The Position of Home Education in Ireland
Educating children at home has always been legal in the Republic of Ireland and the right to so do is enshrined in the constitution. Current legislation requires that those wishing to educate their children at home must register with the NEWB (National Education Welfare Board).
It is estimated that there are between 1500 and 2000 children in Ireland currently being educated at home, although the number of home assessments that have been carried out is less that 300.
Issues Facing Home Educators in Ireland
Those choosing to educate their children at home are faced with a number of issues with regard to the structure and administration of the education system in Ireland and their place, or lack of a place, within it.
The following are some of the main areas of concern.
1. The legal connection to School Attendance
The Education (Welfare) Act, under which provision for home education is made, is primarily intended to deal with attendance problems in schools - truancy, expulsion, suspension and so on - and many people feel this makes it an inappropriate vehicle for legislating for home education. On the other hand, the act does support the right of parents to educate at home.
2. The Requirement for Registration/Assessment
Some people feel that the requirement to register and undergo assessment is not within the spirit of the constitution, which states that "Parents shall be free to provide this education in their homes". Others agree that some assessment is necessitated by the constitutional requirement that the state shall "as guardian of the common good, require in view of actual conditions that the children receive a certain minimum education, moral, intellectual and social." but that the current methods are not helpful to assisting parents meet this requirement or do not in reality achieve what is required by the constitution.
3. The lack of Trained assessors
The NEWB, the board which applies the Act, maintains a register of people who educate their children at home and assesses applications for registration. The assessment is carried out by Educational Welfare Officers employed by the board. A common criticism is that the officials have no training in the area of assessing home education methods. Their daily work is primarily with children who have school attendance problems and they are focused on getting children to, and keeping them in, school, very often dealing with both children and families who have problems.
Many of those who have gone through the assessment procedure feel that this has led to officers viewing home educated children as having problems and to their dealing with an assessment as a problem solving exercise. Most people however would agree that the situation is improving and that the board has in recent times become more supportive of the idea of home education.
4. The Lack of Representation
Although the NEWB oversees the whole area of home education, there are no representatives on the board from organisations representing home educators. Indeed a perusal of the NEWB website reveals scant mention of Home Schooling at all. Those educating at home feel that their contribution is overlooked and undervalued.
5. Lack of Resources & Support
Those educating their children at home receive no financial support from the state (although were their children to attend school capitation would be provided to the school). They also have very little access to educational resources or facilities.
Many home educators feel 'hidden', with little or no information available from the Department of Education or any other state body on choosing home schooling and little done to facilitate and support those already educating at home.