Home Educating Parents Sidelined!

On 10^th  April 2018, the Department for Education (DfE) published significant new draft Guidance for Home Education in England. This all seemed very reasonable, with the guidance subject to a public consultation ending on 2^nd July:

•    https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-frameworks/home-education-call-for-evidence-and-revised-dfe-a/

However, there was one major omission in the Government’s approach to this matter – before producing these new documents the DfE didn’t talk to any of the key stakeholders – that is, the home-educating parents!

The government produced detailed draft Guidance documents after significant discussions with Local Authorities but no discussion whatsoever with the home education community!

As a result, representatives of the home education community – The Draft EHE Guidance Consultation Group – have launched a really important petition on Change.org:

“We ask the Department for Education to withdraw the 2018 Home Education Guidance”

https://www.change.org/p/department-for-education-we-ask-the-house-of-commons-to-withdraw-the-2018-home-education-guidance

Explaining the purpose of the petition, the group states:

“These draft Guidance documents were written following significant consultation with Local Authorities and no consultation whatsoever with the home education community, to whom it is presented as a fait accompli.
The subsequent Call for Evidence/Consultation is consequently for little more than show, as the Government’s intention to implement the content has already been stated.

• These Guidance documents seek to encourage Local Authorities to breach the ECHR Article 8 and the GDPR.
• They provide no accessible means for a parent to address disproportionate, unreasonable or ultra vires behaviour by their Local Authority, where many of those authorities already act routinely in such ways.
• They are oppressive and encourage the use of draconian measures to control and fetter the civil liberties of a minority section of society.
• They are divisive and will lead to segregation of communities by treating home educating families as lesser than their peers.
• They undermine the rights of children and the duties of their parents.

The petitioners therefore request the DfE to withdraw the draft Guidance documents and the procedure of or results from the related Call for Evidence until:

1. it has put in place an accessible and workable complaints procedure and
2. it has consulted with home educating parents, as it has with Local Authorities, as to what the contents should include.”

The Parent Power team encourages all parents to support this petition. The issues it raises highlight yet more examples of how the responsibilities and duties of parents are being undermined by local and national government.

To Sign Now – Click this link: Petition

Parent Power