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Home-Education F.A.Qs.
Is Home-Education legal?
Yes, perfectly. Section 7 of the education act 1996states that:
"The parent of every child of
compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education
suitable -
(a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and
(b) to any special educational needs he may have,
either by regular attendance at school or otherwise."
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Do I need any special qualifications?
No, it is your right as a parent. Most parents are in the best possible
position to know their child's interests and abilities, they can also give far
more one to one attention, have genuine interest in the development of the child
rather than be be pre-occupied with figures, statistics and making sure that the
school's performance figures are up to scratch.
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Is it expensive?
It does not need to be. There are many resources on the internet, in the
kitchen, schools programmes on TV, around the house, in REAL LIFE; all that is
needed is imagination. Some people choose to buy resources such as books and
online tutorials and courses, it is entirely up to you and your child.
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Do I need to follow the National Curriculum?
No, you do not. Some HE parents like the structure that this gives to
learning, many others prefer to let the child lead the way with what they are
interested in. Learning is after all a natural process a baby learns to walk and
talk without being taught they learn. It is my personal belief
that nobody can really be taught anything one can only learn. Our son is
currently learning, among other things, CAD and graphic programs on the
computer, does a lot of art and reads intensely for pleasure and learning
(something he would never have dreamed of doing while at school).
What about socialisation?
WHAT about socialisation? Too many people put too much emphasis on this
topic. Since you left school how often have you been forced into a situation
with a group of people with whom the only thing you may have in common is the academic
year in which you happened to be born? Home educating allows much more freedom
to experience a real life and mix with a much wider age range. There is no
reason your child should lose any friends they made at school (if they have
been), and they will have plenty of opportunities to make friends of all ages at
clubs, gatherings, HE meetings or other social events. There is a better chance
of meeting like minded people at clubs after all. It can be argued that school
does not prepare children for life after school, it prepares them for school
life (they must wear the right clothes, listen to the right music, mix with the
'in' crowd - and drink or smoke if our local high school is typical, to be
accepted or fit-in). Home educated children often have a more balanced view of
the world and others and can be free to be themselves and question things. They
generally do not see adults as 'the enemy', as many school children do. They can
be allowed to develop a sense of maturity and responsibility whilst at the same
time being allowed a proper childhood.
What is De-Schooling?
De-schooling is the stage that many children go through after being
de-registered. During this period don't worry if
your child does not want to do much in the way of formal 'work' or pressure them
into 'doing' something. Think of it as a period of re-adjustment, get to know
each other again and allow your child to pursue their interests and find out
what they really want to learn about. The time it takes to de-school will vary
according to the personality of the child and the degree of damage done. If you have withdrawn your child because
they have had a very unpleasant experience at school (for whatever reason) the
period of de-schooling may be a bit longer.
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How do I go about de-registering my child?
If your child is currently at school all you need to do by law is to write to
the head master and inform him that you wish to remove your child from the
register, and that in accordance with your rights as parents you will be
educating your child at home. The school cannot refuse to "let them
go", it is up to the school to inform the LEA you do not need to. If you
are considering Home Educating your child and they are not yet of statutory
school age you do not need to inform your LEA of your intention to H.E. should
you decide to do so.
The
exceptions to this rule are:
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If you are living in Scotland, in which case visit Schoolhouse.org.uk
for more information.
-
If your child is SEN and attends a special school you
do need consent from the LEA to de-register but this should not
un-necessarily be refused. Visit he-special.org.uk for more information.
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If your child attends a private school the same rules
apply as for state schools, but bear in mind contractual obligations.
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Will I need to be inspected?
NO! Some people think that the LEA has a duty to inspect HE parents and
children to ensure
they are carrying out "proper" education, indeed some LEAs believe
this too. They are mistaken. Some LEAs can try to
bully home-educators into allowing them into their home. Some people wish
to allow home-visits, some do not, the LEA only has a right to intervene if there is no
evidence of a suitable education taking place. You can, if you prefer, send a
copy of your Philosophy of Education, these can take many different forms have a
look at some
of them courtesy of Muddle Puddle.
This information is intended as a guide and to the best of my knowledge is
correct at the time of writing, please look at the links provided on the left
there is a wealth of information out there to answer much more specific
questions and probably far more eloquently than I can. I thoroughly recommend www.homeed.cjb.net
and http://www.free-range-education.co.uk/
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Whilst every effort has been taken to
ensure the information on this site and externally linked sites is
accurate we cannot accept liability for any consequences arising from decisions
made after reading information from this or externally linked
sites.
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