AIM are aware that the DfES are planning to hold a Consultation on ‘Suitable and Efficient Home Education’ this consultation is important for every parent who are currently home educates their child or children. We have been told that the Consultation is due to go live either this month of next. It is going to be important to anyone who is, or who is, considering home education for their child. The consultation will look at the following issues, but there could well be more.
Standards of educational provision. DfES have said that the state prescribes the form of education at schools but not in the home, and described that as an anomaly at odds with the improvement of educational standards for all children.
Monitoring of educational provision. DfES believe they have a duty to ensure parents are able to provide an education that meets the requirements of being suitable and efficient.
Lack of access to home educated children. There are contradictory signals as to whether the focus of this is on checking general welfare, or about assessing a child’s progress and hearing their views. DfES are trying to reassure home educators about their intentions by saying that the intention of a full consultation is to open up a constructive debate on whether or not changes are required, and that the consultation will consider “light touch” changes. However it is clear from the use of a full public consultation and other signals, that changes in the law are being considered through primary legislation (i.e. future amendments to, or a new Education Act in parliament). We believe that the consultation will focus on three main areas:
1. Compulsory registration of home educators
2. Clearer standards defining ’suitable’.
3. Monitoring of Standards
The proposals could replace the minimal statutory framework that currently exists, coupled with case law, with primary legislation with clearer rights and responsibilities. Legislation would not detail precise standards; these would be implemented through issuing regulations. Compulsory registration is intended to save time for LAs and make things simpler for HE’ers. The information sharing index will identify children whose educational setting is unknown. Registration will simplify arrangements for HE and avoid entanglement with Children Missing Education arrangements. The DfES believe that an annual interview would not be too onerous on parents. They say that they have no intention of anything like the National Curriculum or age related specifics, but maybe more ‘prescriptive’ than the Scottish Home Education list.
AIM is very worried that ‘more prescriptive’ actually means that there will be far more reaching implications for Home Educators here inEngland, and that is why we feel that we must actively Campaign against any changes that may be being planned. We feel that this end result of this Consultation will be all about Outcomes.
Whatever the outcome of this Consultation it is not going to be good news for parent’s home educating their autistic children, with the probability of having to spend our time proving to the State – who are clearly failing our children themselves – that we are providing our children with a ‘Suitable and Efficient Education’
If you have time to read the letter from Lord Adonis, and some of the News Articles which have made National News during the last few months, I am sure you will agree that we already have a great deal of evidence to fight for our rights to Home Educate our Autistic Children.
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