Recently, there has been a marked increase in scrutiny and media reporting of home education.  Amongst many issues, attention is being drawn to the rapidly increasing number of families who are electing to home educate with a 20% rise in the last year alone.  Not surprisingly, questions are being asked about why this is happening and the reasons being given are mixed.

It would be very positive if it was found that this rise is due to success stories regarding academic, social and economic success for home educated children that showed people the potential of this route.  And with an increasing population we could embrace opportunities available for those who are home educated, with more understanding and support for parents and a strong and productive relationship with the LA.  This rise would assume that there are very positive motivations for home educating and it is indeed a choice that an individual family can make depending on their own circumstances and wishes.

However, rather than being driven by positive motivations, there is now clear evidence that this is not always the case and that many families are deregistering from school out of necessity.  They cite reasons including that the LA can’t or won’t find a suitable school placement for their child due to their individual needs.  These families have already tried and been let down by the school system, and despite it meaning significant life style and financial impacts, they feel “forced” to home educate if their child is to thrive. They enter home education already wary of the local authority, having been let down and had their trust eroded.  The whole family is likely to be feeling the trauma of the process so far and the damage that has been done as they battle to access what every child is entitled to – a state provided free and appropriate full time education for their child where they can flourish and thrive and meet their potential.

While all evidence seem to suggest that there is more awareness of the need for schools to provide appropriate provision for individual and additional needs, this is becoming increasingly difficult to provide within the many constraints of the school system.  Reasons such as dissatisfaction with SEN provision, concerns about mental health, exam pressure and failing to reengage and settle following lockdown are unlikely to be resolved without a serious change to the school system. Until then, the inadequacy of provision is likely to mean that more and more families will be driven to home educate not because of their desire to follow this route but because of the inadequacy and failings of schools

As we look to welcoming in the new year, with its uncertainties regarding any changes to home education, there is ever more need to protect our hard earned rights.  We ask what you would like to see changed, either with schooling or your home education experience.  Is there anything that could happen within schools that would change your mind about home education?  It would be very interesting to know how many of our community would welcome the opportunity to access school based education if it could be guaranteed that certain changes had been made so that your child’s needs could be met.  And how many would continue with home education regardless of what changes happen in the school system.