'Significant and ongoing' increase in home education in Herts says council data

THE number of Hertfordshire children leaving school to be educated at home has increased by almost 30 per cent in the past three years, according to council data.

Back in September 2020, education officials say there were 1629 children being home-educated.

But by September 2023 they say there were 2114. That’s an increase of 485 children – equivalent to a 29.7 per cent increase.

The ‘significant and ongoing increase’ was highlighted at a meeting of the county council’s education, libraries and lifelong learning cabinet panel on Monday (December 4).

At the meeting it was reported that all parents have a legal duty to ensure their child receives ‘a suitable education’. But any parent can opt to do this at home, rather than at school.

That education must be ‘efficient’ and ‘full-time’. But home educated children do not have to follow the National Curriculum or keep to school hours.

It was reported to councillors that there is no requirement for learning to be ‘broad and balanced’, to aim for specific qualifications, to have a timetable or to make detailed lesson plans.

And parents are not even required to give formal lessons, formally assess progress or mark work done by the child.

At the meeting a number of councillors expressed concerns about the increasing trend towards home education in the county, where officers say the move is ‘particularly acute’.

Conservative Cllr Paula Hiscocks said she was concerned because council officers weren’t able to access homes or the education that was happening.

And she asked whether home education was the wish of the child – and how their voice was recorded.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Chris Lloyd said that he had always advised parents to try and get their children into a school because of the social interaction.

And he said that post covid he had hoped the number of parents opting to home educate their children would have decreased.

But he also asked for further geographical data to look at whether the trend related to particular areas or schools.

At the meeting councillors were also presented with the reasons given by parents to home educate.

Where parents did indicate a reason, data presented to councillors suggested the most most common reasons were dissatisfaction with school, ‘philosophocal or preferential reasons’ or mental health .

Five parents who responded suggested that the decision was because of permanent exclusion and 19 said it was ‘suggestion/pressure from the school’.

However, according to the data collected by the council, for more than 750 families the ‘reason given’ is listed as ‘unknown’.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Mark Watkin asked for further analysis of the reasons for home schooling.

And he also questioned whether that would pick up a geographical relationship.

• DURING the debate Conservative Cllr Peter Hebden pointed to the ‘anomaly’ of parents taking their children out of school on a holiday or to home educate.

A home-educating parent does not need to keep to school hours or to a fixed timetable.

Meanwhile a parent can be fined if opting to take a child out of school, in order to take advantage of a cheaper holiday.

And at the meeting, Cllr Hebden drew a comparison between the two.

“You don’t have to tell the local authority that you are going to home educate your children,” he said.

“You can therefore presumably go on holiday whenever you like, you could go sailing around the world – you don’t have to stick to term times.

“But then if a parent with a child at school goes on holiday a week before the end of term they are liable to get a fixed penalty notice.

“I just find that a little bit of an anomaly.”