Home education vs homeschooling

So, what's the difference between home education & homeschooling?

Home education is the preferred term in the UK. It refers to children not registered at school being educated by their parents/carers in a way that suits the individual child and their unique learning needs.

Homeschooling is the term most commonly used in the USA. UK local education authorities use it for children still registered at school but not attending. A good example would be the recent COVID-19 pandemic, where schools set online work for children to complete at home.

Why does using the correct terminology matter?

I can't bear the term 'homeschooling'; for me, it implies 'school at home'. To me, school and education are two very different things. A home ed educational philosophy changes over time, adapting to your child's needs. School is an unchanging 'one size fits all' system with no space for individuality. I believe qualities, not qualifications, should matter most - creativity, respect for others and our environment, mental well-being, happiness, and life skills.

Words have power, influence and a political impact. Many home educators have battled with LAs, MPs, and the DfE to maintain our home education rights (most recently with The School's Bill) and to ensure that the term' home education' is used. The whole home ed community needs to be aware of - and united in - the terminology it uses because it shapes our public narrative.

Local authorities (usually abbreviated as LA or LEA) sadly often lack knowledge of home education and its different styles. They can expect to see 'school at home' being provided when the term homeschooling is used. Having one term universally used would help avoid this confusion. It can also be difficult to 'de-school' your family and get out of the school mindset when referring to your home education as homeschooling.

Onto public perception - and misconception. In the media, the term homeschooling is usually used in a derogatory or harmful way. It compares home educated children to school children, often highlighting what it thinks our community is lacking - social interaction being a favourite one (because of course, home educated kids never leave the house, we keep our children locked in a cupboard don't you know!) or being academically 'behind' (utter nonsense, everyone learns at a different pace). Search and compare some newspaper or social media stories (and the comments made on them) on home ed, and you'll see what I mean about public misconception and ignorance. Whenever I read a positive story - 9 times out of 10, it uses the term home education. It all goes back to shaping home ed's public narrative - which is why it matters.