In a move many are calling opportunistic and authoritarian, the government is using the horrific murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif to push through yet another attack on 'right-wing' parents.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced shortly after the sentencing of Sara’s killers, aims to remove the automatic right of every parent to homeschool their children. A right they have had for well over a century. The bill makes vague reference to vulnerable children with experts suggesting that the new law will be used by councils to target 'right-wing' or 'anti-vaxxer' families.
Mr Justice Cavanagh, during the trial of Sara Sharif's parents, stated: “This case brings into sharp relief the dangers of unsupervised homeschooling of vulnerable children,” adding that the practice allowed Sara’s abuse to continue “beyond the gaze of the authorities.”
Sara Sharif’s murder shocked the nation when her body was discovered at her family home in Woking on 10 August 2023. Her father, Urfan Sharif, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, were sentenced to life imprisonment last week after evidence revealed they had twice removed Sara from school to conceal the brutal abuse she endured. Makeup was reportedly used to hide bruises, and her injuries were further disguised under a hijab. The couple exploited homeschooling to evade scrutiny, a ruse condemned by Justice Cavanagh as “wholly selfish.”
But whilst the murder of Sara Sharif was sickening, thousands of children are homeschooled by parents who are not murderers.
"Gross Overreach"
Critics have lambasted the government’s response, with the Home Education Advisory Service branding the bill a “gross overreach” and social media users accusing ministers of using “a single, horrifying case” to justify undermining parental rights. Bridget Phillipson echoed these concerns, stating: “We must not let one tragedy lead to blanket policies that penalise responsible families.” On Twitter, a parent wrote: “Homeschooling saved my child from bullying. Don’t let the government take this option away.”
81,000 children in England being homeschooled will get caught up with new law.
Official data from the Department for Education, published in June 2023, shows that approximately 81,000 children in England were being homeschooled, a 39% increase since 2018. Ofsted’s 2022 report noted that while most parents provided quality education, only 6% of cases reviewed involved safeguarding concerns. The Children’s Commissioner’s 2021 report cited that homeschooling often stems from dissatisfaction with traditional schooling, including bullying and unmet special educational needs.
By linking Sara’s case to homeschooling reform, the government has ignited fears among parents and educators alike. Justice Cavanagh’s remarks, though critical of Sara’s situation, also acknowledged the good intentions of many homeschooling families, stating,
“There are many cases in which parents homeschool for good reasons.”
If enacted, the bill would allow councils to mandate school attendance for children deemed 'at risk', while introducing mandatory registers to track homeschooled students.
Reportedly, councils will use these new powers to target ''anti-vaxxer' and 'right-wing' parents and, ironically, won't use them for Muslim families for fear of being labelled racist.
The government’s opportunistic framing of this tragedy has alienated many. The fear and outrage generated by Sara Sharif’s case are now being wielded to introduce legislation that threatens freedoms cherished by thousands of families.
As the bill moves through Parliament, its implications remain deeply divisive. It shows that whatever the incident, the government will use it to clamp down on their enemies. We have seen this repeatedly over the last few years and not just by the Labour government. The murder of David Amess by a Islamic terrorists was used as an excuse to bring in tighter Social Media rules; the murder of Sarah Everard threatened to make it illegal for all men to be out after 6pm; Whilst the outrage felt at the murder of three innocent little girls in Southport used to clamp-down on 'right-wing' memes on Facebook.
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