Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 31 May 2000

Vol. 520 No. 2

Written Answers. - Home Education.

John V. Farrelly

Question:

179 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has received representations from parents who wish to educate their children at home; his views on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15645/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods):

As part of the process of the preparation of the Education (Welfare) Bill and its enactment, I received a number of representations from parents who wish to educate their children at home and officials of my Department met with a number of groups representing such parents and discussed their concerns.

An appropriate education in childhood has never been more central to and necessary for the development and future personal fulfilment of a person. The preference of the vast majority of parents is to send their children to a recognised school for their education. These schools are regulated by the Education Act, 1998, staffed by professional teachers and provide a high quality education to their students. Notwithstanding the availability of such schools, some parents exercise their right as parents and under the Constitution to educate their children at home or in schools other than recognised schools. In this situation it must be borne in mind that the children concerned also have a constitutional right the right to be educated. Finally I, as Minister for Education and Science, have a constitutional obligation to ensure that the children concerned receive at least a minimum education.

The Education (Welfare) Bill has been drafted in the context of these three constitutional imperatives and it provides balanced and proportionate provisions to reflect the rights and obligations of all. The right of parents to educate their children at home is acknowledged. In order to ensure that children are being educated there is a requirement on parents to register their children as being educated other than in a recognised school. In furtherance of the State's obligation to ensure that the children are receiving at least a minimum education there are provisions for assessment of the education provided and the laying down of guidelines as to what constitutes minimum education.

During the passage of the Bill through the Oireachtas, and in response to representations I received, I introduced an amendment to the Bill on Committee Stage to avoid excessive interference with a family's right to privacy while at the same time ensuring the child's right to a minimum education. The Bill now provides for a more flexible system to assess whether children are receiving a minimum education which allows for a less intensive scrutiny of the methods of education to be used in educating the child in question and for consultation with the parents. Only where the person carrying out the assessment is not satisfied that a minimum education is being provided to the child in question will a more intensive assessment be made. As it stands, the Bill now proposes a flexible framework, designed to accommodate the rights of parents and to ensure as far as practicable that the rights and needs of children are respected and provided for.