Oral Answers to Questions

Wera Hobhouse Excerpts

Monday 11th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Nick Gibb]

Maybe the hon. Gentleman missed the announcement of £500 million of extra funding for technical education post-16.

[Wera Hobhouse (Bath) (LD)]

7. If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of local authorities’ oversight of the education and wellbeing of children who are home-schooled.

[The Minister for Children and Families (Mr Robert Goodwill)]

Local authorities have the power to ensure that children being educated at home by their parents are well educated and safe, but I am not confident the power is being used properly everywhere. That is why the forthcoming consultation on revised guidance for authorities and parents is so important. Every child needs a good education, including those who are home-schooled.

[Wera Hobhouse]

Mr Speaker, I am ever so slightly disappointed that you did not notice my excellent sweater.

[Mr Speaker]

I have now.

[Wera Hobhouse]

Has the Department made any assessment of the skills that parents need to home-educate a child successfully?

[Mr Goodwill]

Certainly there are some very good examples of home education being delivered, in some cases by qualified teachers, but it is important that home education is not, for example, used as an alternative to exclusion or, indeed, because of the lack of provision of correct special educational needs. We are very much on the case.