Tutors International founder Adam Caller backs proposals for a compulsory register of home-educated children in England, but urges the Children’s Commissioner to consult with a broad range of home education communities, including those receiving full-time private tuition

OXFORD, UK: Following new

backing for a compulsory register of home-educated children in

England, Tutors International founder Adam Caller has called for a broader

consultation of home education communities regarding the reasons for – and realities

of – home schooling today.

Mr Caller, an educational consultant who founded global private tutoring company Tutors International, has long supported proposals for a register of home-educated children. However, Caller asserts that government bodies must avoid homogenising home-schoolers into one group, noting many different home-school communities will have valuable feedback to contribute – including those electing to use full-time private tutors.

Mr Caller commented, “Historically I have always backed calls for regulation without hesitation, but whilst I do of course still want to protect every child’s right to a quality education, I’m no longer of the opinion that the government is consulting all the right people on this matter. Families opt for home education for a plethora of reasons, so it is too narrow a view to assume that a compulsory register would safeguard children and ensure they are all suitably educated. The government needs to break down the homeschooling community into segments and seek suitable representation for each group and their needs.”

Mr Caller also questioned whether the Children’s Commission too easily dismisses the input of those families who elect to home educate with the means and support to do so. This includes parents educating their children themselves, and those who employ full-time home-based private tutors. In the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary in which Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield investigated the ‘invisible kids’ of home education, she says:

“I understand that some families want the

right to educate their children away from schools that they don’t agree with,

but […] at the moment people can teach whatever they want with virtually no

oversight from anyone. And that’s fine for those who are well-intentioned and

have the skills and the back up to be able to do that. But what about those

that don’t?”

"The tendency to gloss over this comparatively privileged home education community reflects the government’s unwillingness to address that many parents feel they need to homeshool" - Adam Caller

Mr Caller responded, “I in no way wish to

detract from the difficulties that vulnerable children and families face in the

education system. However, it’s equally important that the views of the ‘well-intentioned

and skilled’ are taken into account. In fact, the tendency to gloss over this

comparatively privileged home education community reflects the government’s

unwillingness to address that many parents feel they need to homeshool due to inadequate state education and poor school

performance. By giving greater consideration to the varied and multiple groups

of parents who choose home education, it is evident that providing one solution

– such as a compulsory register – is fatuous.”

Mr Caller added, “At Tutors International we

regularly place tutors with families who feel that state education cannot be

tailored sufficiently to meet the needs of each child. The voice of this

community should also be heard when assessing why home education rates have

doubled in the last five years.”

Founded in 1999, Tutors International provides families with a bespoke tutoring service tailored to their specific needs and circumstances. It has offices in the UK, America, and Asia. To find out more about Tutors International and the elite services it provides, including full-time private tutors for families worldwide, visit www.tutors-international.com.