School children registered for home education trebles

THE number of children registered for home-schooling has more than trebled to almost 700 in just five years.

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) began assessing families whose children are taught at home in 2004, when it received applications from 92 families involving 138 children.

By the end of 2008, there were 439 children from 295 families registered as being home-educated, but a further 200 were added by the end of last year.