’Children are being failed’: why more English parents are home educating - Letter to The Guardian

Letter to The Guardian

 

Your report (’Children are being failed’: why more English parents are home educating, 13 March) is clearly correct that schooling is failing an increasing number of children and their parents. However pure home schooling is not the only alternative. The law says that children must be educated and that there are two equally valid options – school or ‘otherwise’. Part of ‘otherwise’ are small part time learning communities that are growing rapidly to provide the social and other support that your report identifies as could be missing in a mainly home-based approach.

Our learning community, for 9-17 year old ‘otherwise’ children in the Brighton area, is nothing like a school. It has no imposed curriculum (children create their own with adult support); no imposed timetable (children create their own); no classrooms (children can work collaboratively or on their own – they choose) and no uniform. We have been going now for over 22 years with no state support.

Independent research on past students has shown that they go on to happy and fulfilled lives as they learn how to manage their own learning to suit their needs.

 

Dr Ian Cunningham, 13th March 2024