Home schooling in Europe shows misuse, lack of oversight, and varied national regulations.
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The rise of home schooling across several European countries is accompanied by questionable practices and significant gaps in state oversight. National regulations vary, but a common issue is the lack of clear standards regarding the effectiveness of quality assurance checks, despite concerns from the school community about pedagogical, social, and psycho-emotional consequences. In Greece, there are allegations of misuse of the system, with claims of numerous applications based on false medical certificates, though the Ministry of Education states it lacks comprehensive data. Critics suggest that home schooling is often chosen by wealthy or conservative families for non-educational reasons, giving students an unfair academic advantage. The private educators’ federation has called for an independent committee to assess students for physical or mental illness, rather than just checking paperwork. Official data from the Greek Ministry of Education shows a 61% increase in approvals after the pandemic, with guidelines requiring justification from public health services. Internationally, trends show similar increases, such as in Lithuania and Czechia, where some institutions are accused of pressuring parents toward home education. In France, while the number of children in home education has decreased, legal challenges have risen, with some families advocating for a return to a simpler declaration system. In Spain, home education exists in a legal “grey zone,” and in Austria, the system allows for home study without mandatory school attendance.
