Slowly, please
There are some children in the UK who never go to the school. That's right! They are educated at home by their parents, which is perfectly legal, in fact about 85,000 children are being educated in this way.
The law in the UK says that children must be educated, but it doesn't say that they have go to school. In other words, education is compulsory, school isn't.
So, why do parents choose home education? Some children suffer from "school phobia" (a fear of school). Others may be bullied at school or not fit in with school environment.
School can be a difficult place for these children. They are unhappy and often play truant. But don't their parents need to be qualified?
A lot of parents who choose home education are teachers. This can be useful, but isn't necessary. Alison Murray, for example, works a secretary. She has two daugthers, Kim and Jade, who are educated at home. Lessons start each day at nine and they study some of the same books that other children are doing at school. She believes they have gained a huge amount from the experience.
"Kim's work has really improved. She has having a lot of problems at school. When I told Jade I was thinking of educating Kim at home, she wanted to try it too." Alison says.
