DR. WALLACE: My cousin lives in California and is being "home taught" by her mother. How can this happen? I thought students had to go to school and be taught by a teacher who had graduated from college.

Her mother is my aunt and attended a community college, but she does not have a 4-year degree. I'm wondering if this is legal for her to teach her daughter at home instead of sending her to a public or a private school? — Jane, Moline, Ill.

JANE: Home schooling is legal and the number of students being taught at home is growing rapidly for various reasons. According to the National Home Education Research Institute, up to 1.7 million U.S. students are being educated at home. Each state has educational requirements that must be fulfilled by the home-school parent.

The home teacher, usually a parent, is not required to have a degree. In fact, in a study of U.S. home-schooling, the University of Maryland monitored 20,760 home-schooled students in all 50 states. It found that the achievement levels of home-schooled students were just as high whether or not the parent had a college degree.

Parents select home-schooling for their children for two main reasons: First, religious instruction can be offered. Second, the fear of violence, gangs, drugs, etc., is eliminated.

It takes a truly dedicated parent to be a home teacher; some take on this job with their children from first through twelfth grade. And many home-school students are top achievers. They often place well in national science, history and other contests.

SET YOURSELF FREE

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and so is my boyfriend. We have been dating for over three years and we are supposed to be in love. That's why we're living together. I work from 9 to 5 on weekdays. He works from noon to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Instead of coming home after work, he goes out with his buddies.

Sometimes he doesn't get home until after 1 a.m. I can't sleep until he gets home. I lay in bed wondering where he is and what he's doing and I worry that he might be injured. When I complain, he tells me to quit nagging and if I'm a nag, he'll forget about getting married to me.

Well, we might as well be married. All we lack is a marriage license and the ceremony. Do you think I'm nagging just because I express my displeasure about him leaving me alone most evenings and sometimes staying out half of the night? Many nights I make dinner and wait for him to come home, but not only does he not show up, he doesn't even call. — Nameless, South Bend, Ind.

NAMELESS: Face facts. Your boyfriend has no commitment to you and your live-in arrangement with him is not working out. You might consider yourself as good as married, but your boyfriend doesn't see it that way. He wants one or maybe two marital benefits, but the rest of the time, he just wants his freedom.

Your commitment to him is enormous and he's taking advantage of that. He's using some vague future promise to get married — or not — as an ongoing threat to get what he wants from you now. This is a no-win situation, and it's doing nothing for you but making you miserable.

My advice is to forget about marrying this guy. Set yourself free and take charge of your own life. How soon can you pack up and move out of there?

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.