Answers to questions not reached in Plenary 08/12/2021
OQ57311 Tabled on 01/12/2021 by Mark Isherwood MS – (Con, N Wales)
“Will the Minister make a statement on the choices available to parents when it comes to settings for their children’s education?”
Answered by Minister for Education and the Welsh Language – 09/12/2021
Children may receive education through school settings or other means for example elective home education. Most learners receive their education in mainstream school. Local authorities are able to make arrangements for Education Other Than at School for learners who require tailored support away from mainstream settings.
For those who are not familiar with Mark Isherwood, he has a track record of supporting educational freedom. In October 2019, he wrote to the Government and published his letter on his website under the headline “Welsh Government’s Draft Statutory Guidance on Home Education is ‘unlawful.'”
Recently, the present Government has announced that whilst it does not plan to use primary legislation, as pressed for by the Children’s Commissioner, it does intend to:
“use its powers under secondary legislation to implement the proposals previously consulted on in 2019 and 2020, subject to the final consideration of the consultation responses.”
Read our comment here.
