Have you ever had a conversation with a believer about home education whereby they are completely stunned (and disapproving) that we do not have the government regularly checking up on us? I am stunned that they are stunned and things quickly spiral into an awkward silence before we switch to a different subject! Somewhere along the way, we have become so acclimatised to our nanny state that we have completely forgotten who should be checking up on whom. ‘Common sense’ might suggest that the government should be checking up on families who teach children at home. I am of the opposing view. I think parents should be checking up on the schools. If my children were in school, I would want a video link.
As home educators who are concerned about the overreach of the state into our family lives with the impending Education Bill, how can we stand firm and hold our ground in the face of a church that is suspicious of us and our intentions and that believes we should be subject to the oversight of the government? The answer, of course, is to be found in Scripture and since Scripture is all-sufficient and without error, we can be sure to find principles within its pages that shine light on what is (to many people), the fuzzy area of parental responsibility and government oversight.
1. Responsibility of the Parents
Most parents send their children to the government for their education. This is, of course, a legitimate choice. The question at the back of my mind, however, is whether parents follow this course of action because they believe that the government is responsible for the education of the nation’s children? If this is this case, then there is some rethinking that needs to be done.
The Bible is clear that parents are responsible for their children’s education (Deut. 6:7). We are responsible for their training (Prov. 22:6) and we are commanded to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). This does not mean that we may not outsource some of our children’s learning. It does mean, that we must acknowledge our responsibility in the matter, and not unthinkingly submit to the status quo. Thanks to common grace, the law of the land is currently reflective of this biblical mandate and we can give thanks for the freedom that parents have had to decide how to educate their children.
Sadly, however, the Education Bill currently passing through Parliament threatens to overrule the divine order. Education Bill Part 436 I states that Local Authorities can give home educating families a School Attendance Order (thereby forcing our children to attend school) on the sketchy basis of us giving our children an ‘unsuitable education’. A ‘suitable education’ is nowhere defined. While we can hope that Local Authorities will be careful not to abuse this law, we can be sure that some probably will. Many of us have felt the disapproval of midwives and health visitors. We know that representatives of Local Authorities do not necessarily try to understand where we are coming from. This law would allow somebody who does not know my family, who does not understand my family, to make a potentially life-changing decision about how we raise our children. Furthermore, there is no way of appealing this decision. In short, the state is usurping the biblical role of parents in making itself responsible for the education of our children.
2. Responsibility of the Government
Biblically, there is a role for government. Peter writes that governors are, ‘sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.’ (1 Peter 2:14). Paul writes that ‘rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad’. (Romans 13:3). As far as Government fulfils the mandate given by God, we have nothing to be concerned about.
The question of the day is whether the Education Bill would be a terror to good conduct or to bad conduct? My position would be that it is a terror to good conduct. As it stands, this Bill would leave tremendous scope for abuse by Local Authorities who do not understand home education, and more so for those who are prejudiced against Christians and their beliefs. The parents who are filling Facebook pages with their concerns and worries should not be living in fear of the government because of bad conduct. Loving and devoted parents, many of whom have tried the government school system and have found it wanting, have made tremendous sacrifices to teach their children from home. Instead of being allowed to complete the task to the best of our ability, to use our time for the good of our children, we now have the added pressure and time-consuming task of making our voices heard in Parliament. Since certain aspects of the Education Bill are ‘a terror’ to good conduct, we can have confidence in the rightness of opposing governmental overreach in an area of life for which there is no biblical mandate. The Education Bill will not root out sin. On the contrary, it permits the government to punish what is good, noble and righteous.
3. Child Safeguarding
It is apparent that people who do not understand home education have the nagging thought at the back of their minds that home education is essentially a cover-up for safeguarding issues. Before my dream career as a home educating mother (!), I worked with young people in crisis. I have taken part in multiple sessions of safeguarding training and I have reported evidence-based safeguarding issues as they arose. My commitment to home education does not override my commitment to the safety and well-being of children. I am sure that the same is true for other home educating parents. We care deeply for the welfare of our children as well as for the welfare of other children and the reality is that home educating families do not pose a special risk to children. Research shows that there is no statistical difference in the rates of child protection plans for home educating families and other families for children between the ages of 5 and 16 (for reference, see below). This means that if Local Authorities decide to visit the homes of home educators in order to ensure they are no safeguarding issues, they also have a duty to check on every family in the country. Since home educators have been selected for this special treatment, it could be argued that the government are picking on a minority group.
I would argue that children are generally safer at home than they are in the school system. Many home educating families have removed their children from government schools precisely because they do not feel their child is safe there. After visiting 32 schools, Ofsted wrote in a recent report, ‘even where school and college leaders do not have specific information that indicates sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are problems for their children and young people, they should act on the assumption they are.’ (see below)
If the government is truly concerned about safeguarding issues, I would suggest that they begin by dealing with child abuse where it is most obvious: in the womb. Since 1967, when the Abortion Act came into force, nearly 10 million little babies in the UK have lost their lives at the hands of the state.
Conclusion
Finally, a note to the Christian who is reluctant to become involved and engage with those politicians who make our laws and threaten our liberty. Is there a precedent for taking a stand in public places? Absolutely! I recently finished reading ‘Amazing Grace’ by Eric Metaxes and was moved by the stunning courage of William Wilberforce, a man of small stature and giant influence. There is also a biblical precedent in the example of Esther who prayed, fasted and petitioned the king. The Education Bill clearly does not equal the calamity of the slave trade, nor the annihilation of the Jewish people. Nevertheless, for the sake of our children and our grandchildren who we pray will know the blessings of a Christian education, we need to fight for the little bit of freedom that is being threatened in our times. Because Scripture is all-sufficient and without error, we can be certain that we are defending what is good.
https://www.personalisededucationnow.org.uk/…/2019…/
https://www.gov.uk/…/review-of-sexual-abuse-in-schools…
