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Respondent Information Questions

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Consultation Questions

1

Do you agree that these proposals strike the right balance between the rights of parents to home educate and the rights of children to receive a suitable education?

In the past, parents' rights have taken precedence over the educational rights and needs of children who are not registered at a school. Parents who make a proactive choice to home educate for informed, philosphical reasons almost always provide suitable education for their child. There is no intention to change the law regarding parents rights to do this. However, those parents who choose home education as a reaction to dissatisfaction with the school environment, or their child's unhappiness at school, may have the child's welfare at heart but not necessarily the ability, commitment, time or resources to provide suitable education. Other parents elect to home educate to avoid prosecution for non-attendance at school. The proposals will enable LAs to distinguish between genuine home educators and those parents who are indifferent to education and/or condone truancy In both the latter cases, the child's rights to suitable education can be ignored. The proposals redress the balance, not only with regard to the child's education rights but also with regard to their childs safety and well-being Just as important are the recommendations on providing the support that many home educators ask for, in order to meet their childs educational needs

2

Do you agree that a register should be kept?

A register will not only establish how many children are home educated but will also enable LAs and parents to work together to support the education of the child and enable a signposting system to other support agencies. The register will support the work of other agencies, such as Primary Care Trusts and Connexions A register provides the opprtunity to identify share good home education practice

3

Do you agree with the information to be provided for registration?

However, basic information will be on ContactPoint once it is rolled out

4

Do you agree that home educating parents should be required to keep the register up to date?

Parents are ultimately reponsible for ensuring their child is educated. The majority of parents actively do this by registering their child at a school. If a parent chooses not to register their child at a school, logic dictates that they should register them as being home educated. Therefore parents should be responsible for keeping the register up to date

5

Do you agree that it should be a criminal offence to fail to register or to provide inadequate or false information?

Without legal regulation the system is open to abuse. A substantial number of parents "abuse" the current system by not ensuring that their child is receiving suitable education

6 a)

Do you agree that home educated children should stay on the roll of their former school for 20 days after parents notify that they intend to home educate?

If parents are "in dispute" with the school and wish to take their child off-roll, there should be a "cooling-off" period, because once the school place is given up, it can be extremely difficult to access another one. However the time-frame should be futher explained, in the light of Question 11. Does home education start 20 days after the parents initial request, or is it 4 weeks after the "cooling-off" period? This could mean 8 weeks before there is any educational provision

6 b)

Do you agree that the school should provide the local authority with achievement and future attainment data? 

The school should be reporting to parents on a regular basis anyway. If the LA has a monitoring and support function, then it needs to know the childs baseline level of achievement in order to support the parents

7

Do you agree that DCSF should take powers to issue statutory guidance in relation to the registration and monitoring of home education?

The current non-statutory guidance is ambiguous and unworkable. Every LA interprets it differently and therefore practice is very mixed. Clearer, statutory guidance will ensure that "every child matters" whether they attend school or are home educated

8

Do you agree that children about whom there are substantial safeguarding concerns should not be home educated?

This should apply where there are concerns about the parents capacity to ensure the child is safe or if the home circumstances appear unsafe.

9

Do you agree that the local authority should visit the premises where home education is taking place provided 2 weeks notice is given?

There has to be some assessment of the home to ensure there is appropriate resource provision

10

Do you agree that the local authority should have the power to interview the child, alone if this is judged appropriate, or if not in the presence of a trusted person who is not the parent/carer?

Subject to clearly defined and open protocols

11

Do you agree that the local authority should visit the premises and interview the child within four weeks of home education starting, after 6 months has elapsed, at the anniversary of home education starting, and thereafter at least on an annual basis?  This would not preclude more frequent monitoring if the local authority thought that was necessary. 

The regulations alllow for more visits if the child/parent has more support needs. However the start date for home education should be clarified [see Q6a]