Call for more safeguards for home schooled

There are currently 204 children registered as home educated on the island

Several politicians have called for more safeguards be put in place to protect home educated children on the Isle of Man.

Concerns were raised in Tynwald following a year-on-year rise in the number of young people being home schooled.

Onchan MHK Julie Edge said it was concerning the reason there were currently 204 children registered as being taught at home in the current academic year was not known.

But Education Minister Daphne Caine said parents and carers were not obligated to tell the department the reasons behind their decision.

On the island there were 170 registered in the 2022-23 academic year, an increase of 40 from the previous year when there were 130.

Edge said she was concerned about the rise in numbers of home schooled children in the recent years and asked why young people were being taken out of school.

Calling for regulations on the issue to be speeded up, she referred to fears in the UK where an investigation found more children were being "forced" into home education.

"It's concerning we don't know how safe our children are who are home educated," she said.

'Wider question'

But Caine said it was "a wider question for government" and that everybody had a role to play because "safeguarding is everybody's business".

"All members of the community have a responsibility to actively contribute to ensure children, young people and vulnerable adults are kept safe," she added.

The department was considering, alongside other government agencies, the Children's Wellbeing and School Bill and the measures the UK's Department for Education was looking to introduce.

"Once these considerations have taken place a decision will be made as to what may be included in the Education Amendment Bill," which was due to be introduced in May, she added.