Home-schooled children from Bognor campaign against proposals

A group of 40 families from Chichester, Bognor Regis, Worthing and Portsmouth gathered for a bubble picnic where they highlighted their concerns to the public and gave out more than 700 leaflets.

The changes are being drawn up by the Department for Children, Schools and Families headed by Ed Balls. The plans would mean parents who home-educate their children would be required to register with their local education authority.

They would then be subject to annual inspections by the council to check they were providing a good standard of education. Any parents failing to satisfy the inspection would have their right to home-educate removed.

The proposals have not yet come into force, but are expected to be introduced some time next year.

Caroline Spear, who helped organise the awareness day, said the main problem with the plans was they had not been devised by experts in home-education and had failed to take account of children's views.

"We were very well received by members of the public, people stopped and listened to us and many people were not aware of the changes being proposed.

"The policy is about children, but no children have been asked what they think about these changes. You can't just look at home education in ten minutes, and know about it, I have been home-educating for ten years and I'm still learning.

"Ed Balls has no experience in home-education, he comes from a background of inflicted children. Every parent wants the best for their child and home-educating parents are making sure their children are happy, and school is not the right place for every child."

Fellow organiser Stuart Spear said: "It's the fact we are losing choice really, no-one is particularly bothered about being registered, but we are concerned about being made to home-educate in a particular way which satisfies the local education authority rather than exploring our own way."

An online petition has been set up at www.petitions.number10.gov.uk/EHEreview. People are being encouraged to contact their MP at www.writetothem.com.

For more information see www.homeschooler.org.uk.

What do you think? Send a letter to [email protected] or leave a comment below.

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