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Opting out
2:03pm Thursday 4th October 2007
Comments (3)Shocking figures revealed this week show that a staggering number of parents in Lancashire are now opting to educate their children at home.
Some 567 children in the county are being taught at home, an 800 per cent rise in five years, rising from 61 in 2003.
The figures released under the freedom of information act show that 38 of those were from just one Preston school.
At City of Preston High School in Ribbleton, 38 children were taken out over a period of 12 months.
Head teacher Christopher Meldrum declined to speak to The Citizen but told Channel 4 News that he did not support home schooling and wanted to stamp it out.
He said: "It goes against everything I believe, that everybody should be entitled to an education within a school."
City of Preston High is currently in special measures due to a poor Ofsted report.
Mr Meldrum accused other schools of encouraging home schooling as a way of improving performance tables.
"I'm assuming that what they're doing is they've got targets to meet and it is easy to sign children off and it starts with one pupil and then another child meets the same criteria and before you know it, lots of pupils are being signed off.
"This means that results and attendences are effected but it is not helping the child or the parent."
Home school campaigners blame bullying, special needs provision and too many school tests as reasons for the increased numbers opting out of schooling.
It has also been suggested that some parents are using home education as a method of avoiding truancy prosecution.
But the county's education welfare officer stated that the numbers were not huge and it was more due to with a lifestyle choice rather than a reflection on the local education system. Francis Mulloy said: "In the past quite a few people have enquired about home schooling but haven't actually gone through with it.
"But now with the internet parents think it is a more viable option and it is a perfectly legitimate and we would support any families who chose this route."
In Britain, official records state that 13,255 children are educated at home but the real figure is believed to be nearer to 50,000.
NUT Lancashire County secretary, Ken Cridland, said: "I think there are so many pressures on schools now, so many targets to meet and league tables and so sometimes there are outcomes that are not expected and I'm afraid this is probably one of them."
Your Say YourPreston and Leyland Citizen
Jos, says...
10:32pm Thu 4 Oct 07
Section 7 of of the Education Act 1996 states:
"The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable ;
a) to his age, ability, and aptitude, and
b) to any special educational needs he may have,
either by regular attendance at school or otherwise."
I think it's unlikely that sending a child to a school under special measures is going to provide a child with a suitable education. The parents who have withdrawn their children to home educate should not be criticised for attempting to fulfil their legal duties by providing their children with a suitable education after the school has failed.
Jos, says...
10:32pm Thu 4 Oct 07
Section 7 of of the Education Act 1996 states:
"The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable ;
a) to his age, ability, and aptitude, and
b) to any special educational needs he may have,
either by regular attendance at school or otherwise."
I think it's unlikely that sending a child to a school under special measures is going to provide a child with a suitable education. The parents who have withdrawn their children to home educate should not be criticised for attempting to fulfil their legal duties by providing their children with a suitable education after the school has failed.
City of Preston High School, Ribbleton
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Jos, says...
10:32pm Thu 4 Oct 07
Section 7 of of the Education Act 1996 states:
"The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable ;
a) to his age, ability, and aptitude, and
b) to any special educational needs he may have,
either by regular attendance at school or otherwise."
I think it's unlikely that sending a child to a school under special measures is going to provide a child with a suitable education. The parents who have withdrawn their children to home educate should not be criticised for attempting to fulfil their legal duties by providing their children with a suitable education after the school has failed.