School Start Ages and Homeschooling: What the Data Actually Says

This episode explores the global variation in school start ages—from Finland’s age seven to the UK’s age five—and the surge in homeschooling rates post-2020, especially in the US. We dig into the historical roots of these policies, the “birthday effect” where relative age within a cohort skews outcomes, and why the research suggests start age is a “bystander variable” that doesn’t drive success on its own. We also cover the dramatic differences in homeschooling legality and culture, from near-total prohibition in Germany to rapid growth in America, and what that means for educational equity.