The Education Committee has today launched an inquiry into home
education.
The inquiry will examine how home-educated children are being
supported in their learning and whether more needs to be done to
ensure they are all receiving a high-quality education. It will
also look at duties of local authorities, and the potential role
for inspections in ensuring standards.
The Committee will be exploring the benefits of home education
and the possible disadvantages, as well as the impact the
COVID-19 pandemic has had on children educated at home
Children can be educated at home for a variety of reasons.
Figures from March 2019 suggested that more than 60,000 children
were being home educated in England, with the number increasing
in recent years. It is likely that the number is underreported as
parents are not required to register their home-educated children
with the local authority. In April 2019 the Government published
a consultation on proposed legislation concerning children not in
school, which included a proposal for a register of
children not attending mainstream schools, maintained by local
authorities. The Government has not published its response.
Rt Hon , Chair of the Education Committee, said:
“While the coronavirus pandemic brought a new focus on the
issue of learning at home, there are thousands of young people
who are ordinarily taught outside of a traditional school
setting. A parent will always know what is best for their child
but we want to make sure that the right support is in place for
home learning to ensure every pupil in the country, whatever
their background and wherever they are taught, can receive the
education they deserve.
The previous Committee in the last Parliament highlighted the
problem of off-rolling, where young people are removed from
school for the benefit of the school rather than the child, and
the dangers of the lack of checks on unregistered provision,
where some home-educated children may spend time. This inquiry
provides an opportunity to examine whether local authorities and
inspections can play a more active role to ensure every child is
safe and not missing out on the chance to climb the educational
ladder of opportunity. We have to make sure that disadvantaged
children are not disadvantaged further still by the system.”
Terms of reference
The Committee is inviting written submissions, addressing any or
all of the following points:
- The duties of local authorities with regards to home
education, including safeguarding and assuring the quality of
home education;
- whether a statutory register of home-educated children is
required;
- the benefits children gain from home education, and the
potential disadvantages they may face;
- the quality and accessibility of support (including financial
support) available for home educators and their children,
including those with special educational needs, disabilities,
mental health issues, or caring responsibilities, and those
making the transition to further and higher education;
- whether the current regulatory framework is sufficient to
ensure that the wellbeing and academic achievement of home
educated children is safeguarded, including where they may attend
unregistered schools, have been formally excluded from school, or
have been subject to ‘off-rolling’;
- the role that inspection should play in future regulation of
home education;
- what improvements have been made to support home educators
since the 2010-15 Education Committee published their report on
‘Support
for Home Education’ in 2012; and
- the impact COVID-19 has had on home educated children, and
what additional measures might need to be taken in order to
mitigate any negative impacts.
The deadline for submissions is Friday 6th
November. For further information see the inquiry
page on the Committee website.
