The National Education (Welfare) Board (NEWB)
The National Education (Welfare) Board was established in August 2003 under
the terms of the Education (Welfare) Act, which came into effect in July,
2002
The board's primary function is to:
"ensure that each child in the State attends a recognised school or otherwise receives an appropriate education."
The main part of its remit that effects Home Educators is:
"to maintain a register of children receiving education outside the recognised school structure and assess the adequacy of such education on an ongoing basis."
Home Education and the NEWB
Under the Act parents or guardians of home educated children are obliged to provide details to the NEWB of the education they are providing to children under their care. Since Article 42 of the Irish constitution establishes the right of every child to receive a "certain minimum education", the purpose of the registration and assessment is to establish that this is in fact being provided.
Registration is not automatic and cannot be assumed, so parents planning to educate at home in Ireland will need to complete the registration process before removing their children from school, or in advance of the child reaching 6 years of age in the case of children who have never attended school.
More about the registration process >>
Read an Open Letter from an NEWB Home Assessor >>
Other functions of the NEWB
The NEWB employs Educational Welfare Officers at both local and national level who work with parents, schools and community bodies to promote regular attendance at school and to prevent absenteeism and premature school leaving. The main focus of the work of the Welfare Officers is on children who are having school attendance problems, who have difficulty getting a place at a school or who have for one reason or another been excluded or expelled from school.
The board also has a role in following up those who leave school early - at 16 or 17 - to make provision for their ongoing education in consultation with employers in many instances.
The NEWB also has an advisory and research role in the formulation of Government policy on school attendance and on education provision generally.
For more detailed information about the role and activities of the NEWB, visit their website.