20th February 2019 9:00
By Blue Tutors
England’s children’s commissioner has said that home schooled students should be recorded on a compulsory register. Reported on the BBC, Anne Longfield has expressed concerns about the increasing number of parents who choose to home school their children because there is no information about how well they are doing academically, or about their wellbeing.
In 2018 estimates are that 60,000 students were taught at home at some point. This is a 32% rise over two years for primary school students, and a 71% rise for secondary school students. Longfield reported that there is a small number of schools responsible for most of these increasing figures, and it’s important to look into why so many students are moving to home schooling in particular areas.
A major concern is situations where students with special educational needs (SEN) or failing students are “off-rolled” by their school, and become classed as being home schooled. These students are unlikely to receive the specialist help they need at home. Ms Longfield says that schools should not remove students who don’t fit into their system; schools are required to provide education for all students, regardless of learning difficulties.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said that the majority of parents who have chosen to hop school their children are doing a very good job. However, she conceded that there are students who are not receiving the necessary standard of education, and the government is considering a register as well as a way to provide more support for students who are being home schooled.