Checking with the Glamorgan website, we find the minutes of the SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (COMMUNITY WELLBEING AND SAFETY)

881     PUPILS EDUCATED OTHER THAN AT SCHOOL (REF) -

The Scrutiny Committee (Lifelong Learning) had referred the reference and the report to the Scrutiny Committee (Community Wellbeing and Safety) in order that the Scrutiny Committee consider if all school age children within the Vale of Glamorgan were known to the Council.  The law required that all parents should ensure that their children received an efficient full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.  The law allowed parents to educate their children at home instead of sending them to school if they fulfilled certain conditions.  The requirement on the Council was that it needed to be satisfied that a child was receiving suitable education at home and a specialist teacher would ask to meet with the family in order to talk to the parent and to look at examples of work and learning. However it was highlighted that Local Education Authorities had no automatic right of access to a parent’s home.  It was reported that some 28 children within the Vale of Glamorgan were being educated at home, 24 of which had been seen by the LEA at least once per term.  Whilst accepting the principle of Home Education for Children, Members had expressed the view that a child’s rights to a satisfactory education may not be adequately satisfied at present, in view of the lack of continuous assessment.  The Committee had been advised that this concern was also being supported by the Education Welfare Officer’s Group on a national basis. 

The Chairman drew attention to the fact that there was also the possibility that a child could be adopted from another country, brought into the area and the Social Services Department could in some instances not ever know about the child.  The fact that a small number of children, as suggested by the report, may not be known to the Council, was a concern to the Committee.  However, they were advised that if there were any issues about safeguarding a childs welfare, the Social Services Department would take the appropriate action. It was noted that other local authorities would inform respective Councils if any child moved into their area.  Members also raised their concern in relation to  the fact that if a child was taught at home, they may also not learn social skills nor have the opportunity to mix with other children.

The Director of Social Services advised the Committee that the  “Safeguarding Children Board” would be the appropriate forum  to refer Members’ comments and suggested that a further report be presented to the Committee after consultation with the Board.

Having considered the reference, it was

RECOMMENDED -

(1)       T H A T  recommendations (3) and (5) of the Scrutiny Committee (Lifelong Learning) be endorsed :

·               That Cabinet be requested to consider ways in which officers of the Council can monitor the performance of children educated at home more frequently in order that the children’s progress can be better assessed;

·               That Cabinet be asked to make representations to WAG to ensure the right of LEA’s to better assess the performance of children educated at home.

(2)       T H A T the Committee receives a report from the Safeguarding Children Board in relation to the concerns raised at the meeting.

Reasons for recommendations

(1)       To consider ways in which the performance of children educated at home can be monitored.

(2)       For Members information and consideration.

Letter sent 15-APR-2008 17:40:

Dear South Wales Echo,

 

As an organisation supporting families who elect to educate their own children outside the school system, we were appalled by the article published on April 14, "Appeal for more monitoring of Home Education".

 

Education "leaders" in the Vale of Glamorgan appear to have informed your correspondent that "Parents are allowed to educate their children at home provided they meet certain criteria, including allowing a specialist teacher to meet the family and examine examples of their children’s work." This is either displaying an alarming ignorance of the law or a deliberate misrepresentation.

 

Parents are at all times responsible for their child's education, a duty which they can choose to discharge by sending the child to school or otherwise. There is no question of being "allowed" by the local authority to make a free choice between equally valid and legal options for the education of one's child.

 

The Welsh Assembly's Guidelines on Home education state that, unless there are existing grounds for concern for the welfare of the children, "the LEA should assume that efficient educational provision is taking place, which is suitable for the child, unless there is evidence to the contrary. There is no express requirement in the 1996 Act for LEAs to investigate actively whether parents are complying with their duties under Section 7"

 

Officials may make a general enquiry but they have neither the duty nor right to monitor the family, examine the children's work, or demand that the parents meet an arbitrarily imposed set of criteria.

 

Having checked the minutes of the meeting from which these recommendations come, we find that the Scrutiny Commitee has fundamentally misunderstood education law as regards both their powers and responsibilities, and have put themselves in the position of illegally harassing home educating families.

 

The authority already admit to inspecting education provisions for home educating families in Glamorgan "at least once a term." Compare this disproportionate intrusion to the requirement for schools, subject to inspections only every few years. Glamorgan are already overstepping the powers confered upon them; what extra powers would they like to assume in order to allay their unwarrented suspicions against home educators? CCTV in every home? I would like the authority to justify the ultra vires monitoring of these 24 children, and wonder whether they show the same level of interest and oversight for the 20,000 state schooled children in the area. Is this illegal power grab the sort of thing the tax payers of Glamorgan want their education budget spent on?

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Peter Darby,

 

Welsh Correspondent, Action for Home Education (AHEd).

http://ahed.pbwiki.com/

Regional Groups:

www.wiseuphe.netfirms.com - Neath Porth Talbot

Neath group - web page - http://neath-he.childwise-education.org/, yahoo group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SWWHE/