Whose children are they? Using Kymlicka on multiculturalism to evaluate rights and freedom in Christian home education

This paper considers the entitlement of parents to educate their children in their Christian beliefs and whether, where this is enacted, if children can simultaneously be accorded sufficient autonomy to make their own religious choices. We use the so far unresearched example of Christian home education in England and, specifically, the implications of the proposed English Schools Bill (2022). Drawing on the work of Will Kymlicka (1995) we appraise this minority religious group, in terms of both external protection needs and charges of internal restriction within the context of largely unregulated home education. Quantitative and qualitative survey data from 462 Christian home educators is analysed to elucidate the minority positioning of the group before considering whether, according to Kymlicka’s argument, sufficient opportunities exist within the proffered education to proselytise, question and reject the faith if desired. We conclude that Christian home educators in the UK do constitute a minority group in need of political recognition to continue in the educational aspects of their faith. We also conclude that whilst, in this data set, internal restrictions are not evident, Christian home education is not homogenous. We agree with Kymlicka that opportunities for heresy and apostasy need to be clearly open to children being educated at home for religious reasons but argue that further research and a theoretical framing of ongoing public debate, rather than recourse to law, constitutes a way forward more likely to protect pluralism and minority freedoms.