Home Educated Kids Take Consultation Into Their Own Hands

Press Release Thursday 30th July 2009 – PDF version

The current consultation on home education does not fully take into account the views of the children it affects.

On Thursday June 11th, the Department for Children, Schools and Families opened a Consultation on proposed changes to the registration and monitoring of home educators, after an independent review of Elective Home Education in England.

Following the launch of the Consultation, home educated children who felt that their voices had not been heard during the Review and who continued to feel that they were not being consulted, formed the Home Educated Youth Council (HEYC). To challenge the DCSF’s assumption that home educated childrens’ opinions are influenced by their parents, HEYC wishes to speak face to face with DCSF officials without parents present, and have therefore been seeking an appointment with the DCSF since the group’s formation.

Despite previously appearing open to the idea of a meeting on 30th July, DCSF yesterday told HEYC that it was “too short notice” to meet with representatives from HEYC on that day, though the date was first proposed several weeks earlier. Chloe Watson, HEYC Chair, said: “The DCSF have a duty in law to listen to childrens’ opinions on matters which concern them, yet no effort has been made to secure a representative opinion from home educated children in this consultation, and those children who have been consulted have often been dismissed as being a mouthpiece for their parents.”

Another meeting date has been set, on August 12th, and HEYC is confident that the DCSF will honour the new meeting date and engage fully with representatives at that time.

Please contact chloew@heyc.org.uk for further details, or call on 07870 104216

Or alternatively, come to the press conference on July 30th, 2pm at the DCSF headquarters -

Department for Children, Schools and Families
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT