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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think Home Education should be made illegal

776 replies

Viviennemary · 17/12/2024 12:43

I would like to see a ban on HE except perhaps in a very very few cases and with good reason and under strict supervision.

OP posts:
twistyizzy · 17/12/2024 12:59

I don't HE but I believe in choice for parents to chose the right educational setting for their child without interference.

MerryMaker · 17/12/2024 13:00

GrouchyKiwi · 17/12/2024 12:57

I'm going to count how many times the ignorance about home educated kids and socialising comes up. That's always fun.

Some have lots of socialisation. Some do not.
In school educated families some families do not provide much opportunity for socialisation outside of school either, but the children go get it in school.

MiraculousLadybug · 17/12/2024 13:01

OP has form for posting contrary things on threads, then running away and not answering any of the many reasonable people who ask her follow up questions on her contrary viewpoints.

SharpOpalNewt · 17/12/2024 13:02

kelsaycobbles · 17/12/2024 12:57

It is nevertheless far easier to spot abuse in a public setting than a private setting

In the terrible recent case the school failed to spot the abuse all the time she was enrolled there. She was off roll for only a few weeks and was murdered in the school holidays.

Loads of kids are happy at home but then are sexually assaulted or routinely bullied or physically assaulted at school. Let's not pretend that it doesn't happen or that schools are great at dealing with it.

GrouchyKiwi · 17/12/2024 13:02

MerryMaker · 17/12/2024 13:00

Some have lots of socialisation. Some do not.
In school educated families some families do not provide much opportunity for socialisation outside of school either, but the children go get it in school.

Swings and roundabouts. Some children don't get any socialisation in school - unless you count bullying - but home ed allows them to develop friendships they wouldn't have had.

And there are loads of those kids, because they're the "weird" ND kids.

TakeMyLifeAndLetItBe · 17/12/2024 13:02

Perhaps we ought to just hand our children over to the state straight after birth too?

Puffinshop · 17/12/2024 13:03

It's banned where I live unless the parent who's going to be doing the educating is a qualified teacher.

It's not framed in terms of parent's rights or the state's rights. It's considered a child's right to receive an education from trained educators.

I quite agree with this policy.

Porcuporpoise · 17/12/2024 13:03

No I don't think it should be banned, better regulated certainly. I do think that a wider variety of provision and support should be available to children w SEN. And access to mh care for children and teens when necessary should be a given.

twistyizzy · 17/12/2024 13:04

Puffinshop · 17/12/2024 13:03

It's banned where I live unless the parent who's going to be doing the educating is a qualified teacher.

It's not framed in terms of parent's rights or the state's rights. It's considered a child's right to receive an education from trained educators.

I quite agree with this policy.

Under ECHR a parent has the right to choose how to educate their child depending on their ethical, religious or philosophical beliefs.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 17/12/2024 13:05

kelsaycobbles · 17/12/2024 12:55

I do see children who are being let down by the home schooling trend - children in my wider family with no special needs ( well at least one if not two are substantially brighter than mum who is educating them )

It is also harder to spot problems and keep them in mind if the child is out of sight - it is easier to fall through cracks

SEN provision needs complete rethinking and funding ( but that will mean more taxes needing to be spent )

But then, I also see children who are being let down by their schools (and indeed, some who are substantially brighter than their teachers, even if the teachers were able to teach to the best of their ability, which often they don’t have the resources or freedom to do).

MerryMaker · 17/12/2024 13:06

twistyizzy · 17/12/2024 13:04

Under ECHR a parent has the right to choose how to educate their child depending on their ethical, religious or philosophical beliefs.

That right has legal limits. It is not an open ended right.

DeepLimeBird · 17/12/2024 13:07

I don’t think it should be banned, definitely not. But I do think it needs better regulated and checked. I know personally of 3 children who are ‘homeschooled’ and not one of them gets any sort of education because the parents are too busy fannying about on TikTok or lying in bed.

SharpOpalNewt · 17/12/2024 13:07

Puffinshop · 17/12/2024 13:03

It's banned where I live unless the parent who's going to be doing the educating is a qualified teacher.

It's not framed in terms of parent's rights or the state's rights. It's considered a child's right to receive an education from trained educators.

I quite agree with this policy.

In our case I though my daughter had a right to be educated away from the boy who went to her school who sexually assaulted her. In spite of police involvement the school did not suspend or exclude him. My daughter was also bullied by other pupils for speaking up about the assault. She did not feel safe in school.

I'm really glad it is not banned where we live. If all schools were fantastic and could meet our children's needs then the need for home education would be very small indeed.

DazedAndConfused321 · 17/12/2024 13:07

My disabled child who has to be home educated should just fuck off then? She can just go without education because you don't like it?

HE should be regulated, there should be regular check ins by council or social services to make sure kids are being educated and are happy and healthy. That way, they don't slip under the radar.

twistyizzy · 17/12/2024 13:08

MerryMaker · 17/12/2024 13:06

That right has legal limits. It is not an open ended right.

No but it leaves any attempt to deny that right open to legal challenge

Snowpatrolling · 17/12/2024 13:08

Why? A parent home educating their child doesn’t affect you in any way shape or form??

