Petitions against the Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill
Actions to take against the Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill
I know many families don’t have the time or capacity to get heavily involved in the protests - but signing and sharing a petition takes just a couple of minutes, and it does make a difference.
Our voices must be heard. We need to make it harder for the government to ignore us, and easier for them to be held accountable.
📜 How laws are made
A bill must pass through both Houses of Parliament - read how it works here - before it can become law. Because this bill started in the Commons (unlike the 2022 Schools Bill, which started in the Lords), the process takes time. Nothing changes until the bill is fully passed and even then, sections of the law must be ‘commenced’ before coming into force. Follow the CWS Bill's progress.
Even if this bill becomes law, there will still be further delays as details of secondary legislation (regulations and statutory guidance) are worked out. Only after this would relevant sections of the bill be put into effect.
💬 It’s crucial to keep raising concerns. You can write to your MP using this link. Explain why this bill affects you and your family—every letter counts.
Actions you can take are listed in my 'What to do next' article
There are many petitions relating to the Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill and education currently circulating; let's keep the government busy!
At 10,000 signatures, the government must respond.
At 100,000, a parliamentary debate is considered.
That might seem out of reach, but it isn’t. The home educating community alone is well over 100,000 and many families in mainstream education are also struggling to have their children's needs met. Together, we can break that target.
Please sign and share these widely. Every voice counts. These affect all parents, not just home educators. Remember that there are no minimum age restrictions for signing petitions on the UK government's petition website. Anyone who is a British citizen or UK resident can sign - so get your whole family to do it. 💚
Figures rounded on the 25th July:
Withdraw the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, currently at 5.7K:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/722377
Don't introduce a unique identifier and increase home ed regulations, at 7.6k:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/702270
Remove CWS bill clauses and provide tangible support to home educators, at 31k:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/716515
Penalties for Local Authorities if their EHCP decision is overturned at Tribunal, at 3.4K:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/723001
Create a special envoy for home education, only at 500:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/714481
Retain legal right to assessment and support in education for children with SEND, at 119K:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/711021
Require Independent Scrutiny Before Passing any Education Laws Affecting Rights, at 3.5K:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/727458
📅 Protests
13th July: Multi city protests. Cities confirmed: Bradford, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Oxford, Sunderland, and Wakefield. All event details, and bill updates, are listed on the Stop The Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill Facebook page.
Stand alongside countless others who oppose this bill and what would be the greatest overreach and erosion of parental rights in the 150-year history of the Education Act.
Let’s show the government that families will not stand by in silence.
💚Webpage of useful links to information on the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
It features lots of different sources of info, not just mine. Please share, as I keep meeting people who still aren't aware of its negative implications for all families.
#ChildrensWellbeingBill #AreYouListeningNow #HomeEducation #MarchForChildren
