§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in what circumstances the obligations under education legislation(a) to provide schooling and (b) for parents to ensure school attendance may be disapplied for children of compulsory school age resident in the United Kingdom. [53943]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisLocal Education authorities are obligated to provide suitable education for all children of compulsory school age at school or otherwise than at school under the Education Act 1996 (sections 13, 14 and 19 as amended).
The parent of every child of compulsory school age is obligated to cause him to receive suitable full-time education either by regular attendance at school or otherwise (Education Act 1996 section 7). If a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence. However the child shall not be taken to have failed to attend regularly under the circumstances outlined in the Education Act 1996 section 444 subsections (3) to (6).