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Home Education & Legal Issues

By World Family Education

The exponential growth of home education around the world is a good sign that more countries are allowing parents the freedom to choose the best educational options for their family.

Local laws about education vary considerably around the world. To understand the laws that apply toward families in your location, it’s best to consult a legal source, such as Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). The HSLDA is a U.S.-based advocacy group made up of legal experts, and a section on its website is dedicated to international home education issues and laws. (Another international advocacy group is the Global Home Education Exchange.)

For most families living in another culture, the choice to educate your child at home is not hampered by local laws, which rarely affect foreigners.

A few exceptions are important to note:

  • Other countries that have outlawed home education completely include Sweden, Cuba, Brazil, Bosnia-Herzegovina, China, and some parts of Switzerland. The laws in these countries apply to national citizens.

Many other countries have undefined laws regarding home education. A useful page on Wikipedia tracks homeschooling international status and statistics for most countries. The page reports each country’s legal stance toward home education, primarily for local citizens, but occasionally for expats as well.

It’s best to check on the laws of the particular country you plan to live in at the time that you move there. Also read this helpful article by A2Z Home’s Cool about working with the laws in your location to make a way for home education.

See the World Family Education page that lists Home Education Community Groups by Location to find like-minded families that can support you.

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