Parents should not be allowed to home-educate a child if it is believed the child is suffering abuse, the Children’s Commissioner for England has said.
Dame Rachel de Souza told the BBC it was “madness” that the law currently allowed parents to take a child out of school even if concerns had already been raised.
It follows the death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif, who was removed from school after her father and stepmother became aware her teachers had spoken to social services.
On Wednesday, Urfan Sharif, 43, and Beinash Batool, 30, were convicted of Sara’s murder after a trial heard they had subjected her to two years of horrific abuse.
Sara’s body was found with dozens of injuries – including burns and probable human bite marks – at the family’s home in Woking, Surrey, in the early hours of 10 August last year.
She had been killed two days before, prompting Sharif and the rest of the family to flee to Pakistan.
Around an hour after landing, Sharif called police in England and told the operator that he had killed Sara.
In the months before Sara’s death, teachers at her school raised concerns with Surrey County Council’s social services about bruises on her body.
An investigation was opened but closed again six days later, and after becoming aware of the referral Sharif and Batool took Sara out of school altogether.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Dame Rachel said they should never have been allowed to do so.
“If a child is [the] suspected [victim] of abuse, they cannot be educated at home,” she said.
“Being in school is a safeguard. They are safer under the eyes of teachers.
“We cannot let a child who is at risk… at home go and be educated at home. It’s madness.”
The government is currently planning a Children’s Wellbeing Bill that it says will make “changes to ensure children are safe, healthy, happy and treated fairly”.
Dame Rachel said the bill should introduce a register of all children being educated at home, which does not currently exist.
She added that there should be greater data sharing between health and education services as well as between different areas of the country to make sure children at risk can be identified.
She also called for an end to an exemption in assault laws that allows for the “reasonable chastisement” of children.
Surrey County Council has said that, now the trial has concluded, an independent safeguarding review of the case will take place.
Rachael Wardell, Executive Director for Children, said: “We are resolute in our commitment to protecting children, and we are determined to play a full and active part in the forthcoming review alongside partner agencies, to thoroughly understand the wider circumstances surrounding Sara’s tragic death.”
