At the moment, 91 children are home schooled in Dumfries and Galloway and another eight applications are currently being processed. And parents that choose to withdraw their child from formal education have to submit a formal request to the local authority, under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. The Scottish Government has confirmed that it intends to revise national guidance and Dumfries and Galloway Council have also drafted their own revised policy, which will be considered by the Children, Young People and Lifelong Learning committee next week. It will ensure checks are carried out to ensure home education provision is of an adequate standard.
Chairman Cllr Jeff Leaver said: “It’s essential that our council has a robust and legally defendable policy in place to address requests for home schooling.”
Vice chair Cllr Ros Surtees added: “Should they choose, people have a right to teach their children at home. However, it’s essential that home teaching is of a suitable standard. This policy will assist us in ensuring that this is the case and that we are consistent in dealing with this.”
