Paul Goble
Staunton, Jan. 10 – Homeschooling has come to Russia, and already more than 20,000 children are studying at home (edu.gov.ru/activity/statistics/general_edu). Russian parents have the same mix of motives for having their children study at home as do parents elsewhere, but they face both official and social obstacles in realizing their choice.
Kristina Lyubitskaya and Katerina Polivanova of the Higher School of Economics have interviewed more than 100 parents about their experiences (“Parental Engagement: Why Parents in Russia Choose Homeschooling and What Problems They Have to Solve,” Journal of School Choice 16:2 (2022); summarized at iq.hse.ru/news/805069203.html).
Both absolutely and in comparison with the situation in other countries, Russian parents choose homeschooling in the first instance because they are dissatisfied with the quality of instruction their children are receiving in public schools and believe they can help their children achieve more by teaching them themselves.
Many schools, officials and the general public, however, oppose homeschooling because they believe it creates social isolates and prevents the children educated at home from becoming part of the collective. These opponents fear that if the movement spreads, it will further destroy the integration of Russian society.
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