Home education law ends up in right place!

All at NorthStarUK were delighted with the news coming from Westminster this week that Ed Balls’ campaign against the liberties of home educating families has finally ended up where it belongs – in the wash-up!  This is the term for the horse-trading that takes place in the days following the announcement of a general election to ensure that as much government business s possible is completed. Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs had made it clear that they would not support the clauses in the Children, Schools and Families Bill relating to home education – thus causing Ministers to back down or risk loosing the whole Bill.

Steve Richards, NSUK’s Educational Director and long time home educating dad, said this week, “No credit goes to Ed Balls for this decision, this was forced upon him; but all home educators will be grateful to those members of the Lords and Commons who have stood up for our rights and refused to cow down to significant ministerial pressure in recent months.”

We have no doubt that this is not the end of the battle – if Labour win the election Balls has promised to re-introduce the missing clauses and even if the Conservatives win it is likely that they will re-visit this area sometime in the future.  Let’s just hope that next time, decisions will be based upon honesty, integrity and sound research from experts in the field of home education from around the world.