Problems of statistical accounting for correspondence, blended, and homeschooling in Russia

Introduction. The legislation of the Russian Federation establishes five forms of education, including home education. In practice, the boundaries between them are blurred as families choosing correspondence or blended forms often operate according to home education models. The aim of the article is to analyze the dynamics of correspondence, blended, and home education in Russia and to identify what official statistics show and conceal. Materials and Methods. The article is based on data from federal statistical monitoring form No. OO-1 from 2016 to 2023, and interviews with leaders of home education in the regions of the Russian Federation. Results. The share of students outside the full-time form in Russia from 2016 to 2023 did not exceed 1%. Leaders in this area include Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and the Omsk region. Official statistics do not reflect the true state of home education as they only include those who have been certified in schools. Statistics on notifications of the choice of home education are maintained in some regions only at the municipal level. Annual intermediate certification is a choice for parents. When enrolling for intermediate certification remotely, the child will be recorded in the federal statistical monitoring form according to the place of certification and not the place of residence. Families may have seasonal residence in two regions, affecting the allocation of students from other regions and reflecting in statistics. Discussion and Conclusions. The problems of accounting for students in the form of home education are characteristic not only for Russia. Developing a methodology for collecting data on students is a key task for educational policy and future regulation of home education, as the growing demand for home education poses new challenges for the education system.