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(Continued from previous page) 3.5 We should like to see added "Local authorities should take great care not to discriminate against parents on the basis of the legitimate choices that they have made for the education of their children." Also, it should be made clear to local authorities that parents do not need to give a reason at all for their decision to home educate. The precedent has been set in England and Wales that it is reasonable only to establish intent at first and to be flexible and understanding in allowing parents to establish their methods before requesting details on exactly what form the educational provision will take. 3.7 "In order to avoid unsettling the child unnecessarily, parents should write to the education authority as early as possible in advance of the date that they wish to withdraw their child from school." It is the experience of ARCH members who have supported families in this situation that once the decision has been made to home educate, then it is often best to withdraw the child as soon as possible. Prolonging school attendance beyond the point where it causes distress for the child would be contra to the UNCRC, Article 12. "The authority should acknowledge the receipt of this notification and consider quickly whether there is any available information indicating that there may be good reason to refuse consent. If no such information is available, consent can be granted immediately." We should like local authorities to be reminded that there should be a presumption of innocence i.e. it should be assumed that parents will educate according to their Section 30 duties unless proved otherwise. It is important to establish quantified timescales for giving consent and that the local authority should act as quickly as possible so as not to leave families open to accusations of truancy. We would suggest a suitable response time of 7 days. We would like the last sentence of this section to be changed to: "If no such information is available, consent should be granted immediately." Section 4 - Developing Relationships Clear Information 4.4 In addition to being clear, we think information provided to parents must be accurate and truthful. In addition to setting out the legal position, information should accurately represent the law. No attempts should be made to impose local authority preferred methods of operating on parents. Parental choice is paramount as is the presumption of innocence and both are supported in law. These principles should be acknowledged and respected in all information provided to parents. Practical Support and Resources 4.6 It would be helpful if home-educated youngsters could have access to local examination centres (e.g. schools) for the purposes of sitting examinations. Some schools will not take external candidates and this is a major inconvenience to home-educated students who have otherwise completed their studies via correspondence courses or independent learning. Recognised Qualifications 4.9 "Authorities are, however, expected to take a reasonable approach and make available any resources or support that they can offer." In doing so, local authorities should not restrict the opportunities available to home-educated children by imposing rules that would have the effect of discriminating against them. For example, on the subject of access to examination centres, insisting that schools include the results of external candidates in their league tables discourages schools from accepting external candidates and thus excludes home-educated students. Named Contact 4.10 "Education authorities should provide parents… with a named contact within the authority who is familiar with home education policy and practice and has an understanding of a range of educational philosophies." ARCH is of the view that home educators or home education organisations should train such named contacts. It would be advisable to consult with a broad range of home education organisations in this regard. In the past, ignorance of home education methods and philosophy has caused many problems with communication and fostering good relations between local authorities and home educating families. |