Hello. i am interested in the information about home tutoring. i have a son who is ten years old. he refuses to go to school and in 2 years of problems we still have had no help from any services in our area. wigan LEA. All they are bothered about is attendance targets for themselves and not my sons educational issues. My husband and i have now recieved penalty notices each that if my son does not attend school for 15 concecutive days we will be fined. This is not helping my son only making things worse. I am not surprised more people are looking into home education as is myself before the system fails him and making the whole family suffer.

mrs J wane, wigan, lancashire

I am the parent of a child with cerebral palsy who has significant learning difficulties and a physical disability. At the last review meeting all the professional teams involved and myself, felt my child could no longer cope in a mainstream environment and specialist provision was sought for my childs secondary education. However, despite numerous reports to back up this request I received a letter from my local education department informing me that my child had not received a special placement and will be sent to a mainstream secondary. However the senco at the preposed secondary has contacted me to say that she has refused the placement because my childs needs are too complex and the placement is unsuitable. She informed me that she has written to the Head of the Special Education Panel voicing her concerns but he has declined to reply at this time. If I fail to win an appeal I shall be forced to remove my child from school and teach him at home. Whilst this debate continues my child is left without a suitable secondary placement.

Sally, Egham,

How wonderful to see such a postivie and factually acurate article about Home Education. Our young son has never been to school and has retained the natural curiosity about the world and people around him that he was born with. He has time to learn grow and develop into the person he is, in the time scale nature intended, rather than the one set by the government's national curriculum or unwarranted peer pressure. He also has the opportunity to meet and learn from a wide range of people from all walks of life, not just other children the same age as him and teachers. Elective Home Education takes place in the community - not just in the home.

Christine, Notts,