Going to School
‘Not Compulsory’
Councils in England are being reminded that parents have the right to educate their children at home if they wish.
Proposed Department for Education and Skills guidelines on “elective home education” stress that education is compulsory but schooling is not. Councils should offer support to home educators, and parents must see that their children are suitably educated. But the authorities have no right to enter people’s homes or make routine checks on children’s progress.
The department has been discussing the issue with several groups representing home educators and with local authorities. It has decided not to propose any changes to current monitoring arrangements or legislation. It has dropped plans for compulsory registration of home-educated children.
Instead it is proposing to issue guidelines for the first time, which point out that it is fundamental to the English system that the responsibility for educating children rests on the parents. That same principle also applies in the devolved education systems in the rest of the UK. What parents must provide is “efficient full-time education” suitable to their children’s age, ability and aptitude and any special educational needs.
Nobody knows how many. Research commissioned by the education department said it might range between 7,400 and 34,400, while the guidance notes say it might be 40,000 and councils are working with half that number.
The proposed guidance says local authorities now have a duty to try to identify children in danger of missing education. But it says they have “no statutory duties in relation to monitoring the quality of home education on a routine basis”. They could intervene only if they have “good reason” – it stresses – to believe parents were not providing a suitable education. They could ask parents to provide information. Parents “are under no duty to comply” though it would be “sensible” to do so.
Serving a school attendance order should be “a last resort”. The aim should be to build a trusting relationship between families and local officials. This is something that can be lacking at present.
The guidelines accept that local authorities get no money for helping home educators, but say they should at least provide written information and website links.
They say there will be diversity in people’s approaches to education. “Children learn in different ways and at different times and speeds.”
SOME REASONS PEOPLE CHOOSE HOME EDUCATION
Distance or access to school
Religious, cultural or philosophical beliefs
Dissatisfaction with the system
Bullying
Short-term particular reason
Child’s unwillingness or inability to go to school
Special educational needs
Parents’ desire for closer relationship with children (Most do this by sending their children to school, but some prefer home education.)
Story from BBC NEWS
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