Statutory guidance for home educators step closer

Once again, the Scottish Parent Teacher Council has displayed a chronic lack of understanding of home education, and the law behind it, in your report, "Home teaching plan putting children at risk" (16 July).

As to home-educating parents being "vocal, into independence and being in control", surely the SPTC would want to encourage all parents towards these attributes. What is the fear? After all, the law clearly puts the responsibility for the child’s education provision with the parents.

Mentioning the murderer Fred West in the same thought process as home education reflects a position rooted in paranoia, ignorance and fear. This is a real pity because, over the past 18 months, since the first unacceptable draft guidance was issued, a constructive consultation process has unfolded.

Awareness and understanding of the law and the scope of home education has risen throughout the Scottish education world, with discussions and meetings proliferating between home educators, local education authorities, the Scottish Executive, and others.

The national debate on education ran parallel with part of the consultation period, and the valuable contribution home educating experience is producing was acknowledged and welcomed. The mood is of increasing understanding and growth in trust.

Contrary to ministers "caving in", as the SPTC puts it, they have put the promised "listening Parliament" principles into practice. We are, with this revised draft guidance, in the final stage of what has become a genuine consultation process.

This is a consultation in which home educators can now be optimistic. It will lead, through a final honing of the draft, to a statutory guidance acceptable to home educators, helpful to education authorities and, as a consequence, of benefit to young people and their families.

ANN SAMUEL TILL

Bellevue Road

Edinburgh

Eleanor Coner, of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, seems to have a problem with "the vocal lobby" of home educators.

I would have thought they should be commended on being prepared to campaign for their rights in the context of the political apathy that exists in this country.

Eleanor Coner’s view that extraordinary measures, with no basis in legislation (or common sense), are required to ensure that home educators are not child abusers, or provide adequate education, is biased and discriminatory, as well as being based on lack of any proof to support her claim.

Having read the new draft guidelines, and its predecessor, I believe that the Scottish Executive is to be congratulated on taking on board the advice of those with a direct knowledge of home education, and for accurately reflecting the legal position with regard to home education.

This should be instrumental in preventing local authorities from misrepresenting the law, and using their powers to bully home educators.

AUDREY YULE

Torryburn

by Dunfermline

The comments of Eleanor Coner, and in particular her reference to Fred West, do serve a useful purpose in providing an illustration of the prejudice so often encountered by parents who choose to educate their children by means other than sending them to school.

The original draft of this guidance, if implemented, would have been the cause of much distress. This latest version results from a lengthy and involved consultation.

If the home education community, and others with an understanding of the issues surrounding home education, have successfully communicated their concerns about the content of the original draft, and this has brought about significant change, then surely this should be celebrated.

SHEILA STRUTHERS

Ochiltree

Ayrshire

I was dismayed to read your report, which propagated the misleading accusations of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council. I think that some facts need to be noted:

1, Fred West’s children were not home educated. They were registered in school. His murdered daughter, Heather, left school at 17. Being in school did not protect them from abuse in any way.

2, The SPTC knows this well. Judith Gillespie, who is a representative of that organisation, made a similar misleading reference to Fred West in the Times Educational Supplement Scotland, published in early 2002.

3, The revised draft guidance on home education still requires all parents of state- schooled children to obtain permission before withdrawing them from school.

4, Home education is a right enshrined in Scottish education law and backed by the European Convention on Human Rights.

ALAN TAIT

Waverley Crescent

Livingston, West Lothian