Ponderingwindow · 17/12/2024 13:08

Until the state school system
somehow manages to truly differentiate education for all students, parents need the option of homeschooling. Private, fee based schools, remain out of reach for many and do not necessarily do any better at meeting the needs of students who struggle in a mixed classroom setting.

MerryMaker · 17/12/2024 13:08

SharpOpalNewt · 17/12/2024 13:07

In our case I though my daughter had a right to be educated away from the boy who went to her school who sexually assaulted her. In spite of police involvement the school did not suspend or exclude him. My daughter was also bullied by other pupils for speaking up about the assault. She did not feel safe in school.

I'm really glad it is not banned where we live. If all schools were fantastic and could meet our children's needs then the need for home education would be very small indeed.

It is dreadful, but lawfully the school could not do anything. Because legally the boy is guilty until proven innocent.

NoYouDidnt · 17/12/2024 13:08

Why do you want to make it illegal?

It's not something I would choose for myself but know a couple of people who do, and they don't actually want to and would much rather their kids could access a more formal education setting but they haven't been able to find a place that can meet their child's complex health needs so it's home education or no education.

Thats the choice a lot of families have to make, if you make it illegal what do think should happen to the parents who can't get a school place?

I would support it being a bit more regulated, I don't know what that would look like as it's not something I've given a lot of thought too, I've seen a lot of people advise each other to home ed so that the government are not shaping their child's minds and pushing propaganda on them, there's also the extreme examples of children being abused and home education has allowed it to go unchecked, and there's also strict religious families who don't want their children being taught certain things that don't align with their religion.

But in my actual real life the people I personally know who have home educated have done so because they literally have no choice. It's not an easy thing to do.

MeanderingGently · 17/12/2024 13:09

I disagree completely. The right to educate our children either by regular attendance at school "or otherwise" is a parental responsibility, enshrined in the 1944 education act and subsequent amendments.
Children should be receiving an education, but that can be at home or in a suitable private establishment, not necessarily at school.

The current, horrific abuse that children (and in one specific case now in the news) receive when they're taken out of school has nothing to do with education, in schools or elsewhere. It is to do with parents who are abusive. Do not think that everyone who takes a child out of school is going to go down the same route.

I do agree that there should be more oversight of those who are home educating. Not dictating what they do but supportive understanding of what is going on, so that interventions can be made immediately it becomes obvious when children are being hidden rather than being educated alternatively.

In the 1990s we educated our own children at home. It suited us at the time because of our situation, and because one of my children had certain needs which required extra interventions which the state system couldn't supply in those days.
There were far fewer home educated children at that time. We registered ourselves with the Local Education Authority, and sent up an outline of our reasons and the sorts of educational provision we would be giving. The local village school offered recourses although we never needed them. We were visited regularly by an Education Inspector who was absolutely lovely; my children would welcome him into the home and show him their paintings and story books etc., quite spontaneously. He always said he was less bothered about the actual education provided but the way the children reacted, as he could tell how sociable they were or whether they were being neglected (or whatever).

Eventually my own children moved into state education as they grew older.

It seems these days that there isn't so much support and no-one oversees what's going on....the usual lack of resources, lack of funding, lack of people to keep an eye on things or schools too overstretched to follow up when a child 'disappears'. As always, children fall under the net because it's always "someone else's job" to check up what is happening.

Moier · 17/12/2024 13:09

Why??
I home educated my daughters after primary school( age 40 and 32 now) .
All my Grandsons were / are home educated.. all ASD.
All got 8 GCSE's and above.
One at Uni one at college
10 year old is way above his peers.
Mental health comes before any school.
Especially now schools are far top strict and more interested in attendance than education.
HE isn't like lock down.. with kids sat at table with school books.
It can be going to library's/ museums / zoos/ swimming.
My youngest attends A coding club at the library.
He attends HE group weekly too.

Whatafustercluck · 17/12/2024 13:10

Oioisavaloy27 · 17/12/2024 12:54

I don't think it should be illegal but I do think they should have a register and unannounced visits to make sure the children and safe and that they are actually being educated.

Even ofsted provide a short warning to schools that they'll be inspected, so unannounced seems heavy handed.

I disagree with the op due to all the reasons already mentioned (and have particular sympathy with home educating sen parents).

I do agree though that there needs to be more oversight than there is at present, notwithstanding that Sara was failed on multiple occasions by multiple agencies before she was removed from school.

Nanny0gg · 17/12/2024 13:10

Viviennemary · 17/12/2024 12:43

I would like to see a ban on HE except perhaps in a very very few cases and with good reason and under strict supervision.

No. But it needs much tighter regulation

Glutenfreezone · 17/12/2024 13:10

HE is a Valid choice and should remain so

Nanny0gg · 17/12/2024 13:11

Moier · 17/12/2024 13:09

Why??
I home educated my daughters after primary school( age 40 and 32 now) .
All my Grandsons were / are home educated.. all ASD.
All got 8 GCSE's and above.
One at Uni one at college
10 year old is way above his peers.
Mental health comes before any school.
Especially now schools are far top strict and more interested in attendance than education.
HE isn't like lock down.. with kids sat at table with school books.
It can be going to library's/ museums / zoos/ swimming.
My youngest attends A coding club at the library.
He attends HE group weekly too.

If only ALL HE children were actually educated. In whatever form that takes.

Sadly, not the case

Were any of you ever monitored/inspected?