from the library. I taught him algebra.

Maria, Medford, USA

Richard: Many prefer creationism to the Book of Genesis of secular humanism, "In the beginning time/space/matter magically appeared from nothing, exploded, and created everything". I find it hard to believe how your religion is more silly-sounding than mine.

Jason, NYC, USA

My 21 year old daughter didn't go to school from age 11. As a single parent, I couldn't afford tuition, but she had all the books she wanted. Didn't do GCSEs, just 5 A levels and then Cambridge. She rows, is Vice Captain of Boats and v popular. So much for needing school for social development!

Margaret, London, UK

My grandson had a reading age of 8.8 at 14.9yrs. I got a PC and HE'd. At 17 he could read to his age. We couldn't afford trips abroad but the Horniman's Museum, Nat History and Science Museums have good special displays. We could go in term time when it was quiet. I wish I had HE'd much sooner.

Dragon, Windsor, England

It is a little scary to think that every child in this country is taught exactly the same thing by the powers that be; education or indoctrination of government approved ideologies?

Children become adults by learning and socialising with adullts: parents and family. Not insecure teenagers!

Nathan, Cambridge, UK

Wow, this is amazing. I never thought home-schooling was so virtuous!

Zecchetti, Bury St Edmunds, UK

But good parents of school-educated children also teach our children at home, having conversations, taking trips, reading together. Education remains a family responsibility wherever the child spends his days.

nancy, london,

I agree. Homeschooling is a great way to education children.

Joseph, New York City, USA

When looking at any statistics from the United States, we must allow for the substantial contingent who use home schooling so that they can feed creationist codswallop to their children.

Richard Baron, London,

I disagree that children can only learn from specialist teachers: We live in the information age we have Internet, Documentaries, hands-on interactive museums etc.. Also school materials are available to the masses via catalogues ie: Brightminds or online. My kids learn all the time, everywhere!!

Paula, King's Lynn, England

Don't confuse education and schooling. I suggest that one task of a parent is to enable the child to separate gradually from parental control and to offer them different frames of reference (what JB calls: " likely to teach them things with which you may disagree "). Wow! Sinister, or what?

JB, Nantwich, England

I cannot see why it is considered a great truth that every child should receive exactly the same portion of knowledge in school. There is just so much history, science, geography, literature, music, etc. Let's do the natural thing: teach children to be different. Society would be much richer for it.

Richard, Worcester, UK

Your child is very priveleged indeed "educational visits to "..."". Most parents, the vast majority, can not afford that, not at all. In my experience my pupils who are currently home schooled are taught this way as they lack the skills needed to stay in a classroom. NOT because a parent can do bett

David, Norwich, England

Hello Nick of Tetherden. The Home Education Advisory Service can give you info. Education Otherwise also very useful. Amazon have lots of books on home education, I especially like the books of John Holt and John Taylor Gatto. Resources are everywhere if you look in the right places. Good luck!

Paula, King's Lynn, England

What a load of tosh! You have to spend most of your life with ‘other people who do not love them as you do’. School seems like an excellent place to start getting used to it.

And the “socialisation” has nothing to do with attention from the teachers. It’s between the children, obviously.

Susannah, Hereford, UK

Great except you don't need a wealthy partner to pay the bills in order to home educate. There are separated parents who home educate and couples who live on a tight budget in order to home educate. Home education is flexible and can be managed around flexible work just as parenting an under 5 can.

Anna, Liverpool, UK

to Emma: my comments were about my own childrens experience in school and my observations made working in the system for many years. I am glad your child's is brilliant :) Sounds like it is working for you.

The HE sing. prnts I know do have support networks of family, friends and other home eds.

Lucy Burnett, Aberdeen, Scotland

Those of us who home educate our special needs children, and that number is growing daily, home education is not a luxury it is a necessity. Inclusion is crippling many children with disabilities even more than their disability. Home education is allowing these children to have a life - literally.

Carole Rutherford, Sunderland,

Does anyone know of a really good source of info and textbooks for home educators? Galore Park PUblishing do excellent books for home use, but does anyone know where one can get a useful list?

Nick, Tenterden,

They can benefit even more from both, school and home education. Parents don't get involved enough in their childs education and lives. Share your knowledge and experiences and do fun stuff with them rather than have the television or video games babysit them. Schools help them learn social skills.

Louie, Md, USA

M. O. - On the contrary, of the very few UK homeschooled adults known to me, I know of two girls who are teaching in the state system - one, in Scotland, has just started and the other, in England, has been teaching for many years, while her brother works for a university.

Peter, Dingwall, United Kingdom

To Lucy, Scotland: how and when can a single parent working fulltime and with no family backup also home-school? And my daughter's state school is neither stifling, limited nor abusive but does a brilliant job. Home school will never be an option for the majority, so state ed must be made to work.

Emma, Hastings, UK

It all comes down to the quality of home education parents can give. The great thing about school on the other hand is that each teachers are professionals of teaching each subject. Maybe some parents cannot teach some subjects such as languages.

masa, london, uk

'You can go for whatever you think is important'
Surely learning Italian can hardly be described as important.
It barely scrapes into the top thirty world languages and a close-up of Mount Vesuvius does not help equip a youngster for adult life unless a carreer in vulcanology is being considered.

Avispa, Malaga, Spain

Home ed has been wonderful for my family - stifling, limited, abusive state school has been left behind for a superb academic and social education.

I do know single parents and others on a low income doing this very well. The kids go on to uni/work after - I'm unaware of any home ed NEETS at all.

Lucy Burnett, Aberdeen, Scotland

A great discovery! Children are best educated by an individual tutor flying them round the world to visit places of interest rather than stuck in a classroom with a bunch of savages. Brilliant. And for the rest of the world without a private income...

MDHinton, sieradz, Poland

As a single mum on a low income it's impossible for me to home school, as it is for the majority. Without state ed, where would our children be? We must make state ed the best it can be, invest and support more, so that ALL our children have the opportunity to make the best they can of their lives

Emma, Hastings, UK

I agree that home education can work,and that it can help a young person to become flexible and sociable.Our son,who was diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome,benefited from a two year period of home education,which prevented a downward decline.He is now about to start AS levels.

Suzanne Caine, Oxford, UK

If a child gets 20 minutes of effective schooling in an average school day he or she is lucky. Class sizes, old teaching methods etc.
With good organisation, effective and interesting teaching methods children could learn a great deal more in lot less time and be free to pursue other activities.

David, Chamonix, France

This doesn't work for everybody. I do love my mum, but she's a very difficult person to live with. She screams, she makes a big fuss for every small thing. She used to work part-time, but I'd have liked her to work full time. I was so glad to be at school every day, holidays were a difficult time.

Giorgia, Italy,

I was home educated until I was 11. Unfortunately, my mum was a bit out of her depth with any science and most maths so although I gained a love of history/ literature etc I have never been able to catch up with maths or science. Don't overlook the disadvantages.

Liz, London,

School/college is as self-perpetuating employment vehicle for aspirational middle classes and their kids. A lifelong insulator from the real world.Home schooling will never work here, because you're either in the system , or out. And if you're out you are disadvantaged for life. Its rotten.

M. O., London,

I'm an engineering professional in the nuclear industry, and a sister 7 times over.

I was homeschooled all the way up through high school, and had absolutely no problem getting into a great university's engineering program. I'm a huge homeschool fan, and I am very encouraged by this article!

Mikel, Fort Worth, USA

Yesssss!!!!!!!!! This is so true.

Cassidy, Moline,