Councils seek new powers to check on home-schooled children

Sep 16, 2016 by

by Sally Weale, Guardian:

Council leaders are calling on the government to give them greater powers to check on the growing number of children who are apparently being home-educated – a trend that is thought to be linked to a rise in the number of illegal schools across England.

The schools watchdog Ofsted has previously said unregistered schools are exploiting the rules on home education. The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, wants local authorities to be given powers to enter homes and premises to check on the suitability of education being offered.

It also wants to be able to compel parents to register home-educated children to help councils monitor their education and prevent children from disappearing under the radar. The LGA raised concerns that some illegal schools had been linked to the teaching of extremist views.

Richard Watts, chair of the LGA’s children and young people board, said the majority of parents who home-educated their children worked well with their local council to ensure a good education for their child.

“However, in some cases, a child listed as home-schooled can in fact be attending an illegal school. With limited powers to check on the work a child is doing, however, councils are unable to find out whether this is the case.”

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