Homeschooling as an extension of school choice in the Czech Republic after the COVID-19 pandemic?

The aim of the study was to examine the homeschooling and its recent development in Czechia as part of the school choice debate. The study analyses the different attitudes towards homeschooling among different groups within the Czech population and the underlying demographic, socio-economic, and ideological factors that may be behind these differences, as well as analysing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this form of education in Czech society. The analysis of the nationally representative data shows that public support for homeschooling increased significantly after the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching its highest level in 2023. We found that the typical supporter of homeschooling tends to be a younger, highly educated person who lives in the large city or in its suburbs, is committed to democratic and liberal principles, is critical of totalitarian systems, and sees the legal possibility of homeschooling as an extension of the existing school choice.