Bill Threatens Freedom to Homeschool in England and Wales

HSLDA is working with families and advocates to challenge legislation that poses a severe threat to homeschool freedom in England and Wales.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Schools bill), introduced in December 2024, calls for the creation of a national registry of homeschooled children in England. It would also give local officials the authority to deny individual families the right to homeschool. The bill passed the House of Commons and was introduced in the House of Lords on March 19.

The measure reflects the underlying ethos of pro-regulation model legislation released by a US organization in 2024, which is now influencing some American lawmakers. The Make Homeschool Safe Act suggests a litany of restrictions aimed at home education based on the presumption that parents can’t be trusted to raise and teach their own children.

In a similar vein, Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, told the media the Schools bill “lays a foundation for change in many children’s lives—many of whom have been neglected or hidden. For these children, this legislation cannot come quickly enough.”

What the evidence says

Kevin Boden, HSLDA attorney and director of HSLDA International, wrote a letter to parliament in February enumerating many troubling aspects of the Schools bill. Foremost, he declared the bill “interferes with the natural right of parents to raise their children as recognized by international declarations and covenants.”

“The evidence shows that home education is not something to be feared but celebrated,” they wrote in the letter. Brendan Case and Ying Chen of Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program are also quoted: They championed research showing “homeschooled children generally develop into well-adjusted, responsible, and socially engaged young adults.”

Boden also presented testimony to British lawmakers in opposition to the bill, along with Aristotle Foundation Research Director, David Hunt, and longtime homeschool researcher Brian Ray. Boden joined his colleagues in arguing that the antipathy toward homeschooling that the Schools bill represents is not just misguided—it threatens to undermine a proven benefit.

In subsequent remarks, Boden added that the Schools bill stems from a trend in the United Kingdom toward more government oversight. “It’s a very sad development, but not a surprising one,” he said. “The idea the state has to make sure kids are safe—even from their parents—has been part of the discourse in Britain for some time now.”

What the bill does

The authority the bill grants government officials over homeschooling is expansive. According to one newspaper, local councils would be given the power to terminate homeschooling rights if their home environment is “deemed unsuitable or unsafe,” but the bill does not define those terms, leaving the language open to interpretation and potential abuse by officials.

The measure also calls for issuing every student—including those being homeschooled—a national identification number. This allows each student to be tracked via a centralized database, not just for academic purposes, but across government agencies including those involved in providing health care and other social services.

Some advocates in England also fear the Schools bill could be used to restrict religious liberty. Though the legislation does not address faith-based education, the proposed registry for homeschooling families would require parents to submit detailed information about everyone who contributes to the education of their children, including how much time children spend with these individuals.

As one religious advocacy organization noted: “It appears that home-educating parents will have to report if their child attends Sunday School, including names and addresses of the Sunday School teachers.”

Why this matters for Americans

The Schools bill is currently under consideration in the House of Commons. HSLDA is coordinating with allies in England in hopes of halting or modifying the legislation. Meanwhile, said Boden, homeschooling families in the US would do well to monitor the progress of the bill.