Children Missing Education

[enlightenment]

Any advice out there on a child missing education?

Its a long story of course and there is a lot more to it than this message but...

I have a DGS aged 9 who has been at a great village primary school which he loved. However his father has suddenly, inexplicably uprooted him from both school and home and taken him to live as solitary 'travellers' in a van. Apart from the many social issues and environmental health issues as this is an illegal site with no sanitation - the father has evaded all contact with Education Officers/Social Services. Each time they contact him he says he is going to move on out of their area .

He tells them he is going to home educate.
No problem with that except in this case its
not going to happen and this father is simply trying to take DGS out of society and provide nothing in the way of education as a normal HE would be doing. This is a true case of a 'home educator' using the current legal situation on home education to abuse a child .

Obviously I have recourse to regain the family contact via the Family Courts but I would be really grateful if anyone has any similar experience or advice.

There are special education advisers in every area who deal with traveler children, maybe you can find the one for that LEA?

But actually this does sound very one sided. Why has the father done this? What does the child's mother say? And how do you know they are not educating him in their own way (t doesn't have to be workbooks etc.).

If you think the child is in danger then maybe you need to talk to social services. But except in cases of neglect and cruelty, most parents do try to provide some kind of education to their children, although it may not be the same as in school.

BTW I don't HE.

It is a sad but true fact that a very few parents use their right to home educate to non educate. (Nt suggexting this is the norm for HE) The Education Welfare department do have a responsibility to investigate though.

Local authorities have a system for circulating the names of "missing children"

Can you contact either the school were the DGS was last registered or the Local education authority in which that school was situated. Ask the head of Educational Welfare Service to circulate the name, Date of Birth of the DGS and perhaps registration number of the vehicle which he is believed to be travelling in. If you have an idea which county he is now in, pass on all the details.

Have a look at your local authority web site and find the Educational Welfare advisory section.

Is the OP suggesting that because the child's father wants to go travelling with the child, that the child is being abused?

If he has told the Education Dept and Social Services that he is home educating the child, that is sufficient that he has informed them.
Unless you can prove abuse/neglect etc. then you shouldn't be interfering in their lives.
You may not agree with their lifestyle but that doesn't mean there should be an investigation.
In respect of contact with your grandson, grandparents do not have automatic right of contact with children. You would, as you say, have to apply to the Court for leave to apply for a contact order.

In respect of the child being home educated, you would have to spend every minute of every day with them to be able to prove that the child is not receiving an education.

Marjorie - this is not an anti home ed thread. The vast majority of home edders have their children's best interests at heart and do a good job. There are a tiny proportion however who do not do a good job and do neglect their children. I think the op is worried that this could be a sign of mental illness and wants to protect their gc.

The OP is making an assumption that her grandson is being neglected and is not receiving an education without any concrete proof at all.

I don't think you can make that assumption on the basis of what she's written here. This sounds like a very complex story.

Surely it is better to try and prevent a problem than to have to pick up the pieces afterwards.

To the OP, I suggest that either you or the mother contact the primary school today, and request them to report to the senior officer in charge of the Educational Welfare officers what has been happening. The LA can then circulate details of your DGS to other local authorities.

"the father has evaded all contact with Education Officers/Social Services. Each time they contact him he says he is going to move on out of their area ."

It seems the relevant authorities are already aware of your dgs and his father. Could it be that they are not taking things any further because there is no problem even though you are not happy with the situation.

If you think your dgs is being abused in some way then by notifying Social Services I would have thought they had to investigate. Or have they looked into it already and again don't see a problem?

Not really enough info in the op to be able pass comment.
I do agree with MarjorieW's posts, though.

Also in agreement with Marjorie.

There would need to be proof that this child is not receiving any education. The father has the right to withdraw his child from school and live in a travellers van if he so wished.

There may be more info on this than you have given us, but just going on your OP, it does not mean he is being neglected, abused or receiving adeuquate education.