MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, Stephen Crabb, will tonight (Tuesday) present a petition to the House of Commons on behalf of Pembrokeshire's home educators.

The petition follows a review of home education earlier this year by Graham Badman which recommended closer monitoring of home educators. The recommendations included a compulsory annual registration scheme as well as giving local authorities the right to inspect homes and conduct compulsory interviews with children.

The Government has since decided to proceed with the report’s recommendations and a number of clauses relating to home education have been introduced into to the Children, Schools and Families Bill which has just passed its first reading in the House of Commons.

Although education is devolved in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, there is concern that the Badman Review will lead to changes throughout the UK.

The petition Stephen is presenting this evening has been signed by forty Pembrokeshire residents who either educate their children at home or believe that such parental rights should not be undermined.

Since the summer, Stephen has met with different groups of constituents, some who choose to home school their children to give them a specific religious or faith-based education, others who home educate for entirely different reasons.

“I am continually impressed by the dedication and commitment of home educators that I meet in Pembrokeshire," said Stephen.

"Parents make significant sacrifices to educate their children at home, often for very personal reasons. I am disappointed that the government supports the recommendations of the Badman review as I do not believe that there is real evidence to support the need for the recommendations."

Stephen added that he thought the bill was being "swept through" parliament.

"I am disappointed that this bill is proceeding before an inquiry into home education by the Commons Children, Schools and Families Committee has been completed," he said.

“I am committed to ensuring that we have the highest standards of child protection and safeguarding in this country. But, it is very important that we respect individual choice. Parents must have the right to decide how to educate their children and we need to trust them to do this responsibly.”