Home Education & the Law in Scotland
National home education guidance
Revised statutory guidance on the circumstances in which parents may choose home education was issued by the Scottish Government in January 2008 and sets out the respective roles and responsibilities of parents, children and education authorities.
Read the Scottish Home Education Guidance online
Download the Scottish Home Education Guidance
The national guidance is due to be revised in 2020 and we have already submitted a fulsome response to the advance discussion paper and made a series of evidence-based recommendations in our Home Truths report.
Local authority home education policies
Despite statutory guidance requiring councils to make information about home education available on their websites and by other means on request, it is often well concealed or non-existent. So that home educators can more easily access local policies, relevant information for parents and named contacts, we have published details in our Scottish Local Authority policies forum and members may post updates on their own experiences.
See also:
Child Benefit & Education Maintenance Allowance
Legal Opinions (password protected)
For information and advice on contact with Local Authorities, please refer to our Resources section.
