AS THE holidays draw to a close, children everywhere are thinking about the return to school with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

While there will be eager anticipation for many, there will also be fear and misery for others. School doesn’t suit everyone.

Some children suffer from constant bullying; others have been unable to obtain a place at a suitable school.

Some have fallen behind after illness and find that they cannot catch up with their peers.

Others simply don’t fit in to the system and they find it hard to learn in the school environment. This is particularly true of many children with special educational needs.

May we, through your pages, let your readers know that there is a compassionate and practical alternative if children are very unhappy at school?

It is the duty of parents, not the state, to provide efficient and full-time education for their children ‘either by regular attendance at school or otherwise’.

Home education is a long-established and respected option which is chosen each year by thousands of parents. Teaching experience is not required.

Children of all ages may learn at home and they can make friends, do sports, take exams and study the full range of school subjects and more.

Home Education Advisory Service, a registered charity, has been supporting parents and putting families in touch with each other for the past 16 years.

So, if your children are happy with school we wish them every success, but if they are not, we will be glad to provide more information about the home option.

JANE LOWE, Home Education Advisory Service, PO Box 98, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire AL8 6AN 01707 371854 www.heas.org.uk enquiries@heas.org.uk