A newly proposed U.K. government bill will require homeschool parents to report activities like Sunday school and sports club attendance to the government. One faith-based group is calling the requirement "intrusive and burdensome" and a "bureaucratic over-reach."
The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill was introduced in Parliament on December 17, 2024, and had a second reading on January 8.
The wide-ranging bill includes measures aimed at protecting vulnerable children from abuse and neglect by improving education, holding routine inspections of schools, intervening in failing schools, and regulating private education institutions.
Supporters of the bill argue it ensures "no child falls through gaps between different services and that families can get help when they need it."
But critics say some of the changes place an undue burden on families, especially families that choose to homeschool their children.
Under the bill, parents will no longer have an automatic right to homeschool if their child is under a child protection plan.
If parents are granted permission to homeschool, they have to register their children with "Children Not in School" registries, so local authorities can "identify all children not in school in their area and ensure that all children are receiving a suitable education."
"The measures will ensure that the most vulnerable children cannot be withdrawn from school until it is confirmed that this would be in their best interests and that the education to be provided outside of school is suitable," Education Hub contends.
According to the non-profit faith group, Christian Institute, registering children in their area would not only mean adding their name and address to a list, but it would require parents to "specify the amount of time the child spends 'receiving education from each parent', along with details of any education received from other people."
"This information could amount to an almost hour-by-hour breakdown of a child's life and relationship with their parents, as well as their involvement in sports clubs and places of worship. This may interfere with their human rights, including the right to a private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention," the group said in a press statement.
Simon Calvert, Deputy Director of the Christian Institute, is calling the requirement an overreach.
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"It appears that home-educating parents will have to report if their child attends Sunday School, including names and addresses of the Sunday School teachers. This has echoes of totalitarian states," he explained. "The same requirements could also apply to a home-educated child's private music, maths or sports tuition. Requiring a parent to report – within 15 days – every time their child's football coach changes seems intrusive and burdensome."
Calvert adds that this new policy will ultimately hurt a child's educational opportunities.
"There is also a duty on Sunday School and sports club leaders to record information about any home-educated children in their classes. How volunteer leaders are meant to have the time to interrogate children and their families about this is not clear. Some providers might opt to refuse entry to home-educated children in order to avoid risking a fine. This exclusion will reduce opportunities for home-educated children," he said.
"Home-educating parents have long suffered unjustified discrimination," Calvert concluded. "The Bill risks undoing the progress made, to the detriment of home-educated children and their families."
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