Home education becomes the new trend nowadays as children undergoing homeschooling are rising. Parents are also more inclined to let their kids leave the traditional school and opt for DIY learning.
Number of Students
According to The Guardian, there is no exact number of students who are studying at home in their records as it is not a must for parents to tell the government. However, from the feedback Education Guardian gathered from the freedom of information responses, children choosing homeschooling are increasing.
Reasons and Influences
There are various reasons why children and parents are deciding to have home education rather than the conventional schooling. Some said they can't bring their child into a local school or their kid is sick or has special needs that the institution can't cater.
The former children's services director, Graham Badman, made an evaluation of home education for the Labor government in 2009. Badman found out that media has a big influence for making home education known.
Eleanor Reardon, who set up the legal advocacy service for home educators three years ago, explained that parents have knowledge about homeschooling and the possibility it can be taught to their children through media. Social media, on the other hand, has support networks that can assist the parents about the home education system.
Laws
SchoolDays.ie cited that as per Article 42 of the Constitution, parents have the right to let their children go for home education. But, in Section 14 (1) of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, students who are undergoing homeschooling must be registered to the Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency by their parents.
Also, any institution that is not part of the traditional school or supported by Department of Education and Skills should be listed. The listing is ought to be made to see if the children are indeed learning and receiving the right amount of education.
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