Lockdowns and school closures - an opportunity or a setback? Exploring why parents have decided to home-educate their child since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent data reveals a substantial increase in home education, accompanied by persistently elevated absentee rates compared to pre-pandemic levels with over 124,000 children not resuming schooling since the COVID-19-related lockdowns. This study examines the experiences of parents who transitioned to home education by deregistering their children from mainstream school since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a mixed-methods approach, the quantitative phase, involving an online survey with 67 participants, revealed that two-thirds of respondents felt compelled to choose home education. The qualitative phase utilised the Free Association Narrative Interview method with four mothers, yielding individual psychosocial analyses and a thematic analysis identifying four key themes: (i) Lockdown as Catalyst, (ii) Shifting Sands of Power, (iii) The Inclusion Illusion, and (iv) Revelations. Discussion explores the pandemic's impact using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (1943) and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory (1979), considering concepts like responsibilisation and economic instability. The findings illuminate the importance of meaningful inclusion in schools and advocate for a progressive, relational approach to child development and learning, especially given mental health concerns, austerity measures, and technological advancements shaping the educational landscape.