Department for Education written question – answered at on 8 March 2016.
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children were educated at home in the UK in the academic year 2014–15.
The department does not collect data relating to the number of home educated children in England. Home education elsewhere in the United Kingdom is the responsibility of the devolved administrations.
It is unacceptable for any child of compulsory school age not to be receiving a suitable education. We recognise parents may choose to home school their children and many do a good job, but that education must be of a suitable quality.
We are taking steps to ensure the system is as robust as it can be when it comes to protecting young people, while at the same time safeguarding the rights of parents to determine how and where to educate their children.
Yes1 person thinks so
No1 person thinks not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.
Annotations
Fiona Nicholson
Posted on 10 Mar 2016 7:44 am (Report this annotation)
In July 2014 local authorities in England recorded 27,292 home educated children. BBC journalists collected figures at the end of 2015 which apparently suggested a 65% increase in children recorded as home educated IN THE WHOLE UK over six years. THE NUMBER GIVEN IN THE BBC ARTICLE INCLUDES WALES, SCOTLAND AND IRELAND. 65% over six years works out at an average of 8.7% rise a year [(165/100) ^(1/6)]. Taking my figures from 2014, this would indicate AROUND 29.5K ENGLAND in 2015, and 32K ENGLAND in 2016. The other thing about the BBC figures (which I have not seen) is that we don't know whether local authorities provided a snapshot or "numbers this year" (ie total) or "only compulsory school age children" which could make a difference of 20/30% in some cases. I specifically asked for a SNAPSHOT in my FOIs.
http://edyourself.org/articles/numbers.php
http://edyourself.org/articles/lalinegraph.php
http://edyourself.org/ednumchart.php
Fiona Nicholson
Posted on 10 Mar 2016 7:55 am (Report this annotation)
For home educators, same phrase about robust etc as here http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2016-01-29.HL5640.h&...