Wei bought textbooks and began teaching Chinese, English and computing himself. His wife took charge of math, music, art and sports. Armed with a detailed schedule, they embarked on their bold home schooling mission.

    Wei Xiaoxi learned fast. Within a year and a half she completed the courses of first year middle school.

    "We do not want to create a genius," Wei Yuan said. "We keep her at home because we believe that teaching methods should adapt to children's individual needs."

    But Ding Wenjun does hope to foster a genius through home schooling.

    Ding Wenjun, once a businessman in Yixing, a small city in East China's Jiangsu Province, became a quasi-celebrity after his 18-year-old son Ding Junhui defeated seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry to take the China Open snooker crown in 2005.

    Ding Junhui left school at age 10 because his father believed the boy would be a snooker genius. His father said he should focus on the game.

    Ding Senior gave up his hometown business, sold his house and brought his son to Dongguan, Guangdong Province, where snooker flourishes.

    They rented a small house and began the eight-year training, which led to Ding Junhui's triumph in April this year.

    "Life is a gamble," Ding Wenjun said. "Even if you attend school, it's a gamble. Failure is nothing, as long as you believe what you're doing is worth the effort."

    But is every home schooler lucky enough to win the gamble?

    Legal or not?

    On March 15, Li Ansu, mother of Li Jingci and once girlfriend of Li Tiejun, sued him for violating the Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China and Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors.

    The case provoked great controversy.

    The Compulsory Education Law states that the community, schools and families shall safeguard the right to compulsory education of school-age children and adolescents. When children have reached school age, their parents or guardians shall send them to school to receive a nine-year compulsory education.

    "The law of our country has prescribed that the primary and middle school education is a compulsory one," Tan Zongze, associate professor at the Southwest University of Political Science and Law, said in an interview with Chongqing TV.

    "Parents and guardians should send children of school age to school. If they do not fulfil the obligations, they should be forced to," he said.

    Xu Jiangyong, vice headmaster of Paotongshu Primary School in Chengdu of Sichuan Province, does not agree with Tan.

    "The article does say that parents should send children at school age to school," Xu said. "But it mainly concerns those who provide no education for children at all. However, most parents who home school strive for a better education for their children. Both the motivation and practice are different."

    On May 27, the court ruled against Li Tiejun, urging him to send Li Jingci to school. He responded by saying he would never send his daughter to school.