Elective Home Education: a system without codes of practice

Abstract

ABSTRACT The status and value of an occupation is dependent upon the level of professional judgement it requires. This judgement evolves from the contextualised implementation of post-specific regulations and standards – codes of practice. Outlining the expectations of managers, colleagues and service users, codes clarify conduct and define purpose. The profusion of codes within English education has become burdensome, spurring professionals’ preference for practice-based knowledge. However, the role of codes in legitimising the experiential is seldom considered. Elective Home Education is an increasingly popular system of education; whilst overseen by Local Authority Officers, parents have sole control over content and delivery. Contrary to schools, there are no statutory guidelines or codes of practice for professionals. This thought-piece – informed by the experiences of Elective Home Education Officers and the author - extends current debates by revealing the extent to which codes validate evolved practice. The challenges of operating without codes are evident; stakeholders perceive professional knowledge borne from experience as unfounded personal opinion. In doing so, customary practice based on ‘what works best’ is routinely dismissed. This article explores the vulnerability caused by policy makers’ reluctance to recognise the professionalism of practice-based knowledge developed in the absence of codes.