Local home educators held a picnic as part of a national #HomeEdInSight day to show they are out and about in their communities – and not “hidden away”, as suggested by new draft guidance for local authorities and a House of Lords Private Member's Bill which calls for strict new monitoring.

The picnic took place in Hoglands Park, Southampton on Wednesday (July 18). 

Bitterne Park home educator Rachel Hickman said many home-edders are concerned that some local authorities are already using this as an excuse for “heavy-handed handling” of home educating families, “despite the fact that there is plenty of evidence to show that child-led learning and other alternative methods of education are extremely effective”.

Rachel said: “Local authorities will be able to label an education as unsuitable from a brief visit and on the personal opinion of someone who won’t need to have any experience of alternative education.

“They will be able to force a child who has in some cases been totally failed by the school system, back into that system, taking the choice away from the family.”

She said Southampton City Council has not been one of these local authorities, but if the bill and guidance go through the freedom of families to educate their children in an individual way to suit each child is likely to be severely restricted.

Home educators from around Southampton regularly meet at Cobbett Hub and Library, where an exhibition of artwork by younger children (aged 2-10) runs until the end of the summer, featuring everything from Picasso-inspired animals to rainbow leaf prints. Older group members also staged a production of Twelfth Night at the library this week.

Previously
Our audio from 2009 about home education, featuring local interviews with parents and children 

Links
SEEDS – local home ed group
Education Otherwise - information and resources for home educating families and those considering home education for the first time