Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Home-Schooled Children

Monday 14 March 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government have committed to a form of local authority register for children not in school.
  • Government guidance sets out the powers local authorities have and the actions they can take.
  • The adult education budget has funding to support literacy and numeracy.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Selous Con
Children & Families
Context

The question pertains to the government's plans regarding a proposed register for home-schooled children, following a consultation on children not in school.

Question

What plans he has for the proposed register for home-schooled children. The Government have committed to a form of local authority register for children not in school, as was detailed in the children not in school consultation response published on 3 February.

Answer from Robin Walker

The Government have committed to a form of local authority register for children not in school, as was detailed in the children not in school consultation response published on 3 February. We hope to legislate on that measure at the next available opportunity to create the duty to keep and update a register and for local authorities to provide support to home educators where they want it.

Answered
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Q2 Andrew Selous Con
Education Children & Families
Context

The question arises from concerns about the ability of illiterate home-schooling parents to educate their children effectively, touching upon local authorities' roles in providing support through adult education budgets.

Question

If a local authority found that illiterate home-schooling parents were unable to teach their children to read, write and add up, would it signpost them to proper adult literacy and numeracy as well as ensuring that the children could access their inalienable right to a good education?

Answer from Robin Walker

My hon. Friend makes an important point. Government guidance sets out the powers that local authorities have and the actions that they can take. He is right that the adult education budget has funding to support literacy and, with the new numeracy programme, to support numeracy. There is a role for stepping up in that space. Local authorities already have powers to specify levels of literacy and numeracy on a case-by-case basis, and having the statutory register will encourage them to use those powers.

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