If you are considering representing the people of Wales in the Senedd,

Will you make a commitment to base your policies and practices on the expressed needs and input of those with lived experience?

By committing to listening to and acting on the concerns of families in Wales?

By way of demonstrating such intentions,

Will you commit to, before any consultation or policy development in relation to elective home education,

(1) Will you commit to, before any consultation or policy development in relation to elective home education, ensuring

• •Meaningful personal engagement with home educators before developing policies that affect them ?

• Production and publication of thorough impact assessments and cost-benefit analyses, authentic ones, informed by the voices of those with lived experience, so that these assessments are available before public consultations to allow meaningful evaluation during them?

Surely these things should be common sense to do,
surely they shouldn’t need to be stated, let alone asked for?

(2) Will you commit to any draft policies, guidance or consultations being drawn from the voices of those with lived experience?

To quote the previous Cabinet Secretary for Education,

“You cannot have a consultation,

and then just ignore that consultation”.

So, will you commit to ensuring that outcomes of consultations are not dismissed or treated as “tick-box” exercises, but instead ensuring the outcomes are respected and followed?

(3) Will you commit to full involvement of and engagement with those with lived experience in all committee stages at the Senedd?

(4) Will you commit to consideration of all evidence presented in relation to such policies in a way that is transparent and accountable,

so that no evidence presented is dismissed or overlooked,

in an attempt to overcome the known limitations and lack of scrutiny offered by secondary legislation processes?

(5) Will you commit to not *stonewalling* your constituents on any matters?

Surely this should not need to be asked – yet sadly the lack of engagement reported by concerned families from some political parties or Senedd Members to date sadly necessitates the call to such a commitment and assurance from prospective ones.

We seek reassurances that gaslighting or stonewalling will not be tools used during campaigning or after the election by any prospective or actual representatives or governments.

(6) Wil you commit to focus attention on where the community highlights the greatest areas of need, rather than agenda driven policies, so that limited resources are put to the most appropriate use?

Prospective Senedd Members,
will you commit?

Home education is an absolutely invaluable, enriching and vital part of society, it is a reflection of the benefits of a truly diverse society.

You may well only have heard of home education in misleading and misrepresentative media rhetoric, from comments arising from lack of understanding and experience, and even from institutionalised bias, and we fully appreciate this may be an area that are not familiar with.
We know that, we’re written articles to help address that,
for example here, and here.

That is an understandable starting position.
But please, if you are seeking to represent families in Wales, including those who have, are or in the future will be home educating, including those who need this as a wonderful optional alternative even if they do not use it themselves,
Then please do not stay in that position.

We’ve created this comprehensive website to help enable information, research, experience and evaluations to be accessible in the public domain, not only for those who are already very aware of these issues, but especially for any who seek to develop policy or legislation on EHE who are not aware of the points and information contained in these articles.

Do you have further questions?

More importantly, are you wiling to meet with home educators to hear and understand more, before considering policy development, let alone legislation about ordinary families in Wales?
Please email us at wellbeingineducationwales@gmail.com if willing to even just listen and hear, let alone if willing to commit to the calls laid out above.

Please do also follow Stop the Children’s Bill Cymru on Facebook for regular updates, including notifications within coming weeks of publication of emerging research.

Prospective Senedd Members – will you commit to truly listening to the families of Wales?
and not only when wanting votes, but when acting as elected representatives?