ABSTRACT

This article draws on the impact of the ongoing pandemic to highlight the failure of the English legal regime to adequately protect children’s right to education, particularly equal access to education by especially vulnerable children. Ifirst outline key domestic and international legislative provisions positioned as securing children’s and parents’ rights in this context. Prior to the pandemic, there was growing recognition of the current regime's failings regarding illegal exclusions from school, children missing from education, and the lack of inclusive education for children with special educational needs and disabilities (‘SEND’). The protection of children’s rights relied on the benevolent exercise of discretion and key decision-makers not exploiting limited oversight and scrutiny in order to meet results-driven accountability measures. Second, I critically analyse pandemic law-making and regulation, particularly in relation to the exclusion process, the legal duty to provide education in an online environment, the law on Education, Health, and Care Plans (‘EHCPs’), and the de-registration and fines for non-attendance. Third, I argue that the educational impact of the pandemic highlights the need for law reform, rather than merely revisions to statutory guidance and focus on best practice. Such reform may also trigger improvement via the ‘reflexive regulation’ of the education system.

摘要

本文利用当前流行病的影响来强调英国法律制度未能充分保护儿童的受教育权，尤其是弱势儿童的平等受教育权。首先，我概述了在此背景下确保儿童和父母权利的主要国内和国际立法规定。在大流行之前，人们越来越认识到当前政权在以下方面的失误：非法将学校排斥在外，失学儿童和缺乏针对有特殊教育需求和残疾的儿童的全纳教育（“ SEND”）。保护儿童权利的基础是善意地行使酌处权，关键决策者没有利用有限的监督和审查来满足以结果为导向的问责措施。其次，我批判性地分析了大流行性立法和法规，特别是在排除程序，在网络环境中提供教育的法律义务，《教育，健康和护理计划》（EHCP）以及-不出席的注册和罚款。第三，我认为，大流行的教育影响突出了法律改革的必要性，而不仅仅是对法律指导的修改和对最佳实践的关注。这种改革也可能通过教育系统的“反思性监管”来引发改善。我认为，大流行的教育影响突出了法律改革的必要性，而不仅仅是对法律指导的修改和对最佳实践的关注。这种改革也可能通过教育系统的“反思性监管”来引发改善。我认为，大流行的教育影响突出了法律改革的必要性，而不仅仅是对法律指导的修改和对最佳实践的关注。这种改革也可能通过教育系统的“反思性监管”来引发改善。