Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales says parents should have the choice of where their child is educated.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government and a supporter of home education, was responding to a statement on elective home education from the Education Minister in Welsh Parliament.
He said:
I take a particular interest in this field as I was home educated myself for a number of years as a child.
On parental choice, just to be clear, it's not just about whether parents can choose whether to home educate their children or not. It's important that parental choice includes the type of education that children receive when they are home educated.
Of course, the point of home education often is to avoid what some see as that straitjacket of mainstream education. Suitable home education, however, you would try to define that, can look very different from one family to the next. One size does not fit all.
I must say, Minister, that there is a risk that the Welsh Government's starting point with home education can be seen as one of suspicion and questioning the motives of parents, rather than trusting them. My expectation of parents is that they choose this route because parents love and care for their children, and they want what is best for their children.
The Minister, Jeremy Miles said they issue guidance to clarify and support the relationship between local authorities and families who choose to home educate, recognising that there is a parental choice that can be made to do that.
Mr Rowlands added:
For some learners, traditional school learning settings are not always the best for them. Many young people often thrive in non-traditional settings, which can see them move up the educational ladder at their own speed, and perhaps focus on specific areas of interest as well that suit them better.
I hope the Minister will continue to support this stance and allow parents to choose where they want their children to be educated.
Sam Rowlands AS yn cefnogi dewis rhieni mewn addysg
Dywed Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru y dylai rhieni gael dewis ymhle mae eu plant yn cael eu haddysgu.
Roedd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol yr Wrthblaid a chefnogwr addysg gartref, yn ymateb i ddatganiad ar addysg ddewisol yn y cartref gan y Gweinidog Addysg yn y Senedd.
Meddai:
Mae gen i ddiddordeb arbennig yn y maes hwn gan fy mod wedi cael fy addysgu gartref am nifer o flynyddoedd fel plentyn.
O ran dewis rhieni, dim ond i fod yn glir, nid yw'n ymwneud ag a all rhieni ddewis a ddylid addysgu eu plant gartref ai peidio. Mae'n bwysig bod dewis rhieni yn cynnwys y math o addysg y mae plant yn ei derbyn pan fyddan nhw’n cael eu haddysgu gartref.
Wrth gwrs, holl bwynt addysgu gartref yn aml yw osgoi'r hyn y mae rhai yn ei weld fel y caethiwed hwnnw o addysg brif ffrwd. Gall addysg gartref addas, sut bynnag y byddech chi’n ceisio diffinio hynny, edrych yn wahanol iawn o un teulu i'r nesaf. Does dim un dull cyffredin.
Rhaid i mi ddweud, Weinidog, fod perygl y gellid ystyried bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn amheus o addysg gartref ac yn cwestiynu cymhellion rhieni, yn hytrach nag ymddiried ynddyn nhw. Byddwn yn disgwyl i rieni ddewis y llwybr hwn oherwydd bod rhieni'n caru ac yn gofalu am eu plant, ac yn dymuno’r gorau i'w plant.
Dywedodd y Gweinidog, Jeremy Miles eu bod yn cyhoeddi canllawiau i egluro a chefnogi'r berthynas rhwng awdurdodau lleol a theuluoedd sy'n dewis addysgu gartref, gan gydnabod bod gan rieni’r dewis i wneud hynny.
Ychwanegodd Mr Rowlands:
I rai dysgwyr, nid lleoliadau dysgu traddodiadol ysgolion sydd orau iddyn nhw bob amser. Mae llawer o bobl ifanc yn aml yn ffynnu mewn lleoliadau anhraddodiadol, sy'n gallu eu gweld yn symud i fyny'r ysgol addysgol ar eu cyflymder eu hunain, ac efallai canolbwyntio ar feysydd diddordeb penodol hefyd sy’n fwy addas iddyn nhw.
Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y Gweinidog yn parhau i gefnogi'r safiad hwn ac yn caniatáu i rieni ddewis ble maen nhw am i'w plant gael eu haddysgu.
