Homeschooling

Homeschooling or home schooling (American English), also known as home education or elective home education (British English), is the education of school-aged children in places other than a traditional school. Homeschooling is usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or online teacher. The practice of homeschooling varies considerably: the spectrum ranges from highly structured forms based on traditional school lessons to forms such as unschooling, which is a process in which the parent seeks to turn the child's interests into educational moments.

Homeschooling differs from distance education, which generally refers to an arrangement where the student follows the curriculum and requirements of an online school rather than being educated independently by their parents or themselves. Some aspects of homeschooling may overlap with an independent study program offered by an accredited school, which takes place at home but usually provides a pre-determined curriculum (educational plan). Similarly, it may overlap with a home and hospital education program, which is run by public schools for students who are too ill to attend school in person.

Before the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws, most childhood education was done by families and local communities. By the early 19th century, attending school became the most common means of education in the developed world. In the mid to late 20th century, more people began questioning the practice of school-based learning, which led to an increase in homeschooling, especially in the Americas and some European countries. Homeschooling has become a common and legal alternative to public and private schools in many countries, largely due to the Internet, allowing quick access to information.