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Standing Up For Somerset Residents
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UPDATE (7/1/21): With the spectacular u-turn by Boris Johnson's Tory Government closing schools and universities, despite one day earlier claiming that they are "safe", we wanted to update our article from July 2020 which has informed parents about their rights in deciding how their children are educated.
As we said in the original article, home educating your children is not easy. So we are providing more information for parents.
The BBC is putting lessons on TV during lockdown. More at this link.
The BBC is reporting that some parents are struggling to meet home schooling demands during lockdown.
Somerset Independents is promoting the Wiltshire Digital Drive for laptops and other devices. It is not just for Wiltshire, but for neighbouring counties including Somerset, too.
Business2Schools is also supporting schools in Somerset.
Andrew Pope, Leader of Somerset Independents, has offered to help Wiltshire Digital Drive in Somerset. Andrew has also been offering technical advice to Somerset residents during lockdown, including on getting cheap laptops (the schemes above help, but may not be able to help parents directly). He runs a business "PopeyMon Games and Fun", which focusses on games, entertainment and fun (e.g. Playstation, Xbox, retro computers from the 1980s, etc.). Andrew has found this information from MSN that may be useful for home schooling - how to access Google Classroom from an Xbox or Playstation.
We will add more resources as we find them. If you have information to share, please get in touch via Facebook, Twitter, email or phone. Our contact details are at this link here.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE FROM JULY 2020
Co-Founder of Somerset Independents, Denise Wyatt, writes:
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Many parents do not realise that it is education that is compulsory, but school is not.
Sending your child to school is not compulsory, because children can be educated "otherwise".
Your child has to be educated, "otherwise" (e.g. at home) or at a school. That is how the law stands*. The key two words in the quote below from the Government guidance are "or otherwise".
You do not have to register your child for home education, but you should seriously consider informing your Local Education Authority.
That is, if you want to avoid authorities treating you with suspicion and/or coming down on you like a tonne of bricks. Unfortunately, this can happen - we know of cases where education authorities have bullied home educators.
It is a parent's right to choose how to educate their children.
So we suggest (as the Government guidance does) that you are better off to be open and transparent about the home education that you intend to give.
In the digital age, communication is made easier. And home education is made easier too.
The Government's own website on Home Education states:
“You can teach your child at home, either full or part-time. This is called home education (sometimes ‘elective home education’ or ‘home schooling’).”
Every parent has the right to choose whether or not to enrol their child in the school system.
Some families prefer to educate their children “otherwise” than at school. There are still obligations on you, if you choose to home educate.
Please note that if you have previously registered your child at school, then you need to de-register that child before home educating.
We recommend that you contact the organisations at the end of this article for fuller information.
Somerset Independents provides information to responsible parents, so that you can choose.
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Denise Wyatt is also our Deputy Leader and Spokesperson for Education. She also says:
"Parents during “Lockdown” have provided their child’s education at home and in the last few weeks, as the schools have opened, parents have also chosen not to send their child back to school.
Somerset Independents discovered and reported that 94% of children are not back at school.
The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson says that parents who fail to send their children back to school from September could be fined unless there is a "good reason" for their child's absence.
If you decide you don’t want to send your child to school and home educate, this is a choice you have."
If you decide to home educate, I suggest you contact one of the National Home Education organisations who can advise you and discuss with you your choices and home education."
Many parents in Somerset are already home educating. There are local support groups.
Denise also says:
"Your child’s education is your choice. If you think your child would receive a more “efficient” education and are safer at home, then home educate. Don’t be threatened or bullied by Government diktat.
Remember school is NOT compulsory. Education IS."
* Quote from Department of Education, Elective Home Education Departmental guidance for parents April 2019.
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There is no legislation that deals with home education as a specific
approach. However, Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 provides that:
The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to
receive efficient full-time education suitable –
(a) to his age, ability and aptitude, and
(b) to any special educational needs he may have,
either by regular attendance at school or otherwise”.
**National Organisations
Home Education Advisory Service
P.O. Box 98
Welwyn Garden City
Hertfordshire
AL8 6AN
Phone: +44 (0)1707 371854
Email: enquiries@heas.org.uk
https://www.heas.org.uk/
Education Otherwise
England: 08445 867542, 08445 867543, 08445 867544
https://www.educationotherwise.org/index.php
https://www.educationotherwise.org/index.php/helpline-general-enquiries
