To think that having to have a DBS check to home educate is unfair.

The home educators you know aren't the ones people worry about. They're out and about, actively engaging in educational activities. People like you have nothing to worry about.

The home educators people worry about are the ones who use it as a mechanism to isolate their child, provide little or no education, and cause lifelong harm to their child.

I agree there needs to be checks. Whether the GP or yearly home visits from Education etc. There should be some way of measuring progress and attainment even if not by the traditional curriculum and boundaries.

Unfortunately a DBS check isn't going to save kids like these

I am absolutely against this, I would go as far to say it is an infringement on human rights. What is next? DBS checks when pregnant? This should only be received with horror. What is this? North Korea?

The majority of home educators are 'known to the LA', and provide a yearly report showing progress and socialisation. I do not have an issue in making this compulsory. Nothing would change for most home educators.

My children go to various home ed groups and afterschool clubs. As does every home Educator I know. They are seen.

School education is in comparison to my children's, sub-par. Working class families accessing a varied education and fantastic critical thinking skills scares the shit out of them. As does parents playing a large part of their children's moral upbringing.

It was clearly a jokey response to my message about what they'll find in the DBS. They didn't accuse anyone of anything. If anything I took it as a reflection on the ridiculousness of the DBS checks to decide if someone is able to HS

Jordan Burling was another death of a home educated child who was kept isolated from the world and medical professionals, and it was allowed to happen even though safeguarding concerns were raised by his former school

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-44643037.amp

It seems very variable what checks are in place - someone upthread mentioned providing evidence of work done to someone from the local council whereas the Home Ed families I'm aware of haven't been asked to provide anything. Three of those families are doing a superb job with educating and social engagement. Their kids are doing brilliantly.

The fourth is a different story, 10yo who still can't read (the mum still seems to think she'll just pick it up?!) has been kept away from other children, other than a much younger sibling, and hasn't had any opportunity to learn social or other skills because she hasn't been allowed to do things like dance, Brownies, sports, drama, swimming that I see the other Home Ed families doing. She does, however, spend a lot of time sewing and playing with Lego . Yes, I have put in a safeguarding concern thing to the local SS. That alone won't do anything but in conjunction with others it may make a difference.

The first three would easily be able to provide evidence of a well-rounded education. And a check would pick up the fourth example and get some support in for the poor kid.

Dylan Seabridge was another child death where home education was used to conceal matters; he hadn't seen a professional of any description since he was 13 months old. He died of scurvy. SCURVY.

www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/08/report-on-death-of-boy-with-scurvy-raises-fears-for-home-schooled-children?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

It's a brilliant idea and I can't believe it's not already in place

Yes she was, and it was determined that home education was a factor that allowed her parents to conceal the abuse

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-10779321.amp

Some thought needs to go into who exactly does the DBS check and how cases are handled when an issue does crop up.

Honestly, a DBS check is no big deal. It’s not especially invasive. There are no interviews or visits by SS or anything like that. They literally just look up your Police records and check that there are no charges for anything that could be a safeguarding issue. So for homeschooling parents the point is to rule out previously noticed extremism/child abuse etc. Parents should also be DBS checked to volunteer at their children’s school or clubs.
In some countries you have to be a qualified teacher to homeschool your children. That makes sense to me too.

It's plainly sarcasm because I was agreeing with the pp that the suggestion that a dbs could be useful in digging up those criminal acts which not related in any way to the harm of children cannot be considered useful outside of ridiculous scenarios which I was highlighting in my post. But go ahead, knock yourself out being offended, even when I'm agreeing with you, it's no skin off my nose.

Should be LOTS of checks and MORE checks

If you've nothing to hide, you shouldn't have a problem with it.

One decent starting point could be to ask parents who wish to take their children out of school to write a few paragraphs first to explain why. Anyone who turns in something written like the above could be politely told that it's not going to happen.

I don't agree. Do you have the appropriate educational qualifications? Are you academically able to? Do you know how to cater for special educational needs?

The idea that just anyone is capable of educating children is wrong, and it;s definitely not the case that anyone has the right to say that they are withdrawing them from education and not expect periodic checks on how they are doing.

What did you do about the girl's situation at the time?
What's wrong with working at Mc Donald's?

"clearly joking" ? Accusing home educating parents of training their children up to become thieves is not something to joke about. It's prejudice. Very unpleasant.

If your community is being used as a shield to hide child abuse, then something needs to change. I understand that its upsetting, because you feel you are being tarred with the same brush. If you can think of a better solution then suggest it.

Does everyone who attends school pass exams and get a job then? Do children and young people not endure peer on peer abuse?

3 of mine attend school I even went to tribunal for one. My youngest is EHE. It's sort of amusing that if it was deemed I was not providing a suitable education and an SAO was issued, our local school is the only one that has spaces. Its Ofsted record (since academisation following special measures) is RI, Inadequate, RI. Going back to 2012ish.

I'd not comply with a DBS but I just fail to see that it would be a useful measure. I believe the Baroness has been engaging positively since the reading with some EHE parents. It seems it was more an off the cuff suggestion, not especially aimed at EHE parents.

😳😂😂😂

Lack of clarity on my post about what they care about. They care if my child is fed, healthy, clean. They don't care enough to DBS check DH and I regularly to check if we're withholding criminal convictions.
If I was guilty of previous child abuse etc SS would be invoked. But if I'm trusted to RAISE my children despite my criminal record I should be trusted to educate them.

EXACTLY this.
Abusive parents often try to alienate their child/ren from mixing with others, and home educating is the perfect way to do this.
I've thought for a long time that home educators should have more checks and training anyway. The way it stands at the moment there are far too few checks and basically anyone can 'home school'.
A girl I know was 'home schooled' but all her mum had her doing was housework and cooking, which is so so wrong. She didn't get a single GCSE and is now 30 and has been working in McDonald's for a decade.

I was clearly joking. Have you bothered to read any of my posts on this thread?

What makes you say that? Do you think that many home educating parents are "modern day Fagins"? Do you think that many home educated children are thieves?

Health visitor visits and vaccinations ( not normally done by a doctor though)aren't compulsory . I am not sure what your point is. Yes most preschoolers are seen by health care staff at some point before they go to school, but most home educated children are regularly seen by health care staff, football coaches, dance teachers, tutors, scoutleaders, friends and family etc too.