(Title Image: via Senedd TV)
The Children’s Commissioner, Prof. Sally Holland, has criticised the Welsh Government’s lack of action on home-schooling in a damning review.
The Commissioner says the Welsh Government has failed to protect the rights of home-schooled children and children being educated in independent schools.
The review was partially triggered by the death of Dylan Seabridge – who was home-schooled by his parents and unknown to local authorities in Pembrokeshire – from scurvy in 2011.
The Commissioner criticised delays in the implementation of a database of home-schooled children and “no substantive change” has come as a result of the government’s work. She also criticised a lack of action arising from a serious child safeguarding breach at Ruthin School in 2019-20.
The Commissioner called for a new law to be introduced in the Sixth Senedd to uphold and protect the rights of home-schooled and privately-educated children.
The review came as the Welsh Government published its report on its compliance with children’s rights (pdf).
Deputy Minister for Health & Social Services, Julie Morgan (Lab, Cardiff North), said there had been several “significant legislative achievements” including a law outlawing smacking and laws which lower the voting age in Welsh elections to 16.
