HEDNI Autism NI Presentation

2. *Founded in 2003
*Information & Support Organization for Home
Educators in N. Ireland.
*Primary function has always been to connect home
educators with each other, resources and
educational meet ups and activities.
*Only Home Education organization in N. Ireland that
has been asked to respond to the recent draft policy
by the Education & Library Board and to brief the
Education Committee in the N. Ireland Assembly.
*Inclusive Organization, welcoming those of all
backgrounds, religious beliefs, races and cultures.
*HEdNI does not promote any one method of
education, but supports the rights of families to
choose for themselves what suits them best.

3. * Approximately 40,000 - 100,000 home educated children in the United
Kingdom (1,000-2,500 in Northern Ireland.)
* There is no legal requirement to register in England, Wales, Scotland
and Northern Ireland.
* SEN Children are home educated for a variety of reasons including:
• Unsuitable local provision in school
• Dispute over the suitability of a provision
• Provision in existing statement is not being met
• Reluctance to issue a statement
• Disagreement over how the child’s needs are best met.
• Lack of flexibility in the school system to meet the child’s unique needs
• Breakdown in relationship between parents and school
• Child isolated, bullied or unhappy at school
• Child making unsuitable progress despite having support
• Medical or physical needs not being met

4. Parents are recognized in law as those with the
primary responsibility for their children’s
education:
Education and Libraries Northern Ireland Order
1986 SI 1986/594 (Section 45)
“1. The parent of every child of compulsory school
age shall cause him to receive 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.”

5. Schedule 13 of the Education and Libraries
Northern Ireland Order 1986 SI 1986/594:
“Where it appears to a board that a parent of a
child of compulsory school age in its area is failing
to perform the duty imposed on him by article
45(1), the board shall serve on the parent a notice
requiring him, within such period not being less
than fourteen days from the service of the notice,
to satisfy the board that the child is, by regular
attendance or otherwise, receiving efficient full-
time education suitable…”

6. *Consultation being run by all five Education &
Library Boards in Northern Ireland between 28 April
and 27 June 2014.
*Home Education Community had no input into
development of draft policy.
*First informed of its existence when they received
copies in the post in Mid-April 2014.
*No engagement with Home Educators in Focus Group
meetings during consultation.
*Key stakeholders not informed or invited to reply to
consultation (eg. Education Otherwise, etc.)
*No print, radio or television advertisements about
existence of consultation.
*Many Home Educators known to Boards were not
informed or invited to participate in consultation.

7. *Parents required to apply for permission to home
educate.
*Parents required to permit entry into their home
without suspicion of wrongdoing for the purpose of
home inspection.
*Inspectors permitted to question children.
*Delays over deregistration from school.
*Control over the form and content of the education
provided.
*Any hesitation to cooperate with Education & Library
Board Policy will result in automatic referral to
Social Services.

8. * Beyond the legal powers of the Boards (Ultra Vires.)
* Lacks an evidential basis (eg. No research commissioned, no
justification given.
* Expensive
* Opens the ELBs up to liability
* Conflation of welfare and education
* Mandatory home visits
* Requirement to register
* Assuming powers to dictate the content of the education provided
* Usurps the parental role
* Children with SEN must demonstrate 'progress', their de-registration is
conditional on Department of Education approval
* Yearly Monitoring
* Direct access to home-educated children
* Data protection issues
* Loss of deregistration on demand
* Administrative Burden

9. Questions?