It occurs to me that a good analogy of the inspection of home education is provided by the market inspectors who keep an eye on street markets. There is just such a market near my office in East London and I have had ample opportunity to observe how it works.
Most stallholders view the inspectors as a bit of a nuisance, although they can see why they are needed. They are not popular, but neither are they particularly disliked. Most stallholders co-operate readily enough, although there are a number who are always complaining and refuse to do anything that the inspectors say without a huge amount of fuss and bother. These are the awkward squad, who in my younger days would have been described as "Barrack-room lawyers". Similarly among the inspectors, most just want to get on and do their job without too much trouble. Like most of us, they want an easy life. There are of course one or two really difficult types who set out to make life hard for the stallholders, but these are, mercifully, the exception.
It strikes me that this is very much a model for the world of home education and its inspection by local authorities. Most home educating parents, I think, see the need for inspections. As long as these are not too frequent or intrusive, they tolerate them. There are a number though who have a propensity to stand on their rights. They are shrill and voluable and some of them urge all parents to refuse visits and join them in a campaign of mass resistance to any attempt to check up on what they are doing with their children. Similarly, there are difficult and unpleasant inspectors and educational welfare officers who actively disapprove of home education and see it as their mission to give us a hard time. Like the awkward market inspectors, I think that this is a minority.
Something to bear in mind when one decides to go head to head with the state is that the state has far more resources than we do as individuals. It can afford to spend huge sums on lawyers, indeed it can actually change the law if it feels in the mood; as we are currently seeing with the proposed new legislation. It strikes me that a lot of home educators are spending so much time these days fighting the government, both local and national, that they must have very little time left to spend on their children. This seems sad and a little unnecessary. Which is likely to cause most disruption to their children's education; a brief annual visit or a sustained campaign lasting months on end fighting against such visits?
It can afford to spend huge sums on lawyers, indeed it can actually change the law if it feels in the mood; as we are currently seeing with the proposed new legislation
ReplyDeleteIs the money their to spend on a whim? when we know councils are short of money council tax payers will want to see the council tax spent very carefully. I dread to think how much this would cost any ideas simon? as we know councils eat money!
if no one ever challeged government/councils many rights would not have been given such as right to vote for women trade unions sick pay hoildays.governmets also attempt to take away rights and do take notice if joe public is against look at poll tax and the riots Thatcher downfall? the Tory where quick to ditch her and get new tax in. she was told the poll tax had finished her ken clarke went into her officer and told her that!
I dont think most home educators do see the need for inpectors in the way you want.
We got plenty of time to spend on our children as we can include the complaints about uncle Badman under english letter writing understanding how govenrments work how to talk to M.P how to meet visits to london to lobby its been a postive thing teaching many children about our system of government.
Uncle Badman report is just that a report nothing more this government is running out of time and will lose the next election may be by a record amount how many Labour M.Ps will go Ed Balls himself could go the voters will take his revenge on them. this will scare a number labour m.ps who want to hang on to power this in turn makes then listen more to the voter including home educators! Badman report has come at the wrong time the country is running out of money will we still have our credit rating on market for loans? if you lose this you pay more for a loan Brown today is tlaking about spending cuts how deep? the Tory have started to say cuts in public spending will be deep/ teachers? school? so i do not think spending a vaste sum of money on home educators will be at the top of the new governments thoughts do you?
I think that it is also obvious - (and I am in contact with a lot of local home educators - also interestingly in Hampshire!) that many of these families actually want support from their LAs - which of course they won't get if they remain out of contact with the authority in the first place. Now of course some people will say "what support?" and I am not suggesting that all LAs are willing/able to help....but some (even in Hampshire) do. Likewise many families do want to be left alone, but those families who have removed older children from school, who may have special needs, or who struggle financially are desperate for help.... which they may only be able to access if they cooperate with some kind of home visit in the first place. I know that one area of Somerset is now funding exam provision for students who have been "recommended" by their local advisors; we have successfuly borrowed resources for a special needs child, obtained a laptop for another and are also working on the exam access issue - all of which won't happen if a family remains unknown or repulses LA contact in the first place.
