Homeschooling is the education of children outside the formal settings of public or private schools and is usually undertaken directly by parents or tutors. Despite the name, only a portion of home education may be delivered in the family home, with the rest being provided within the local community or elsewhere. Many families who start out with a formal school structure at home often switch to less formal and more effective ways of delivering education outside of school, and many prefer the term "home education" to the more prevalently used "homeschooling".[1] "Homeschooling" is the term commonly used in North America, while "home education" is more commonly used in the United Kingdom,[2] elsewhere in Europe, and in many Commonwealth countries.
Prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws, most childhood education occurred within the family or community.[3] However, homeschooling in the modern sense is an alternative in developed countries to attending public or private schools, and is a legal option for parents in many countries.