Home education guidance: equality impact assessment

The Scope of the EQIA

Each of the protected characteristics defined in the Equalities Act 2010 were considered as part of this Impact Assessment, namely:

• Age
• Disability
• Sex
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Gender reassignment
• Sexual orientation
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Marriage and civil partnership

The following protected characteristics were areas of focus for this Impact Assessment: age, disability, sex, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. Consideration was given to the impact on each of the needs of the Public Sector Equality Duty, namely:

• To eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the act;
• To advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not;
• To foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.

Due to the limitations on available empirical evidence for home education in Scotland in relation to protected characteristics, the impact assessment drew on evidence from published studies across the education landscape. This approach was complemented by comments provided by a stakeholder roundtable attended by groups representing several protected characteristics; and by the 2022 Scottish Government consultation on home education guidance.