Campaign reply - Home Education important action

Thank you for contacting my office. I appreciate you writing to me about the issue of the Schools Bill and how it pertains to the practice of home education. 

I hear your concern about the Government’s overreach into the private lives of families. However, the Government does not seek to interfere with the home education of children. The vast majority of home educating parents do an excellent job. That said, it is important that home education does not result in children dropping off the radar and becoming vulnerable to poor standards of education or risks to their safety and wellbeing. The creation of local authority administered registers for children not in school will allow us to support local authorities to make sure they know where every child is being educated, that it is of the right quality, and that support is offered to home educating families.
 
The Schools Bill is not a crackdown on home education, but an effort to achieve a long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time – founded on achieving world-class literacy and numeracy. An important kind of schooling in our country is home education, and the Schools Bill is merely making sure that our children are all receiving excellent educations that meet the standards of our country. 
 
I will express your concern about the potential overreach of this Bill to the relevant Minister. Please be assured that it is not the intention of the Government to discriminate against alternate forms of schooling. 
 
Thank you once again for getting in touch, and if I can be of further assistance with any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.