Supporters of home-schooling have reacted angrily to attempts to link home-schooling with the death by starvation in Birmingham of seven year old Khyra Ishaq.

Khrya was imprisoned in her home by her mother and step-father and died of starvation in May 2008. She had been withdrawn from her school the previous December.

The school had given warnings she might be abused but they were not properly followed-up by social services.

However, Britain’s Children’s Secretary, Ed Balls (pictured), said the fact that Khrya was being home-schooled had made it more difficult for social services to ascertain the level of care she was receiving.

He has proposed that stricter regulations of home-school be introduced.

Tony Howell of Birmingham City Council echoed the sentiment when he said: “A particular concern that has come out of this case for us all is that our powers in relation to elective home education are inadequate.”

However, Fiona Nicholson of home-schooling group, Education Otherwise, flatly rejected the claim.

She said: “Ofsted [the official UK educational body] has already found that Birmingham is failing to protect children and questions have been raised over the high number of child deaths in the last few years.

“Fears for the safety of Khyra and other family members were made known to social services by the deputy head of her school both before and after she was de-registered. However it appears that Birmingham Social did not see sufficient cause to act on concerns.”

Ann Newstead, also of Educate Otherwise, added: “It is ludicrous to suggest extra legislation such as proposed by this Government would have made a difference in this case.

“Once again it appears that staff were not trained in the detail of the powers already available to them and did not have sufficient expertise to correctly assess the risk. The only reason I can see for this case to be linked with home education is for pure political gain with no regard for the facts.”

In addition, Eleanor King, the High Court judge who presided over the trial of Khyra’s mother and step-father, said the lack of a proper initial assessment by Birmingham social services was primarily to blame.

She said: “On the evidence before the court I can only conclude that in all probability, had there been an adequate initial assessment and proper adherence by the educational welfare services to its guidance, Khyra would not have died”.