Homeschooling can be a sticky issue when it comes to laws and legalities.

It can. Fortunately, there is help.

I'm definitely against homeschooling. Of course we're facing problems with our public school system in Germany, too, but thinking of the increasing numbers of families that just seem to fall through the cracks, I'm glad that there's an institution to grant at least a minimum of formal education and structured life, and the visit which is obligatory in a way that one can only avoid it with great effort.
German public has been dealing with "precariat issues" very intensely the last year, and one topic often cited has been the fact that those kids would grow up without any chances at all if they weren't forced to attend school.

Unlike in the US, it's not the question which ideologies, ethics and beliefs are taught during homeschooling, but rather whether all of the kids would be educated at all, and who was in charge - or able - to control the quality of that education.

How is this discrimination? The homeschooling trend in North America began largely with liberal to socialist parents who wanted to raise their children outside of the capitalist ideology - there's no way a government would allow that without some intervention legislations! Now that homeschooling is mostly found amongst conservative homes, I hear more and more about people complaining about these same laws! Not only is it fair, but it's also crucial. I don't think anyone would be too happy if I homeschooled my kids and taught them that mice are really the highest form of intelligence on earth and the Earth was really made at a planet manufacturing facility.

Some parents just don't want their kids in the current system.
Some parents homeschool for religious reasons.
Some parents simply choose to take personal responsibility for their kids rather than shuffling it off to the government.

In most cases, the level of education in a homeschool setting is higher than that attained in many public schools. Just look at the numbers sometime.

Wait, they aren't and it wasn't? I read HGTTG, and it said these things. Must be true, I read it in a book and saw it in the movie!

I don't necessarily agree with homeschooling, but if the state governments are forcing parents to teach science/evolution/etc. and the parents want to teach a more religious worldview to their kids, you could easily argue that it's discrimination.

It's a sticky topic.

The one thing homeschool kids miss is interaction with others (social development) and learning how to deal with different viewpoints they will face in real life. Too many times I have seen "home school kids" that could only deal with others by confrontation and platitudes rather than thinking for themselves.

You hit close to the biggest problem with public school. "...rather than shuffling it off to the government." Too many parents take the attitude that public school is to educate there kids, and it isn't their job. WRONG! Public school is just the begining, an educational tool. Making my children educated, productive, well balanced citizens of our society is MY JOB! As a parent, I dealt with the lacks and plain wrong-headedness of the school system by teaching them, talking to them, and leading them through dealing with the real world (and in some cases, explaining why our beliefs were different than what they heard in school).

I'm sure no-one would argue with gov't intervention if I taught my children that non-believers were infidels. That's a religious view. It's not sticky at all, IMO. Then again, I live in a nation where there really isn't a large population of conservative Christians. Most homeschooling families I've encountered do so because of location.

I completely agree with the concept of homeschooling. I've worked in remote places where parents have no choice but to homeschool (if the nearest school is 300km away....)

At the same time, I understand a government's desire to regulate - what if 'chemistry class' was really 'bomb-making class?'

As for homeschooled children being excluded from extacurricular activities - up here, those are run by teachers volunteering (well, it's more like they're voluntold) their time. Since schools (here) get money for each student enrolled, I fully support not allowing homeschooled children from participating simply because they do not contribute to the school in any other way.

I don't even know what to respond to here because the comments run the gamut from inane to well spoken.

I can say however, that I was homeschooled for most of my school career and managed to score a full academic scholarship to a very prestigious west coast private school. My sister who homeschooled her whole career was accepted to Boston University at 16 and graduated with honors in four years. My other sister went to community college and then transferred to the University of Texas and did exceedingly well. We are all very fun erudite world travelers who are very successful and happy.

There is no easy answer to the question, and the instances run the whole length of the spectrum, but I am willing to bet that most people who are homeschooled with at least a modicum of effort receive a far superior education that the one the state barely provides.

Now, if I could just teach my octopi some accuracy with their lazer cannons I'd have you all cowering before me....

Oh,,, and I'm an awkward craven social outcast in-case you didn't notice!

I am not homeschooled, but I have quite a few friends who are/were and I think homeschoolong is a very viable option. However, I don't think this article was very effective in convincing me of the trials and tribulations of the homeschool situation. The generalizations of the article seem to cover all manner of ills in a manner I found far from informative. Basically the article said, "It is hard for some homeschooling parents" but failed to show us how this impacted their schooling. And obviously, homeschooled students can't join a high school sports team because they don't go to the high school. That's the way it works.

Two major advantages homeschooled children have in learning is individual attention, and customized lesson plans. The teacher isn't spreading her attention among 20+ kids and using a lesson plan that works for "most" of the kids.

Socialization is the only downfall. But as long as the parents get the kids out every once in a while, they won't suffer from social problems. Remember, school isn't the only place you run into children.

I was homeschooled because the public school system wasn't ready to deal with profoudly gifted children. Now I'm a college student who's doing well and making friends and living on my own. Homeschooling isn't right or wrong; it depends on the parents and the children.
I know my parents wound up fighting with the school system a few times over homeschooling and related issues-- it seems to me like homeschooling shouldn't be as difficult as it is.

No short bus to drive you there either, eh?

True, I have seen parents that home school that recognize this, and I have seen some that do not. (I know of one family where I may be the only interaction the kids have with others outside the adults in their church. When I talk to them they don't understand simple things like how I could possibly not recognize that the brown crayon stick figure with a yellow circle around its head is Jesus.) Before you ask, they are friends of my daughter's born-again in-laws.

The parents that do address this are doing their job, home-schooling or not.

When I was in Junior High, the English teacher was not very good. Of course with the teacher's unions and all that junk the administration couldn't do anything about it. When the school guidance counselor found out that my mother taught English and technical writing at the local college, they actually suggested that she should home school me part-time rather than wasting my time in the school's English class.

I think homeschooling should be regulated. My brother is being homeschooled right now and I can say as a matter of fact that the past 5yrs of homeschooling have ruined his social skills. He talks to other kids maybe once every other week during his Yugioh tournaments... it isn't healthy to be surrounded by only family.. since we put up with things other people wouldn't.