HOME EDUCATION, also known as HOMESCHOOLING, is

the education of children at home or a variety of places other than school.

Home education is usually conducted by a parent, tutor, or an online
teacher. Many families use less formal ways of educating. "Homeschooling"
is the term commonly used in North America, whereas "home education" is
commonly used in the United Kingdom, Europe, and in many Commonwealth
countries.

Before the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws, most

childhood education was done by families and local communities. In many
developed countries, homeschooling is a legal alternative to public and
private schools. In other nations, homeschooling remains illegal or restricted
to specific conditions, as recorded by homeschooling international status and
statistics.

BRIEF HISTORY
For most of history and in different cultures, the education of children at
home by family members was a common practice. Enlisting professional
tutors was an option available only to the wealthy. Homeschooling declined
in the 19th and 20th centuries with the enactment of compulsory attendance
laws. However, it continued to be practiced in isolated communities.
Homeschooling began a resurgence in the 1960s and 1970s with educational
reformists dissatisfied with industrialized education.

MOTIVATIONS
Parents commonly cite two main motivations for homeschooling their
children: dissatisfaction with the local schools and the interest in increased
involvement with their children's learning and development. Parental
dissatisfaction with available schools typically includes concerns about the
school environment, the quality of academic instruction, the curriculum,
bullying, racism and lack of faith in the school's ability to cater to their
children's special needs. Some parents homeschool in order to have greater
control over what and how their children are taught, to cater more
adequately to an individual child's aptitudes and abilities, to provide
instruction from a specific religious or moral position, and to take advantage
of the efficiency of one-to-one instruction and thus allow the child to spend
more time on childhood activities, socializing, and non-academic learning.
ADDITIONAL REASONS AND MOTIVATIONS:
 customize or individualize the curriculum and learning environment for
each child,
 accomplish more academically than in schools,
 use pedagogical approaches other than those typical in institutional
schools,
 enhance family relationships between children and parents and among
siblings,
 provide guided and reasoned social interactions with youthful peers
and adults,
 provide a safer environment for children and youth, because of
physical violence, drugs and alcohol, psychological abuse, racism, and
improper and unhealthy sexuality associated with institutional schools,
and
 as an alternative education approach when public or private
institutional schools are closed due to acute health situations such as
related to disease (e.g., Covid-19, Coronavirus)
 teach and impart a particular set of values, beliefs, and worldview to
children and youth.
ADVANTAGES OF HOME EDUCATION
1. Determine the curriculum and their children's schooling schedule
2. Demonstrate to their children that education is fun
3. Create strong bonds with their children
4. Adapt teaching methods best suiting how their children learn
5. Spend extra time with their children on difficult concepts and move
ahead after children master a subject or concept
6. Create a flexible schedule not possible for children enrolled in public
school
7. Provide religious and ethical instruction for their children
8. Shelter children from school violence, drugs, and other negative
behaviors children in public schools frequently encounter
9. Provide their children with the personal interaction that teachers in
large classrooms are not able to provide
10. Spend extra time helping their children develop any special
talents they possess, including musical, athletic, etc
11. Discuss controversial topics at their discretion with their children
12. Enjoy spending more time with their children
13. Assist their children during adolescence and other trying times
14. Draw closer to their spouse as they homeschool their children
together
15. Take their children on vacations when public school is still in
session
 ADVANTAGES OF ONLINE EDUCATION
The current challenges facing traditional colleges and universities —
including higher tuition, budget cuts, and course shortages — cause many
students to search for alternatives. With nearly three million
students currently enrolled in fully online programs and six million taking at
least one online course as part of their degree, online education has clearly
become one of the most popular higher education alternatives. The
continually improving reputation of online learning helped fuel its expansion,
as initial skepticism faltered in the face of evidence showing that online
learning can be just as effective as face-to-face education.

All of this means that students, from working professionals to recent high
school graduates, find many reasons to take all or some of their courses
online. The following list includes 10 advantages to online learning.

1. VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND COURSES: From traditional four-year

universities to completely online career colleges, higher education today
offers a variety of options for students. This means that no matter what
students study, from nursing to neuroscience, they can find the courses or
programs they need online. Students can also earn every academic degree
online, from a career certificate to a doctorate.
2. LOWER TOTAL COSTS: Online programs prove a more affordable
option than traditional colleges. Though not all online degrees offer less
expensive net tuition prices than traditional colleges, associated expenses
almost always cost less. For example, there are no commuting costs, and
sometimes required course materials, such as textbooks, are available online
at no cost. In addition, many colleges and universities accept credits earned
via free massive open online courses (MOOCs), the most recent advance in
online education. These free online courses can help students fulfill general
education requirements.
3. MORE COMFORTABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: Commercials
that feature online students studying in their pajamas only skims the surface
of one of the benefits of online education: no physical class sessions.
Students listen to lectures and complete assignments sent to them
electronically, with no need to fight traffic, leave work early for class, or miss
important family time.
4. CONVENIENCE AND FLEXIBILITY: Online courses give students the
opportunity to plan study time around the rest of their day, instead of the
other way around. Students can study and work at their convenience. Course
 material is always accessible online, making special library trips
unnecessary. All of these benefits help students balance work and family
commitments with their education.
5. MORE INTERACTION AND GREATER ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE:
While contradictory evidence about the rate of online student participation
versus participation in traditional courses exists, one thing remains certain:
Online courses offer shy or more reticent students the opportunity to
participate in class discussions more easily than face-to-face class sessions.
Some students even report better concentration in online classes due to the
lack of classroom activity.
6. CAREER ADVANCEMENT: Students can take online courses and even
complete entire degrees while working, while in-between jobs, or while
taking time to raise a family. This academic work will explain any
discontinuity or gaps in a resume as well. Also, earning a degree can show
ambitiousness to prospective employers and a desire to remain informed
and prepared for new challenges.
7. CONTINUE IN YOUR PROFESSION: Even if someone wants to
complete a degree, it may not mean they want to leave their current job. For
most students today, increasing college costs mandate that some students
continue working while in school. The previously mentioned flexibility of
online programs enable students to keep working while also pursuing
academic credentials.
8. AVOID COMMUTING: During snowstorms and thunderstorms,
colleges may cancel classes to avoid putting commuting students at risk of
dangerous driving conditions. Rather than miss important class sessions,
students in online courses can always "attend" by participating in discussion
boards or chat sessions, turning in their work on time, and watching lectures
or reading materials. Many students also find substantial savings on fuel
costs with no commute for classes.
9. IMPROVE YOUR TECHNICAL SKILLS: Even the most basic online
course requires the development of new computer skills, as students learn to
navigate different learning management systems (LMS) and programs. The
participation skills students learn within their online courses translate to
many professions, including creating and sharing documents, incorporating
audio/video materials into assignments, completing online training sessions,
etc. Some schools even offer students free laptops or iPads.
10. TRANSFER CREDITS: For college students who want to attend
summer classes, but live too far from their colleges and/or work summer
jobs, taking online classes from an accredited college and transferring the
credits to their primary college can be beneficial. Students can earn college
credit while still enjoying their summer vacation or fulfilling the
responsibilities of their seasonal employment. Similarly, if a college or
university does not offer enough open sections of a required course, students
can take the course online at another college and transfer the credits.
Students in online programs can effectively manage their time, learn the
materials, and complete assignments on their own schedules to name just a
few benefits of online learning.
ADVANTAGES OF DISTANCE LEARNING
PROGRAM
DISTANCE LEARNING can expand access to education and training for both
general populace and businesses since its flexible scheduling structure
lessens the effects of the many time-constraints imposed by personal
responsibilities and commitments. Devolving some activities off-site
alleviates institutional capacity constraints arising from the traditional
demand on institutional buildings and infrastructure. Furthermore, there is
the potential for increased access to more experts in the field and to other
students from diverse geographical, social, cultural, economic, and
experiential backgrounds. As the population at large becomes more involved
in lifelong learning beyond the normal schooling age, institutions can benefit
financially, and adult learning business courses may be particularly lucrative.
Distance education programs CAN ACT AS A CATALYST FOR INSTITUTIONAL
INNOVATION and are at least as effective as face-to-face learning programs,
especially if the instructor is knowledgeable and skilled.
1. INCREASE IN COMMUNICATION
Distance education can provide a broader method of
communication within the realm of education. With the many
tools and programs that technological advancements have to
offer, communication appears to increase in distance
education amongst students and their professors, as well as
students and their classmates. The distance educational increase
in communication, particularly communication amongst students
and their classmates, is an improvement that has been made to
provide distance education students with as many of the
opportunities as possible as they would receive in in-person
education. The improvement being made in distance education is
growing in tandem with the constant technological
advancements. Present-day online communication allows
students to associate with accredited schools and programs
throughout the world that are out of reach for in-person learning.
By having the opportunity to be involved in global institutions via
distance education, a diverse array of thought is presented to
students through communication with their classmates. This is
beneficial because students have the opportunity to "combine
new opinions with their own, and develop a solid foundation for
learning". It has been shown through research that "as learners
become aware of the variations in interpretation and
 construction of meaning among a range of people [they]
construct an individual meaning", which can help students
become knowledgeable of a wide array of viewpoints in
education. To increase the likelihood that students will build
effective ties with one another during the course, instructors
should use similar assignments for students across different
locations to overcome the influence of co-location on relationship
building.[75]

