In Italy homeschooling (correct translation: parental education) has had a real boom in recent years: according to official data from the Ministry of Education there are 16 thousand students in homeschooling, and they were a third (less than 5 thousand) before Covid-19, when, out of necessity, this method was truly discovered.
How is it authorized?
Homeschooling in Italy Not only is it permitted, but it is easy for any family to activate it: all it takes is an annual communication to the local school with a declaration of "educational responsibility" according to which the parents demonstrate that they have "means and abilities". At that point, once homeschooling has started, it will be sufficient for the child to take a yearly suitability exam at a state or private school, in order to continue their studies.
Where do you do
There is no specific location for homeschooling, and it is up to parents, sometimes through collaboration with groups and communities, to choose where their children will be homeschooled . Typically, the following are chosen:
- The house: it is the main place, but not mandatory.
- Outdoors or in shared spaces: many family groups create learning pods or “educational communities”.
- At laboratories, museums, libraries, associations: homeschooling can make use of external activities.
- Online: some families integrate materials and courses online.
The networks
To find a right place and a community with which to take the path ofhomeschooling, These are the most active and organized networks:
- Free School. It is a very active foundation in organizing homeschooling Learning Pods: small groups of students who meet from time to time to learn together, led by a tutor.
- EDUpar. It is a very popular national network of families who practice homeschooling (edupar.it). Through EDUpar, and in particular by searching on the site with the "Find Families" button, you can get in touch with other parents who have chosen homeschooling for their children. The founder of this network is Erika Di Martino, mother of five children, all raised with this teaching method, one of the pioneers of thehomeschooling in Italy.
- LAIF (Association for Family Education)It is an association that provides legal and educational support for homeschooling families.
Geographic distribution of homeschooling communities
The communities of homeschooling I'm definitely more widespread in the North, where they live 75,3 % of students who practice this form of school education. In the South, the region with the highest number of homeschooler it's Sicily.
The boom abroad
Even abroad, especially in Anglo-Saxon countries, where homeschooling It has always represented a rather widespread alternative to the traditional school path, and there has been a strong increase in the phenomenon. In the UK, in the 2023-2024 school year, 60 children were doing lessons and homework., double the number from 2020, when it was just 30. In the United States, the number has also increased: approximately 3,4% of students of all age groups are homeschooled.
Read also:
- Homework-free schooling is available in three regions of Italy. This is how it works in Turin.
- Home economics taught in school
- Raising your children without TV and snacks
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