Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
According to the Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, parents who are believed to be abusing their child should not be allowed to home-educate them. Dame Rachel expressed her disbelief that parents are currently allowed to take their child out of school even in situations where concerns have already been raised. The move follows the murder of Sara Sharif, a ten-year-old girl who was taken out of school after her teachers raised concerns to social services. Sara was killed by her father and stepmother following two years of abuse and her body was discovered with numerous injuries, including burns and human bite marks.
Teachers at Sara’s school had already warned Surrey County Council’s social services about the bruises on her body in the months leading up to her death, and while an investigation was conducted, it was closed six days later. After learning about the investigation, Sara’s father and stepmother decided to remove her from school altogether. Dame Rachel de Souza believes that this should have never been allowed to happen, and that if there is suspicion of abuse, a child should not be educated at home. She suggests that being in school affords children an added safeguard, as they are under the watchful eye of teachers.
Dame Rachel is calling for greater data sharing between health and education services, and wants to see an end to the exemption in assault laws that permits ‘reasonable chastisement’ of children. She also believes that there should be a register of all children who are being educated at home so that children who are at risk can be identified. Currently, no such register exists.
The government is currently preparing a Children’s Wellbeing Bill which will ensure that children are treated fairly, safe, healthy and happy. Surrey County Council has said that it will commence an independent safeguarding review following the conclusion of the trial. The council aims to work together with the review’s partner agencies to get a more comprehensive understanding of the situation that led to Sara’s tragic death.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.