What is its true purpose?

The Children’s Unhappiness Bill (as nicknamed by me) but known by the Government and officially as the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill despite reading through the Bill, and all accompanying material all I can see if enacted as is, is an impracticable mess that will not provide significantly better protection for children or lead to better wellbeing outcomes for the majority of Children.

I was under the impression public funds were tight at the moment, surely if billions are available (because that is what it would take to implement even half of this bill effectively), that would be better spent ringfenced and distributed NOW to Local Authorities to use specifically to ensure their social services departments are resourced well so they are not firefighting. They would be able to provide small caseloads for social workers which means they could carry out all their statutory duties promptly and even be able to provide the support they have legislative powers to do, but rarely the funding to enable it. This should also include significant and substantial training in Special Educational Needs and a variety of Disabilities so families are provided with appropriate support within the current legislative powers rather than “parent blaming” and must include training in the law as it currently stands around Home Education.

Choosing to home educate does not provide a loophole around child protection. If a child is at genuine risk of significant harm from the parents, social workers have the same duties and powers to intervene as they would if the child were in school.

Why not just ensure they know the law, have the resources to follow the law and then apply it!

A further baffling element, any parent who has deregistered from school to home educate knows the school MUST do a return to the LA confirming why a child has been removed from their school roll. Local Authorities already keep this list of home educated children. If they have an inkling that the child might be missing education then they contact the parent and make enquiries. If these enquiries indicate the child is not in receipt of an efficient full-time education suitable to the child’s age, aptitude, abilities, and SEN then they have options of School Attendance Order process or / and Education Supervision Order process. NO expensive new registers we simply need better training for Local Authority staff to understand the existing law and how to implement it efficiently and effectively.

If there is a genuine concern about numbers of home educators rising, and the intended outcome is improved wellbeing for children, then ring-fence some funds and plug the SEN deficit in Local Authorities’ budgets. Then add genuine timely accountability for any Local Authority that does not comply with the Childrens and Families Act 2014 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 and s19 Education act 1996 in full.

Elective home education should always be a conscious choice by a parent/carer not a forced choice because their Local Authority would / could not comply with a child’s right to a suitable education.

Michelle Zaher                      20/12/24                                                                                                               Educational Freedom