It seem that home education (or home schooling as our colonial cousins call it) is on the rise in the UK, especially with primary school aged children. A growing reason for this seems to be an effort to free the child from the ever earlier pressures of tests and assessment and allow them to learn at a pace that is more suited to them as an individual.
There is evidence that home schooling does have its share of success and James Conroy from Dean of the Faculty of Education at Glasgow University was quoted in the Guardian saying "research shows home-schooled children do better in all standard tests." In the same article Dr Roland Meighan, a former professor of education at Nottingham University, says studies show the home-educated are on average two years ahead of their peers in schools in any test and in any subject.
So from a results only side there are always concerns about lack of socialisation with other pupils and becoming part of something larger. However with the increase in bullying and worries about youth crime that seems to less of a concern these days.
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