Homeschooling

Due to the Covid pandemic, there are some families that have opted for Homeschooling (also known as home education)

What is homeschooling?

It consists in educating children outside educational institutions, whether public or private. Homeschooling is considered an illegal practice in Spain unlike in the United States, France, Belgium, Italy, Norway, or the United Kingdom where there is a specific regulation that empowers families to do so. In those countries to check on the progress, the students need to pass written and oral examinations and in others, there are mandatory inspections.

In Spain, the education law does not contemplate homeschooling and in most of the cases that families do not take their children to school they are denounced for truancy, since schooling is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16.

The Spanish Constitution in its article 27.4 expressly stipulates that basic education is compulsory and free, nevertheless homeschooling is not a legal alternative in Spain. Law 1/1998, of 20th April, on the Rights and Attention to Minors of Andalusia, in article 11.4 establishes that the Public Administrations of Andalusia will ensure compliance with compulsory schooling in those ages that are established in current educational legislation; understanding that the right of parents to choose an education model is subject to the minor’s own right to receive an education protected by current educational legislation and taught by an educational institution.

There have been different judicial decisions in this matter, one of them by the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) that in 2010, denied the protection requested by families of homeschoolers who alleged pedagogical reasons.

There is no legal framework that protects this practice.

What if the family has decided to do it despite the possible legal consequence?

There are several associations that can help families and advise them on this matter, such as the Association for Free Education (ALE).

Although many parents are now teleworking and could take care of their children’s education at home, it is not a very frequent practice and although there are no official figures, there could be more than 2.000 families.

Homeschooling has detractors who believe that children are deprived of rights such as being able to interact with other children and that this practice could lead to a subsequent marginalization of minors and that they are unprotected. the ALE pursues the normalization of homeschooling as one more educational option.

They are not against teaching in schools, but they want families to be able to decide how to educate their children. On the part of the education ministry, face-to-face education is considered irreplaceable because it is a social leveller.

Some homeschooling associations propose also flexischooling system by which creating non-face-to-face and semi-face-to-face centers, family education and the possibility of universal access to official distance education systems would be facilitated.

How to re-engage?

ESO: (Educación secundaria obligatoria).

You can register to take the 3rd or 4th year of ESO in an approved center and, in this way, obtain said qualification. Each CCAA has different regulations in this regard.

Free tests graduate ESO.

The ESO graduate can be obtained by taking the free tests from the age of 18 or by accessing the Secondary Education centers for Adults (ESPA), which can also be accessed with 16 years and a work contract.

Entrance exams to University: You can take the university entrance exams for those over 25 years of age or directly to the university by registering at the Open University.