Stars and Stripes talked to four Seoul-area families who home-school their children. They said they choose this method for a variety of reasons, some religious, some educational. They discussed their teaching methods, schedules, and belief that their children are benefiting from the choice.

None said their children lacked friends outside of their brothers and sisters.

Church, activities with other home-schoolers and inevitable time with the neighbors’ kids make up a healthy supply of friendships, they said.

The parents offered these advantages and drawbacks to home schooling for families who might be considering the option:

Advantages:

Small teacher-to-student ratio.Family structure becomes tighter. Mom and dad know more about their kids’ lives. Older siblings become teachers to the younger ones.Freedom to stress religious beliefs.Freedom to schedule family trips and be flexible with other scheduling needs.Learning time and playtime become intertwined. Because the classroom often is the dining room or living room, science projects become something to do on the weekends, not just in labs.Each child can learn at his or her own pace, without falling behind or waiting for others in the classroom to catch up.Freedom from peer influences, such as cliques, gossip or “class clown” antics.Drawbacks: