The British government will increase its inspection and attention towards home-schooling to ensure children get a high-quality education. Several organisations have proposed that local authorities create and maintain registers for home-schooled children. The general idea is to give the minors and their families more support if they need it.
Anntoinette Bramble, the chairperson of the Local Government Association (LGA), has spoken out, saying that overall children are getting a good education at home, but there are still minorities that need to be looked after. Not all kids get to be schooled in a secure environment and ensuring this should be a priority.
Better monitoring of home-education
According to a survey made by the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), there are approximately fifty-eight thousand (57,873) home-schooled children across one hundred and fifty-two (152) local authorities in England. The problem comes when children are said to be home-schooled but in fact, are attending illegal schools. That can lead to exposure to a dangerous environment and children getting an improper education.
The LGA is bothered by the lack of power that councils have to ensure that young people are getting a high-quality home-education in a safe and suitable learning setting.
The ADCS also pointed out that the register needs to be more sophisticated and not only focus on children being educated during school hours because another growing issue is that illegal education institutions are still operating during unsociable hours.
Children need support, and the government has to make sure they are getting the best possible education. Unfortunately, children’s services are going to be facing three million (3.1m) shortfall in the capital by 2025, and it is crucial for authorities to take precautions and get secure funding.
