Anyone can home educate their children; no formal qualification of any kind is necessary. Home education is legal and enjoys constitutional protection in Ireland.

Following the Education (Welfare) Act in 2000, parents or guardians of home-educated children are obliged to provide details of the education they are providing to children under their care to the National Education Welfare Board.

HEN estimates that there are between 2,000 and 20,000 children being home educated in Ireland. Irish is an optional subject for home-educated children. However, there's a big difference between just keeping your children from school, and opting to educate them at home. Educational-welfare authorities are becoming increasingly proactive in clamping down on school absenteeism. In recent months it emerged that warrants were issued for the arrest of eight parents in Co Limerick for failing to keep their children in school.

But when it comes to home educating, according to the Education Welfare Act 2000, parents are only legally obliged to provide an unspecified "certain minimum of education" - and that is to be ensured by visiting home assessors. A set of guidelines has been drawn up by the Schools Inspectorate for the implementation of the Act: "Guidelines on the Assessment of Education in Places Other Than Recognised Schools."

Nick Gudge says: "There are serious concerns over the guidelines, training of assessors and the appeals process, no details of which were stipulated in the legislation." Until these issues are settled, Gudge says, "most home educators will not volunteer to apply for registration."

More information is available at www.henireland.org and www.hedni.org