In the end, home schooling, like private schools, is elitist. The vast majority of parents simply do not have the time (let's not hear the crap about the evils of working mothers)or the necessary education themselves. What is happening, however, is that many more parents are seeking to become classroom assistants and to contribute that way. For many years mrsleveller has worked for the Workers' Education Association, running courses, mainly in deprived 'sink' estates, to give parents the skills and qualification to become classroom assistants and also running courses on Special Educational Needs. These are amazingly popular and successful, especially bearing in mind that most of the students are themselves very poorly educated.

So, instead of burying their heads in the sand, maybe those parents who want to help with their children's education - and have a wider impact on education in their area - should consider this as a course of action instead of indulging in the intrinsically selfish practice of educating their children at home.