varies for different countries. In Germany the government has always brought up the kids. Home schooling is near impossible to push through (only under very extreme conditions like specific illnesses, disability etc). I remember when I finished school thinking I'd take a year off, travel and then decide what I want to do next. Turns out I was under "Berufsschulpflicht" (Compulsory vocational school attendance) and not attending ended in my family receiving fines from the state. So I ended up having to attend a "Hauswirtschaft Klasse" (Home Economics Class) which was an absolute waste of my time. But there was a lot of girls so it had a few perks.