Parents, educators, children, and concerned members of the wider community are gathering on Friday, 8th March, from 11 AM to 3 PM at Victoria Square, Birmingham, united in opposition to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill as part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness and stop the bill.
This bill poses a direct threat to parental rights, home education freedoms, and the autonomy of families in making the best educational choices for their children to ensure that their needs are met.
We invite the media to attend and hear firsthand from parents, children, and advocates about why this bill must be stopped.
Why This Bill Must Be Stopped:
- Consent to Withdraw: The bill proposes that certain children, including those under investigation under Section 47 of the Children Act or those in special schools, require local authority consent to be withdrawn for home education. This undermines parental rights.
- Introduction of a Compulsory Register: A de facto register already exists, as local authorities are informed when a child is deregistered. The proposed register will not identify “missing children” but instead create further bureaucratic obstacles.
- Invasive Data Collection: Parents will be required to provide extensive personal information, including details of anyone involved in their child’s education. No other group in society is subject to such intrusive scrutiny.
- Breach of Privacy Laws: The bill mandates education providers to share private data with the government without consent, violating Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998.
- Lack of Genuine Support: The bill offers no meaningful support for home educators—only information-sharing dictated by local authorities, with no guarantees of resources or assistance.
- Threats of School Attendance Orders & Criminal Convictions: Parents who do not comply risk receiving a School Attendance Order and potential criminal charges with a prison sentence of up to 51 weeks, further criminalising dedicated and responsible home educators.
- No Protections Against Local Authority Overreach: The bill fails to provide safeguards for families facing heavy-handed intervention, with little recourse for fair appeals.
- Based on Misinformation: This bill has been presented to the public as a way to protect vulnerable children like Sara Sharif. However, these new regulations would unfortunately never have helped Sara, as she was already known to various officials but was tragically let down by the system as a whole. Furthermore, it risks endangering more children by repeating the failed approach of "track and trace" and registers, similar to a £250 million project launched in 2008 that was abandoned in 2009 due to its ineffectiveness. This raises concerns about the bill's actual impact and whether it truly addresses the root causes of child vulnerability.
- Disproportionately and Adversely Affects SEND Children: The proposed bill restricts parental rights, increases state control, and imposes penalties that fail to consider a child’s unique and sometimes complex needs. It risks forcing SEND children into unsuitable placements by granting councils excessive discretion over what constitutes a "suitable education," potentially prioritising cost-saving over children’s best interests.
We urge parents, educators, children, and supporters of educational freedom to attend this rally and make their voices heard. This bill affects the rights of all children, not just those currently in home education, as it takes away the freedom of choice.
Spread the Word:
We urge you to share this event with friends, family, and on social media using the hashtags: #HomeEducation #ChildrensWellbeingBill #AreYouListeningNow #EducationFreedom
We encourage journalists and news outlets to attend, report on the event, and engage with affected families to understand the real impact of this legislation.
Together, we can protect parental rights, educational choice, and the future of home education in England.