 |
answer text |
<p>The information you requested is not held centrally by this department. The department
does not currently collect data on numbers of home educated children.</p><p>Parents
are not required to register if they are home educating their children and, therefore,
there is not a robust basis on which the department can reliably collect statistics
on home education.</p><p>In relation to the COVID-19 outbreak, the department is working
closely with local authorities to encourage a return to full attendance in school
and is monitoring the situation. Initial conversations with local authorities indicate
that the majority have noticed an increase in enquiries from parents about home education.
Where parents are anxious about the safety of their children returning to school,
local authorities and school leaders are reinforcing that it is in the best interests
of pupils to return to school.</p><p>Over March and April 2020, the government provided
£3.2 billion of emergency grant funding and over £5 billion of cashflow support to
assist local authorities through the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>On 22 October 2020,
my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced allocations
of a further £919 million of un-ringfenced funding to respond to spending pressures.
This is part of a package of further support for councils, worth over £1 billion.</p>
|
|
