To ask the Minister of Education for her assessment of why the number of children being home educated has risen significantly over the last five years.

While the Education Authority can quantify the number of children deregistering from school to be Electively Home Educated, it does not hold sufficient detail on the reasons for their deregistration so as to ascertain why the numbers have increased. Most schools indicate a ‘parental request’ as the reason a child is being deregistered from school to be educated at home. Other reasons provided for deregistration have included home educating whilst awaiting a different school placement, concerns about COVID and health conditions.

The responsibility for a child’s education rests with the child’s parents and parents may secure their child’s efficient full-time education either at school or outside of the formal school environment. Article 45 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (as amended) places a duty on parents to ensure that their child receives an ‘efficient full-time education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs he may have, either by regular attendance at school or otherwise’.

If parents wish to deregister their child from school for the purposes of Elective Home Education, they are required to do so in writing, informing the school Principal of their intention to home educate and that the child can be removed from the school register from a specific date. A reason for deregistration, however, is not required.

Guidelines on Elective Home Education published by the EA states that parents choose to home educate for a wide variety of reasons which may include, but are not limited to:

• Religious/Spiritual beliefs

• Philosophical reasons

• Dissatisfaction with the system

• Bullying

• Special Educational Needs

• Mental Health Issues

• As a short term measure for a specific reason