Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the experiences and perceptions of different types of families who choose to manage risks they identify in their children's lives by home educating. It presents an overview of different types of home education, of the regulatory frameworks that characterise UK and United States educational policy and contextual detail on how home education operates in different social and political contexts. The book focuses on the experiences of Gypsy families for whom home education is often considered a traditional or normal route to acquiring an education. It also explores the experiences of an evangelical Christian and a Muslim family who chose to home educate. The book highlights the concerns of families whose children have special needs or disabilities for whom home education has often represented an alternative to state schooling.