Home learning and the educational marketplace

UK government policy has increasingly emphasised the importance of learning in the home; and commercial companies have not been slow to respond. There is now a growing demand for out‐of‐school learning products and services, including study guides, early learning materials, educational web sites and private tuition. However the commercialisation of out‐of‐school learning seems bound to exacerbate educational inequalities. Drawing on interviews with industry representatives, we examine how and why the educational market for home learning has developed in recent years. Through a series of case study interviews we look at what motivates parents to provide educational resources at home and at how they feel about their role as ‘educational consumers’. Finally we examine a government initiative which is designed to promote parental involvement in out‐of‐school learning.