Home Schooling: From the Extreme to the Mainstream
A study by Patrick Basham, John Merrifield, and Claudia R. Hepburn
This is the 2nd edition of a study published by The Fraser Institute (2007). The paper considers the educational phenomenon of home schooling in Canada and the United States, its regulation, history, growth, and the characteristics of practitioners before reviewing the findings on the academic and social effects of home schooling.
The findings include:
- Home schooling continues to grow in popularity.
- Many studies have found that home schooled students outperform students in both public [state] and independent [private] schools.
- Home educated children enjoy no significant advantage if one or both parents are qualified teachers.
- Despite a common belief that home educated students are not adequately socialised, the research suggests otherwise.
- Canadian home-schooled students report a life satisfaction score well above their public school peers.
You can read the full report here: