EO and Government Consultations

OVERVIEW
Who are EO’s Government Policy Group?
The government policy group is a small group of volunteers who monitor government policy which is relevant to home education. The group is made up of a few past and present council members and others who take a special interest in government policy, and also has members with a particular focus on devolved government policies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The current membership of the group can be found in the newsletter (available to members).

What does the group do?
The group try to keep abreast of various areas of Government policy that may affect home educators. We lobby the relevant departments to make them aware of the potential impact of their policies. We also initiate and coordinate responses to official consultations. EO is recognised by government departments as a significant group in the home education community. We have attended various meetings with government officials, having been invited to comment on the development of policy and its practical implementation.

Our experiences as home educators lead us to question some of the assumptions and beliefs from which the government policy initiatives stem, since they often appear to present a negative view of children and families. We try to present arguments which reflect EO’s values:

• the natural right of parents to educate at home
• parents' ability to make their own decisions and find their way to home educate
• understanding of the infinite variety of educational practice
• respect for children, parents, and for the privacy of their home
• the promotion of awareness of education otherwise than at school

The government policy group want to be open about our representations to the government, and are keen to encourage our members, and others, to share their views via the discussion sites, see below, or through invitations in our newsletter. We always publicise the consultation responses and notes from our meetings with government and you can find these below.

What’s on the regional pages?
A chronological sequence of the consultations we’ve been involved in, newest at the top. For most themes there are links to the original government consultation papers and also to the letters or formal responses from EO.

Scotland

• EDUCATION OTHERWISE Response to the Consultation Paper A Review of the Scottish Executive document 'Guidance on the Circumstances in which Parents may choose to Educate their Children at Home' 

England

• Definition of Full Time Education - EO Response February 2007
• Entitlement to Positive Leisure Activities - EO Response March 2007
• Skills Strategy Equality Impact Assessment - EO REsponse April 2007
• Guidance for the revised policy on exclusions from schools and pupil referral units - EO Response May 2007
• Review of the regulations on attendance targets - EO Response May 2007
• Consultation on schools, early years and 14-16 funding - EO Response June 2007
• Consultation on raising expectations (school leaving age) - EO Response June 2007
• Consultation on community cohesion - EO Response July 2007
• Consultationon on draft guidance for contactpoint - EO Response July 2007
• EO Response to Consultation on Home Education Guidelines
• "Suitable" and "Efficient" Education Consultation Spring 2007
• Draft Guidelines For LEAs on Home Education
• Safeguarding Children / s175 Education Act 2002
• Every Child Matters / Children Act 2004 / Information Sharing Index
• Pupil Registration Regulations
• Education Maintenance Allowance
• Truancy Patrol Guidance

Wales
Northern Ireland

First – Join EO, keep renewing your membership, and tell us your views.
The work of the group is only possible because it is the voice of the members we represent, and because we tell officials the experiences and ideas that members, children, and enquirers tell us. So contribute your views through gatherings, meetings, local contacts, online lists and the newsletter, we welcome all of your comments.
Your membership and your subscriptions make a difference.

Second – Participate in the discussions which inform our responses to government, on the EO Members Forum
or on the home education consultation discussion group and encourage others to join in.

Third– Lobby for your views. You can write to your MP about government policy that you don’t agree with. Keep an eye on what issues are being discussed here and on the forums, and let your MP know if you want him to vote or speak up for a particular point.