Global Perspectives on Homeschool Policy: Is Home Education a Predictor of Educational Freedom?

Does the freedom to home educate in a country act as a predictor for other educational freedoms, such as teacher certifications, standardized testing, and required curriculum? I examined data from 19 countries over four continents to answer this question. The purpose of the study was to collect and analyze the data to determine whether a policymaker, researcher, or practitioner could use a singular data point—namely, the legality of home education—to predict the broader state of educational freedom in any particular country. The methodology I employed for this study was to select experts in the field of home education in 19 countries and ask each expert a series of questions. The questions were focused specifically on the legality and regulation of home education, the requirement of non-public schools to use a state curriculum, whether any certifications were required for teachers in non-public education settings, and the mandate for non-public school students to take standardized assessments or exams. I then utilized a descriptive scoring framework based on the reports and depicted these findings visually via a trend line graph. The results demonstrate no significant correlation, suggesting the legality of home education in a country—based on the data utilized—cannot be meaningfully used as a predictor regarding the level of educational freedom in other areas of non-public education.