Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 5
5
There is no single definitive figure for the number of children and young people being...
Conclusion
There is no single definitive figure for the number of children and young people being educated at home. The numbers that are available are likely to under-report as parents do not have a duty to tell local authorities that they have chosen EHE, and studies often rely on Freedom of Information responses, which raise questions about data accuracy. This situation is unacceptable and must change. We also believe that collecting more data about children receiving EHE would give the Department a true picture of the level of SEND resourcing needed by local authorities. There is also general consensus that the number of children in EHE has increased dramatically since the 2010–15 Education Committee’s report. (Paragraph 40) 38 Strengthening Home Education
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
10. The Government is committed to a form of registration for children not in school, but further details are yet to be decided, including how and what data would be collected. However, we would anticipate the Department to collect high-level data (not personal data of individuals) from local authorities, which would be analysed and published. 11. The Department recognises the value of data in policy creation and is keen to improve EHE data collection and analysis, and therefore will consider this as part of our next steps.