2. COST EFFECTIVE
The high cost of education affects students in higher education,
to which distance education may be an alternative in order to
provide some relief. Distance education has been a more cost-
effective form of learning, and can sometimes save students a
significant amount of money as opposed to traditional education.
Distance education may be able to help to save students a
considerable amount financially by removing the cost of
transportation. In addition, distance education may be able to
save students from the economic burden of high-priced course
textbooks. Many textbooks are now available as electronic
textbooks, known as e-textbooks, which can offer digital
textbooks for a reduced price in comparison to traditional
textbooks. Also, the increasing improvements in technology have
resulted in many school libraries having a partnership with digital
publishers that offer course materials for free, which can help
students significantly with educational costs.

3. HIGHER LEARNING AND SATISFACTION

Within the class, students are able to learn in ways that
traditional classrooms would not be able to provide. It is able to
promote good learning experiences and therefore, allow students
to obtain higher satisfaction with their online learning. For
example, students can review their lessons more than once
according to their need. Students can then manipulate the
coursework to fit their learning by focusing more on their weaker
topics while breezing through concepts that they already have or
can easily grasp. When course design and the learning
environment are at their optimal conditions, distance education
can lead students to higher satisfaction with their learning
experiences. Studies have shown that high satisfaction correlates
 to increased learning. For those in a healthcare or mental health
distance learning program, online-based interactions have the
potential to foster deeper reflections and discussions of client
issues as well as a quicker response to client issues, since
supervision happens on a regular basis and is not limited to a
weekly supervision meeting. This also may contribute to the
students feeling a greater sense of support, since they have
ongoing and regular access to their instructors and other
students.

4. DISTANCE LEARNING MAY ENABLE STUDENTS WHO ARE

UNABLE TO ATTEND A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL SETTING,
DUE TO DISABILITY or illness such as decreased mobility and
immune system suppression, to get a good education. Children
who are sick or are unable to attend classes are able to attend
them in "person" through the use of robot proxies. This helps the
students have experiences of the classroom and social
interaction that they are unable to receive at home or the
hospital, while still keeping them in a safe learning environment.
Over the last few years more students are entering safely back
into the classroom thanks to the help of robots. An article from
the New York Times, "A Swiveling Proxy Will Even Wear a Tutu",
explains the positive impact of virtual learning in the classroom,
and another that explains how even a simple, stationary
telepresence robot can help.

5. EQUALITY
Distance education can provide equal access regardless of
socioeconomic status or income, area of residence, gender, race,
age, or cost per student. Applying universal design strategies to
distance learning courses as they are being developed (rather
than instituting accommodations for specific students on an as-
needed basis) can increase the accessibility of such courses to
students with a range of abilities, disabilities, learning styles, and
native languages.

6. OPPORTUNITY FOR ADOLESCENTS

Distance learning may also offer a final opportunity for
adolescents that are no longer permitted in the general
education population due to behavior disorders. Instead of these
 students having no other academic opportunities, they may
continue their education from their homes and earn their
diplomas, offering them another chance to be an integral part of
society.

7. UNIQUE
Distance learning offers individuals a unique opportunity to
benefit from the expertise and resources of the best universities
currently available. Students have the ability to collaborate,
share, question, infer, and suggest new methods and techniques
for continuous improvement of the content. The ability to
complete a course at a pace that is appropriate for each
individual is the most effective manner to learn given the
personal demands on time and schedule.[72] Self-paced distance
learning on a mobile device, such is a smartphone, provides
maximum flexibility and capability.