Plans by the Welsh Government to introduce a database of children not being educated in a school setting have been welcomed by Wales Humanists as an important measure in making sure children in Wales are protected from proprietors of illegal schools.
Under the proposed plan, each council in Wales would be required to establish a database of children in their area who may be missing education or not educated in a school, and includes children who are home educated. Local health boards and general medical contractors would also be required to share information with local authorities.
In response to the plan Wales Humanists said the database was an ‘essential’ measure in keeping children safe and educated appropriately, and were supportive of any measures that ‘prevent unscrupulous providers of illegal or unregistered schools from using legal loopholes to establish or manage these settings in Wales’. However, Wales Humanists also cautioned that other measures, such as powers for the authorities to close suspected settings, were needed to make sure these loopholes were closed entirely.
In response to the plan Wales Humanists said the database was an ‘essential’ measure in keeping children safe and educated appropriately, and were supportive of any measures that ‘prevent unscrupulous providers of illegal or unregistered schools from using legal loopholes to establish or manage these settings in Wales’. However, Wales Humanists also cautioned that other measures, such as powers for the authorities to close suspected settings, were needed to make sure these loopholes were closed entirely.
Wales Humanists Coordinator Kathy Riddick said:
‘We welcome the Welsh Government’s plans to introduce a database of children who are not being educated in a school setting. This is an important measure to make sure every child in Wales has access to appropriate education and is receiving it in a safe environment.
The database will go some way to support councils, Estyn, and the Welsh Government in monitoring any potential illegal school activity and close one significant legal loophole used by proprietors of these settings, and we hope to see it introduced as soon as possible.’
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For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Kathy Riddick at press@humanists.uk or phone 07534 248 596.
Read more about our work on illegal faith schools.
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