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Ref: 326/07 4 September 2007
Cheshire Calls For Tougher Guidelines Concerning Home Education
Cheshire County Council is writing to the Government asking for guidelines concerning children educated at home by parental preference to be ‘toughened up’.
At today’s (Tuesday) Children’s Services Executive a report was considered which stated Cheshire’s response to consultation on the guidelines.
Afterwards chairman and Executive Support Member for Children’s Services Shirley Harris said: “Some of the guidelines are ambiguous and some simply do not go far enough. For example all children educated at home should be registered as home educated wit the authority.
“Elective home education is the only area of education and child care that is not subject to more rigorous statutory regulation concerned with quality assurance and accountability.
“Children should also be involved and consulted if their parents want to elect home education so that their needs and aspirations are taken into account.
”There is also a need for a standardised system of monitoring visits and reporting to parents which should be applied to all local authorities.”
Numbers of children being educated at home in Cheshire are increasing year on year. In 2003/4 the figure was 95 and for 2006/7 it stands at 204.
The responsibility for a child’s education rests with their parents and in England education is compulsory but schooling is not.
Parents are not required to register or seek approval from the local authority to educate their children at home.
However they must assume full financial responsibility including bearing the cost of any public examinations.
Ends
Note To Editors: For more information please contact Linda Walker from Children’s Services on 01606 274330 and County Councillor Harris on 01606 79054
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