Chloe’s tooth fell out when she was seven. Why? Because a boy punched her in the face at primary school. When she was older, Chloe’s classmates held her down and made her eat an old sandwich off the floor on the school bus, they threatened to stab and drown her, and the teachers did nothing. Desperate to avoid school, Chloe would go to bed every night, hide under the covers with her Nokia phone and spend hours purposely hyperventilating so her bed would be drenched in sweat and her parents would think she was sick. Six months later, Chloe’s parents decided to home educate her.

Home education is a growing phenomenon in the UK. It is estimated that 45,500 children are currently home educated, according to the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) which sent a survey to 152 local authorities in October 2017. The ADCS also found that 92 per cent of local authorities reported year-on-year increases in the number of children being taught at home. The real number is likely to be higher because parents are currently under no legal obligation to register their children as home educated.

That could change. On 10th April 2018, the Department for Education (DfE) issued a call for evidence to gather opinions about home education. The lengthy questionnaire, which was targeted at parents, local authorities and schools, asked for the pros and cons of compulsory registration. It also asked what action should be taken if a parent refuses to cooperate and whether the monitoring powers of local authorities should be increased. The consultation closed on 2nd July 201…

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