Call from Children’s Services leaders for the introduction of an EHE register

Local authority leaders are calling for the introduction of a new Elective Home Education register after figures indicate over 100,000 children were being educated at home last year.

Chair of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services’ (ADCS) education policy committee, Heather Sandy, said: “The number of children who are known to be electively home educated has been increasing significantly, year-on-year, even before the pandemic struck. We need more than just an estimate of how many children are being educated in this way to keep them safe and to ensure they receive the education they deserve.

“Whilst a register in and of itself will not keep children safe, it will help to establish exactly how many children are being educated other than at school and to identify which children are vulnerable to harm.

“The government must work at pace to introduce such a register. We can only safeguard and support the education of children who are known to us.”

Robin Walker MP, chair of the education select committee, said “"We continue to call on government to establish a statutory, confidential register of children in home education and to improve data collection so that families who choose EHE can be supported in the decisions they make."