HomeSchooler.org.uk

Fast-track review of home education could cost the taxpayer Ł500
million per annum according to research for the Home Education Advisory
Service

HEAS calls for Government re-think and proper dialogue with the home
education community to avoid unnecessary burden on the exchequer

At a time when most independent bodies forecast that state spending will
need to be slashed, the Government is planning to make radical changes to
home education that could cost it as much as Ł500m in new spending annually,
according to research for the Home Education Advisory Service.

Alarmingly the government appears determined to push ahead without any
appreciation of these cost implications. Baroness Morgan of Drefelin
(Parliamentary Under-Secretary- Department for Children, Schools and
Families) said of the proposals: "We do not expect them to place any
significant additional burdens on local authorities".

Yet research for the Home Education Advisory Service has quantified major
costs arising from Government proposals for a new monitoring and assessment
regime for home educated children, including provision of additional
services and the inevitable rise in the number of state educated children as
the home education population falls in response to the proposals. The HEAS
estimates a cost impact of Ł120-Ł300m pa. But a worse case scenario sees the
state education bill rising by half a billion pounds on an annualised basis.

Michael Crawshaw, who led the research for HEAS, said: "There are tens of
thousands of home educated children in Britain. Independent studies suggest
that they achieve emotional and educational outcomes at least as good as
those of children who attend school with a neutral or positive impact on
career progression. These outcomes cost the taxpayer nothing. Home educating
parents do this demanding job entirely at their own expense and without any
input from the state education system."

Yet now, after a hasty and questionably 'independent' review, the government
plans to pull home education under the state umbrella. New spending will
come from three sources:

- First, a requirement that local education authorities construct a new
layer of administration to register, assess and monitor home education.
Baroness Morgan's belief that the LEAs already have the people and systems
to do this suggests she has not understood the new requirements outlined in
the proposals.

- Second, the local authorities will also be instructed to pay for some
exams and open up school facilities to home educated children; facilities
that are already at full stretch. While this aspect of the proposals would
be welcomed by home educators it amounts to just 8% of the new spending.

- Finally there will be a rise in the state education population as a
number of home educated children are forced into schools.

The research suggests a minimum Ł60-150m pa increase in state education
spending. A central estimate sees a Ł120-300m pa increase in the state
education budget. The report's 'extinction' scenario sees spending rise by
over Ł500m pa if the proposals, which have outraged many home educators,
push a vibrant alternative educational approach to the brink. Home Education
in Britain could almost disappear, forcing up to fifty thousand new children
into state education at a cost to the state of Ł500m pa.

Michael Crawshaw added: "Why is the government doing this? They say it is to
improve educational outcomes and provide a safety net for home educated
children. Critics say the proposals are a waste of time and money. They are
more likely to harm than improve educational outcomes for home educated
children."

HEAS is calling for the Government to think again and engage in proper
dialogue with the home education sector before embarking on a programme that
will place significant burden on the exchequer for no good reason.

For further information or a copy of the full report please contact Michael
Crawshaw (Tel 07768 177634 or email michaelcrawshaw@btinternet.com) or Cathy
Koetsier of HEAS on cathy@heas.org.uk.