I learned at home for years, at these ages: 8 – 10; 12 – 14; 15 – 16; and at age 18 I separated from ‘official’ learning forever. When I was younger, it was mainly due to health issues; when I was older, it was mainly due to other reasons.
Back then, I wasn’t religious in any way (my family consists of ‘proud’ and convinced atheists).
As for my own children, I would definitely consider homeschooling for them, if Israel would offer that option and my wife would be willing to consider it also. I dislike the hatred against secular learning in the chareidi education system here. How are children who cannot even spell their name in English, nor do they know where the on/off button of a computer is, nor do they know on which continent China is located, ever supposed to make a living for their families?! I want my children to be like me: properly religious – chareidim – but with a knowledge of languages and the outside world. I want them to be able to face the world as proud Jews and be able to provide for their families with dignity and with the proper preparation.
All day now we say calls from the rabbonim for tefilos harabim for the economic situation. The Edah HaChareidis calls for it almost every week now – the horrible economic situation which is causing huge distress to so many families. They call for tefilos by the children! Well, wake up – the children’s davening isn’t going to be the solution. The solution is, go to school (ie, secular studies) and find a properly job.
That means having to learn foreign languages, computers, having to use the internet, being in contact with the other sex and with less religious or completely secular people, yes.
Some may take another 10 years to get to this realization and some would rather let their children beg for tzedokoh, I guess, but I prefer to face truth the way it is and deal with it properly.
In many other countries it is fully acceptable and normal for chareidi children to have a secular education also. For example, in the Amsterdam cheder / yeshiva / bais yaakov (a single, of course separated institution for all children from age 4 to age 18), they learn from the early morning until the late afternoon and learn *both* the full state-required secular learning program as well as limudei kodesh!