Stroud home educators in Parliament protest

Leave home-educated children and their families alone, say Stroud protesters who travelled to Westminster to make their voice heard.

Stroud families presented a petition of 150 signatures to David Drew MP on Tuesday, ahead of a House of Commons debate to be held in early December.

They are objecting to proposals by child protection expert Graham Badman to tighten up regulations. The petition states that his review was rushed and failed to consider evidence or the existing legislation.

Claudia Weston, from Stroud, mum of Louis, aged nine, Esme, six, and Maya, three; is home educating her two oldest children. She said: "I lost my own love of learning from going to school. I found that children seemed to love learning and wanted to nourish this.

"Under these proposals the local authority would become monitors rather than advisors. They would be allowed to come into the home and interview children alone which could be quite daunting for a child."

The Badman Report proposes parents will have to register their child with their local council and provide a statement of what they intend to teach over the coming year.