With the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill looming in the background it is understandable that many parents are looking at their options for continuing home education without intrusive oversight. Some parents are looking at perhaps moving abroad or long-term travelling, but an interesting development is the number of parents looking at a move to Scotland.
Firstly, the elephant in the room, will Scotland take on all or part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill? I contacted Harriet Cross MP for Gordon and Buchan and here are some excerpts of what she had to say.
“.. Every child deserves the opportunity to lead a safe and fulfilling life, and I welcome the child protection measures in this legislation that have clear merit.
As you will be aware education policy in Scotland is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, and therefore the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill primarily applies to England, some smaller consequential and technical parts will have effect in Scotland. This includes powers for the Scottish Government to update byelaws on child employment, and measures on community-based accommodation to provide flexibility and choice in providing the most appropriate placement for a child. I did not oppose these measures. However, I am disappointed that when they were put before the Scottish Parliament for its consent, the Scottish Government did not provide the Scottish Parliament’s Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee sufficient time to thoroughly scrutinise the measures.
I understand that much of the concern, and I assume yours, centres on Clause 434A, which would require parents of children registered at a school to seek local authority consent before withdrawing them for home education. While the intention behind this may be to safeguard children and ensure they are receiving a suitable education, I recognise that many families worry that, as drafted, it could give councils too much power to refuse requests even where there are strong medical or welfare reasons to do so. This could, in some cases, make it harder for parents to act on medical advice or protect their children from environments that are not in their best interests.
It is important that any legislation in this area maintains the right balance between protecting children from harm and respecting parental judgement, who ultimately know what is best for their children. I believe existing laws already provide sufficient powers to safeguard children, and fear that this new clause would risk unintended consequences for families acting responsibly.”
Education in Scotland being devolved means that the Scottish Parliament and Government have full independent control over education and set their own regulations. They are not forced to take on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, but that does not mean that they will not do so. Unfortunately, there can never be any guarantees. Could you move to Scotland and they decide to follow England and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill? In short, yes, it is always a possibility.
From a home education perspective, what are some considerations for people looking at a move to Scotland, other than the devolved education?
Legalities:
If you move from England to Scotland and your child is already home educated you do not need to inform the local authority in Scotland. Your current LA will ask where you are going, some may be quite pushy about it, some will be fine with you just telling them the area you are moving to. However, if you have any form of current social services involvement it will be significantly more difficult.
Home Education is legal in Scotland and is widely accepted. Generally, it is uncommon to be asked to provide the LA with an education report, but that may vary county to county and could obviously change.
Housing and travel:
Gone are the days of super cheap houses in Scotland, housing is cheaper (up to 35% depending on area) but it is worth bearing in mind that if you live rurally it can present its own issues, particularly for home education. Communities can be smaller and more widespread in Scotland. It can mean that if you are not close to a larger city you could need to travel a significant distance to groups, and not being able to drive would be a hindrance in many cases. We found that there are fewer groups here; as with home education in England there tends to be more for the under 12’s but significantly less for teens. If you have a hands on or sporty child there have been boating, skiing, surfing and forestry groups!
Travel wise one bonus is the free bus travel for those aged 21 and under. You can receive this by applying for a Young Scot National Entitlement card. It also provides your child with some rail fare discounts. There are also the health and lifestyle benefits of living rurally in Scotland, fresh air, beautiful countryside and a wealth of historic sites to visit that make home education a real adventure.
The Weather:
Beautiful in summer but the winters can sometimes be long and arduous depending on your area. In our area, this winter was particularly severe and we were snowed in for a week. In winter, home education can often grind to a halt in Scotland, which was less of an issue in England. Travelling in poor weather, road disruptions, cancelled trains and buses can make it simply not worth the drama of trying to go out and about. Be prepared to do lots in the warmer months and then hibernate! You will find that it becomes a routine to bed in for winter and there is comfort in being able to stay inside, board games, snowmen and uninterrupted study time.
University and qualifications:
In Scottish schools children do not usually study GCSEs, instead they study the Scottish equivalent which is National 4s/s (NAT 4/5 ). Generally, these cannot be taken as a home educator as they have a more significant coursework element than GCSEs. This leaves you with the option of IGCSEs or alternative qualifications. When sitting exams (depending on where you live) exam centres can be a significant distance and require an overnight stay. Our nearest exam centre is three and a half hours away; not really doable for a nine am exam.
A huge bonus, however, is that University tuition fees are free for those who live in Scotland and attend a Scottish University. Obviously, you will still need to pay accommodation fees and other costs but it’s a big saving if your child wants to follow that path.
Next steps:
Obviously a move to Scotland is not just about home education and there are lots of other things to consider such as cost of living, employment and higher rates of income tax.
For home education there are some great Scottish home education groups out there which you can join for information as well as Education Otherwise. My best suggestion though, would be to do your research. Visit Scotland. Visit the areas which you are interested in. Ask people what it’s like to live there. It’s easy to forget that Scotland is almost four times the size of Wales and roughly 60% the size of England. Everyone is going to have different opinions on where is best as Scotland is a very large and hugely varied area that you need to visit yourself to truly appreciate. Scotland is a different way of living and like any move should be carefully considered.
Join the conversation over on our Facebook group, Education Otherwise.
