According to a report in the Independent, the number of Irish parents home schooling their kids has jumped significantly to 1,090 compared with 699 in 2011.

Parents are legally entitled to Home School their children under Article 42 of the Constitution. Under Section 14 (1) of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, children who are educated at home or who attend a non-recognised school - that is a school that is not funded by the Department of Educational and Skills (e.g. a private primary school) - must be registered with the Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency by their parents/guardians. The registration process requires that an assessment or assessments be carried out to determine whether or not a child is receiving a certain minimum education.

There are a range of reasons why parents might opt for this kind of schooling. Some make an ideological choice to take responsibility for their children’s education while others might make the decision for religious beliefs. In some cases children might be withdrawn from school for health reasons or perhaps issues like bullying.

According to the Independent report, more boys than girls are likely to be home educated with Cork having the most children registered as being ‘home-educated’

For parents considering Home Education, check out our Schooldays.ie article and also visit the Home Education Network website to find out what supports are available.

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