Essex

 

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Essex CO3 3UP

 

I am  one of three Home Education Advisory Teachers who are employed by Essex County Council to monitor and oversee the home education provision for all families in Essex who opt to teach their children at home.

 

1 Do you agree that it is helpful for the DfES to issue guidelines to local authorities?

 

Yes

 

Comments:

 

 

 

It is useful to have a set of national guidelines to provide a consistent approach within the UK.

 

 

 

Perhaps greater reference to parental responsibilities as well as rights would have been helpful.

 

 

2 Do you agree that the description of the law (paragraphs 2.1-2.3) relating to elective home education is accurate and clear?

 

No

 

Comments:

 

Clear descriptions should be given as to what constitutes ‘suitable, efficient and full-time’ education

 

3 Do you agree that the description of local authorities’ responsibilities (paragraphs 2.5-2.11) is accurate and helpful?

 

No

 

 

Comments

 

It is difficult to see how the LA would be made aware of concerns about a child’s suitable education without some form of routine monitoring.

 

4 Do you agree that the section on contact with the local authority (paragraphs 3.4-3.7) is accurate and helpful?

 

No

 

Comments:

 

In our view there would be a need to ensure a dialogue with the family in order make an informed decision about the education being provided.

 

5 Do you agree that the section on providing a full-time education (paragraphs 3.11-3.14) – and in particular, the characteristics of provision (paragraph 3.13) – is accurate and helpful?

 

No

 

 

Comments:

 

The list in Section 3.11 only provides information on what is not required – this could be open to misuse and poor interpretation.

 

 

 

The list in Section 3.13 is too vague. 

 

6 Do you agree that the section on developing relationships (section 4) is useful?

No

 

 

Comments:

 

Agreed that positive relationships are important.  The guidelines do not give Las the opportunity to meet with each family regularly or even to meet the child. It could therefore be difficult to develop relationships.  It appears that the LA is expected to provide a range of resources for families, who they may have had no contact with and no knowledge of their requirements.

 

7 a) Are the suggested resources in section 5 and appendix 2 useful?

 

 

No

 

Comments:

 

 

 

It should be recognised that these lists are subject to continuous change.  Can only, therefore, be a sample.

 

7 b) Should any other contacts be included?

 

Yes

 

Comments:

 

See above comments.

 

8 Please use this space for any other comments you wish to make about the guidelines

 

 

Comments:

 

When we met Elaine Haste at the Essex Elective Home Education Conference in 2006, we were led to believe that following the research into Traveller Families in Home Education, there would be changes in the law to allow for Compulsory Registration of all families in Home Education and that LA’s Rights and Responsibilities would be clarified in light of Every Child Matters and Children Missing in Education. Instead, we have been given Guidelines that protect the Parents’ Rights to provide Home Education but allow the LA very little scope to monitor all Parental provision of home education.

 

It would only take a serious child protection case to make Home Education more visible in the Public Eye and  that would call into question whether Parents should have so much freedom in relation to Home Education in the UK.

 

 

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Comments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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News:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Regional Groups:

 

Southend Home Education - email - indigoshirl(at)gmail(dot)com

 

 

 

 

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