Home-Education in Czechia: Twenty Years of Experience

The chapter deals with the development of home-education in Czechia since its legalisation in 2004. It analyses the way home-education works in a specific Czech legal and institutional context. An analysis of the available data showed a rapidly growing popularity of home-education since its legalisation. The concentration of home-schoolers under the supervision of just a handful of basic schools specialised in home-education was observed which was enabled by the legalisation of home education given parents are able to choose a school for their children regardless of their place of permanent residence. Although the law stipulates quite strict conditions for practicing home-education under the supervision of schools, the free school choice empowered home-educating parents are much more free to practice education however they liked as the administrative authorities were in a client-provider relationship with parents that gave parents power.