自從《國民教育法》第4條在1999年修正後，把自學或非學校型態實驗教育正式納入國民教育階段的選項以來，申請人數呈倍數成長，至2013年全國已經有2,000位國中小學學生由地方政府核准實施，可見家長對於教育選擇權的渴望。然而，過去十多年中央放任地方政府在處理自學相關規定時經常各自為政，導致各地發展出非常不一樣的辦理方式。例如，北部地區的非學校教育多半以家長個人申請案件為主，中部地區的非學校學生幾乎都是集體上課，而在東部和離島要提出申請則是困難重重。為了讓全國家長都能享有完整的教育選擇權，教育部在2011年公布了《國民教育階段辦理非學校型態實驗教育準則》和《高級中等教育階段辦理非學校型態實驗教育辦法》，完成了全國12年國教實施非學校教育的法源。如此一來，家長可以讓孩子從國小在家合法自學到高中，或是邀約三五好友一起共學，或是把孩子交給有理念的教育工作者來辦理現代私塾，讓我國教育現場更多元，更活潑，充滿無限的希望。由於法令才剛通過，家長、學生、主管機關和教育工作者都有著不同的解讀方式，相關的配套措施如升學進路規劃等也還沒到位，對每一位參與的學生和家長來說，都充滿著挑戰，必須戰戰兢兢如履薄冰般地陪孩子走向適性學習的道路。

Home school also known as non-school type experimental education has been legal in Taiwan since in 1999. Since then the number of registered home school students has grown exponentially to 2,000 in 2013. This demonstrates parents strong desire to decide for themselves how their children are educated.
In response to parents overwhelming demand, the Ministry of Education announced two national regulations in 2011 to harmonize the home school regulations in Taiwan. These two regulations allow parents to home school their own children, or to start a home school co-operative or to sign up for a school-like experimental education institution operated by a non-profit organization. Children can be educated from Grade 1 all the way through to Grade 12 without being constrained by the national curricular. The new choices will energize the education market in Taiwan.
Unfortunately, parents, teachers, local governments and schools have different interpretations of the new home school laws. Furthermore, other relevant rules and regulations have not aligned with the homes school laws, often leaving home school parents and students in limbos. Parents must tread with cautious as they walk the less traveled path of education.