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

[Grimed]

Baroness Garden is intending all homeschool parents to be DBS checked. I don't think this is fair. What makes Homeschool parents more likely to be abusive? Surely regular checks from the local LA should be enough? If the education system is failing so many children perhaps that is what's needs examining not parents. What's next? All pregnant women get DBS checked?

I home educate with my husband. We teach part time in the same LA we live in and I’m a scout leader. I wonder if I’d need another DBS from the LA to teach my own children 😏

The Schools Bill should be looking at why secondary schools are such a fucking bearpit that many children cannot cope with the environment and no alternative provision is offered.

@FourTeaFallOut
Could any one of the posters who think that this is fine tell me if they think also all sahps should be dbs checked to look after babies and infants who do not attend a formal learning setting?

For babies and toddlers there are health visitors and GPs.
Why would you be against a simple check like that? It takes 5 mins to fill out the DBS a application form.

If it protects even one child, which it’s likely to do and more then I am all for it. Sure it won’t protect them all but it will stop some.

excellent idea and rhey need to go further to protect the vulnerable in society. Anyone who has nothing to hide won’t have an issue with this.

As home educators, do you ever leave your children in the sole care of other home educators? (Ie to share the load/learning)

If so, then absolutely a DBS is appropriate.

But if you only educate your own children and always supervise your children when around others, then no I think it's OTT.

Most people choose to be educators for the right reasons. Some choose it to actively be around young vulnerable children.

Nobody needed a DBS to home school their children during the pandemic. Lots of parents and children were just left to get on with it.

The government could also start with actually requiring DBS checks for police officers. I was really shocked that you could become a police officer with a criminal record. A recent one as well, not just youth crime.

I suppose all those in favour of dbs and checks for home education would be happy for spot checks if their fridge, like an extension of packed lunch policies?
We have an obesity epidemic having a huge impact on children, many are out at risk through poverty or simply neglected.
fridge checks could improve the lives of many.

where is the line when it becomes intrusive, as I presume most consider the above intrusive- regardless of the positive impact it could have on health

I'm not sure that a DBS check is the most effective way of going about it but I do think there should be ongoing monitoring of HE kids, both for educational standards and welfare checking. Schools are major reporters of welfare concerns and a child out of that loop is potentially at greater risk. Please note "potentially", I'm not implying that the vast majority of HE parents are not absolutely fine.

As home educators, do you ever leave your children in the sole care of other home educators? (Ie to share the load/learning) If so, then absolutely a DBS is appropriate

Is it? What about parents giving a lift to sport events? What about play dates?

Sure. Better yet, do it earlier and try and ensure that when children are born they aren't being taken home by people who are a danger to them.

Arbitrary though it may end up being, I doubt it's beyond human capability to determine that
"shoplifting charge as a teenager"= Fine.
"history of domestic abuse and domestic violence" = Not Fine .
And everything in-between.

As a parent of a schooled child do you ever leave your children in the sole care of other school-sending parents for your child to play/ have sleep overs? Have you checked their DBS?

There should only be monitoring of HE kids if there are safeguarding concerns. HE on its own is not a safeguarding concern.

I agree with this because I was home schooled and abused and I couldn't get help

The thing I don’t understand is how they can rationalise a DBS check on home educated children but not on those with children under school age. It makes no sense? So clearly they are lying about it being a safeguarding concern. The government want all children under their watch, singing from the same uniform government-approved curriculum. They don’t want parents having a say over their own children. Because ‘they’ know what is best for us brainless plebs.

For babies and toddlers there are health visitors and GPs.
Why would you be against a simple check like that? It takes 5 mins to fill out the DBS a application form.

@GraceandMolly for all children there are GPs, dentists, other health care professionals.

@DontLookBackInAnger1 properly organised drop off sessions for home Ed kids are held by people with all the relevant checks yes. Most groups which are run by 'just' parents are not drop off sessions, parents will stay.

School children often go to play at other children's houses. Im assuming they don't all have DBS checks? I let my children stay and play at their friends' houses when I know their parents enough to feel I trust them. That's no different to school kids/parents though.

I am sorry to hear that. But a DBS check would only have helped you if your abuser had a previous conviction.

Unfortunately a lot of children who are taken out of school and 'home educated', ie not, are very likely to suffer neglect. At least in school the neglect can be picked up on. If you are actually home educating your children then you wouldn't mind being dbs checked.

I think that these DBS checks are long overdue. Many abused children have been off the radar of SS as they have been home schooled.

You do realise most parents are home educating not to abuse their kids or promote some weird ideology. It's because there is no educational provision that suits their children locally. Let's look at why schools are not meeting those needs.

@Floydthebarber that's a strong accusation. Do you have evidence to back that up?

@Redbone is this based on evidence?

How would a DBS check pick up current abuse?

The key term is “most” in your statement

so you know full well not all. And I’m sure you know also full well that sone kids are home educated to hide abuse, and that for some had a simple dbs check be done before it was agreed then a child would be protected. Not all. But sone.

and if even one child is protected then how the fuck can anyone object.