Stephen's views on home education & the Badman Review
I believe that parents should be allowed and supported to home educate, as home education can provide a fantastic opportunity for many young people.
Officially titled the 'Review Into Elective Home Education in England', the Badman Review was a report commissioned in January 2009 by the Secretary for Children, Schools & Families, the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, with the aim of investigating the current practices of home educators. It was published in June of 2009.
On 13th October 2009 I met with representatives from the 'Choose to Learn' campaign group for home educators and was interested to hear about their views on the subject. I have also been in contact with Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, who is the Minister responsible for the Home Education Review, in order to make her aware of the concerns of many people in Bristol West regarding this issue.
While the aims of the Badman Report were benevolent, my Liberal Democrat colleagues and believe that the Badman Review has some clear flaws, not least in the very short consultation. Home educating parents, as well as other groups, should have been given a much greater chance to contribute to the review. This point was also made by a response to the Badman Review entitled 'Right to Reply', published on the 13th October 2009, which states that, 'It seems paradoxical that the concern expressed [in the Badman Review] is about the invisibility of homeschooled children, and yet the evidence given for this is given in terms of the amount of children who are known.'
I think that we should avoid creating unnecessary powers for local authorities. However, the right balance must be achieved between allowing the freedoms which many parents are able to use to give their children the widest possible opportunities in life, and making sure that all children are receiving a good and safe education.
The Liberal Democrats believe that parents should notify a new local authority if they move into a new area - there is no requirement for this at present. It is not acceptable that some Local Authorities almost totally wash their hands of pupils who are being home educated. Many home educators will not want or require support, but, if wanted, assistance should be available, for example to help arrange examinations.
There are a host of reasons why parents choose to home educate their children and we would want to ensure that the child's safety and interests are put first, and that the child's education is given the priority which it deserves.
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