Why Letting Local Authorities Decide What’s “Appropriate” Education Is a Dangerous Step Backward

As an ex-teacher who spent more than a decade inside classrooms, I’ve seen first-hand how diverse children’s learning needs truly are. No two children thrive in exactly the same way—and yet, the UK’s education system often insists that they should.

Now, with the Children’s Well-being and Schools Bill moving through Parliament, local authorities could soon gain the right to decide whether a child’s educational provision—particularly for home-educated children—is “appropriate.” On the surface, that might sound reasonable. After all, who wouldn’t want to make sure every child receives a solid education?

But scratch beneath the surface, and you’ll find something worrying. This change could quietly reshape how we define “education” itself—and, ultimately, who gets to decide what’s best for your child.

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What the Bill Proposes: Extending Local Authority Power

At the heart of the Children’s Well-being and Schools Bill is a proposal to give local authorities far greater oversight of educational provision. This includes the ability to assess and approve the educational arrangements made by families who choose home education.

While currently focused on home-educated children, history tells us that once such powers are established, they rarely stay limited. Over time, this kind of oversight could easily extend to all educational settings—including alternative or hybrid models that don’t fit neatly into the traditional “school” box.

That’s why this isn’t just a homeschooling issue—it’s a parental rights issue.

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The Problem With “Appropriate Education”

The phrase “appropriate education” sounds neutral, but it hides a troubling truth: appropriate to whom?

Local authorities are, by nature, tied to the system they know best—the standard school model. Their benchmarks for “appropriateness” come from the national curriculum, standardised testing, attendance records, and inspection frameworks. But education outside the classroom doesn’t work that way.

For many children, especially those who have struggled in mainstream schools—due to anxiety, special educational needs, neurodivergence, or simply a different learning style—education looks completely different. It might mean flexible learning hours, child-led exploration, or online and experiential learning.

These approaches don’t fit neatly into a tick-box form, and that’s exactly why they’re effective. If local authorities are the gatekeepers of what counts as “suitable,” then we risk forcing children back into systems that already failed them.

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When Oversight Becomes Overreach

It’s easy to say that oversight protects children. But the uncomfortable truth is that many children within the school system are struggling—emotionally, academically, and socially—despite years of government “oversight.”

I’ve worked with bright, creative children who were labelled as disruptive simply because they didn’t learn in a way that suited the system. Others were quietly forgotten, left to cope with unmet needs because budgets were tight or targets took priority.

When the same authorities who have struggled to meet diverse needs in schools are handed the power to judge what’s “appropriate” outside them, we risk a repeat of the same story—just with fewer choices for families.

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Why Parental Choice Matters More Than Ever

Parents know their children best. You know their triggers, their passions, their pace of learning, and the environments where they truly thrive.

When you remove parental authority from educational decision-making, you send a dangerous message: that the state knows better than the people who love and raise the child.

Of course, collaboration between families and authorities can be valuable. But it should be collaboration, not control. Parents should not have to justify their choices to a system that often fails to recognise individuality.

If local authorities become the arbiters of what’s “appropriate,” we risk turning education into a one-size-fits-all checklist—where creativity, individuality, and emotional well-being take a back seat to compliance.

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The Bigger Picture: Control, Not Support

At Owlsight, I hear from countless parents who have stepped away from the mainstream system out of necessity, not rebellion. They aren’t trying to avoid responsibility—they’re trying to protect their children’s well-being and foster a genuine love of learning.

These families deserve support, not suspicion.

Yet the tone of this proposed legislation suggests the opposite. Instead of empowering parents, it hands more control to local authorities—agencies already stretched thin, often inconsistently trained, and guided by outdated notions of “school success.”

This isn’t about helping children thrive. It’s about maintaining control over a model that no longer fits the modern world.

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A Call to Action for Parents

The Children’s Well-being and Schools Bill may sound bureaucratic, but its implications reach into every home. Whether your child is thriving in school or learning at home, this legislation affects your right to decide what’s best for them.

Now is the time for parents to speak up—to contact MPs, join advocacy groups, and share real stories about why diverse educational approaches matter. The more we highlight the human side of this issue, the harder it becomes for policymakers to reduce education to data points and standardised expectations.

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Conclusion: Protecting the Freedom to Learn Differently

Education is not a one-path journey; it’s a landscape filled with countless routes, paces, and destinations. Our job as parents, educators, and advocates is to make sure every child can find the route that fits them.

If we hand over the power to define “appropriate education” to local authorities, we risk erasing those paths—pushing all children back toward a narrow, outdated version of learning.

As someone who’s seen the inside of the system, I can tell you this: change doesn’t come from more control. It comes from trusting families, supporting individuality, and respecting parental wisdom.

Let’s keep that freedom alive.

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Becca | Owlsight

Empowering parents to help their children thrive—despite the system.