Is Home Schooling Under Threat? What the New Children’s Bill Could Mean for Families
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Did you know that approximately 6% of all U.S. students are homeschooled? This totals roughly 4 million children, although the numbers differ depending on who you ask. According to the National Home Education Research Institute, these numbers have steadily increased over the past 5 years. Why?
Homeschooling allows parents to customize curriculum and learning in a way that works for their child. Typically, they can accomplish more academically than schools, use pedagogical approaches, enhance family relationships, and provide a safer environment. They can also choose to integrate religion, values, customs, and beliefs if they choose to do so. On November 4th, 2025, however, the world of homeschooling has been thrown upside down.
The Children and Wellbeing Bill, introduced by the government, declares and mandates that all children not in a traditional school setting (public, private, or charter) must be registered and fill out a digital ID. Essentially, every child would reside under state oversight, regardless of safety concerns. While this might not sound concerning on the surface, many fear the restrictions the Bill could impose, especially for Christian freedom. Emily Bourne, a writer for Christian Concern, explains this attack on religious freedoms and parental rights this way:
“Local officials could be empowered to check on a family’s church attendance, education practices and religious teachings. Bourne warns that the bill could allow the state to declare Christian teaching “inappropriate or unsafe”. She added, “Already, there are cases where parents have been pressured to affirm gender identities contrary to their faith, under threat of losing custody of their children.” Parents found to have breached the proposed new regulations could face a fine or even jail time,” says Bourne via Christianity Today.