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Picnic highlights right to home education
SHEFFIELD parents who refuse to send their children to school staged a picnic in the Peace Gardens in defence of their right to educate their youngsters at home.
The event was one of more than 40 held across the country to celebrate home education.
A recent Government-backed review is proposing stricter regulations on home education, including a requirement to force families to register with their local authority.
Councils could be given powers to refuse registration if they believe any child is at risk - after the review found that youngsters educated at home were twice as likely to be on social services' registers for being at risk of abuse as the rest of the population.
New legislation could also compel home-educating parents to draw up 12-month plans outlining what they plan to teach their child.
If officials believe the child is not receiving an adequate education, councils will be able to issue an order requiring the child to be sent to school.
Currently, parents have complete freedom to teach their child anything they wish, and do not have to register with any local authority.
Sheffield education chiefs estimate half a per cent of the city's school-age population are being educated at home, around 250 children - but they have no idea of the precise figure.
Annette Taberner, a mum-of-two who has home-schooled for 16 years, said the Peace Gardens picnic, called Not Hidden Home Educated, proved such children were not being spirited away out of sight.
She said: "We have been under constant attack for the last three years. The statistics in the recent review are flawed and the recommendations are about providing sticks not carrots for families.
"They want the right of access to our homes and the right to interview our children alone. They spoke to over 2,000 people but they didn't really listen. Educating at home is all about personalising learning towards a child's interests - planning ahead 12 months could restrict progress."
Anne said relations with Sheffield city council were "very variable" with some officers making time and effort to understand home schooling families, while others seemed determined to get children back into school.
Janet Ford from Hillsborough said she had been involved in home education for 24 years. Her son Christopher is currently taking a PhD.
She said: "As a community of families we do try to be self-sufficient and that is threatening our downfall. People worry that we hide our children away - that is why we are here today, out in the open, and this is just one of a wide range of activities we organise including drama, skating, dancing, gym and much more."
Carol Beatty from Lodge Moor has only recently decided to teach her 11-year-old daughter Amelia at home after she struggled at three different schools due to her autism.
She said: "Amelia used to suffer terribly from stress caused by her experiences at school - autism is not properly understood and such children are not adequately provided for. It was a difficult decision to take but now I wish I had done it years ago.
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Latest sport I would be very concerned if I was ordered to send her back to school.”
Cabinet member for children’s services Coun Andrew Sangar said while he supported the concept of parental choice he believed there was a need to ensure home schooled children were receiving a good quality education.
He added: “We need to work together with these families and share ideas - there is a worry that these children are not enjoying the same breadth of experience as youngsters in school.”
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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