ReplyDeleteJulie but it should be a choice if you wish to have contact with an LA not an attempt to force contact which is what Hampshire want see HCC reponse to uncle Badman review.
ReplyDeleteHampshire do not provide any support and are quite happy that home educators get no funding ask the counclior in charge David Kirk who will be more than happy to tell you no funding this is council policy approved by the cabinet of Hampshire County Council your get no lap top from Hampshire! buy your own i think David will tell you.
Most home educators in Hampshire do not want anything to do with Hampshire and those that may will find it comes at a heavy price of hoops to jump though! I dread to think what boxes Jack Cawthra(he is the guy who heads up education other than at school gods knows what he the does all day) would want to tick any ideas Julie?
HCC also do not provide any funding for exams your have to pay for that yourself.
Family are not unknown to HCC its just that most here in hampsire do not want anything to do with them because of the way their treat us.No respect and many including Jack Cawthra belive ALL children should be in school.
There are 3 local areas with in Hampshire, and we are working hard to establish better relationships with the Havant area team (who cover the local group I am involved with). I fully acknowledge that many families don't want anything from the LA, which of course is their right, but many other families do want support and so far we seem to winning in our attempts to get that!
ReplyDeleteJulie- Your not winning here in Hampshire i have it in writing from County Councilor David Kirk( lead cabinet member for children's service) who wrote no funding is given to children who are home educated by HCC this a policy approved by me and by the conservative members of the cabinet) he also confrimed no funding for lap tops or paying for exams book or anything else Your have to buy them yourself. i belive he is quite happy that we have to pay for all of the education for our children! Your choice he said!
ReplyDeleteDavid Kirk also signed off HCC repsonse to Uncle Badman questions to HCC in which HCC want forced right of entry into house interview child alone without parents and force child to exhibit its work.David also belives that all children should be in school ask him?
The Havant area which i know quite well including Leigh Park(had an Aunt who lived there) is a hotspot according to HCC for Truancy excluded children/youths so HCC have given it some extra attention which would mean the education welfare officer/education other than at school officers being allowed to spend more time on this area.(but no lap tops!) I found when i visited Leigh park that every one was very friendly and it appeared to be a nice place to live.my aunt lived there for years with no problems she was well know in the area.
Those that want support or visits fine but it must not be forced which is what HCC want.Do you agree with forced right of entry just because child is home educated and interview child alone?
It should be a parents choice if he/she wishes to take up any offer from HCC.Most home educators in Hampshire do not trust HCC so do not want this support or any one from HCC forcing his way in to our houses(how does that help)
I realise there is no separate funding for such things, but we have managed to access them using alternative existing resources; for example a whole batch of us have had direct access to the ed psych service, I have borrowed special needs material from the local PRU (in Leigh Park), the laptop came from the special needs budget (admittedly Portsmouth, which is now a unitary authority, not Hampshire), we have had exam access and access to science laboratories offered (via the PRU) and a college place has been arranged for a 14 year old for September. All of this has come via a bit of negotiation with the LA who have found alternative budgets to pay for it. I am not suggesting that you need or want this, just that contact with the LA can have its benefits for some families. I am not claiming either that our part of Hants has a perfect record - there have been some real disasters- I have sat in completely unneccessary meetings with social services supporting some home ed families; just that better communication may have its benefits for some.
ReplyDeleteJulie- Portsmouth which is a unitary authorithy will sometimes use existing resources but it is still quite rare!I am pleased for you if you got this help for those home educators who wanted it.
ReplyDeleteHampshire do not provide funding in any way for home education so no chance of negotiation with HCC David Kirk is very clear on this no funding and all children should be in school ask him? he also said he will not pay for any exams! you also not said if you agree with forced right of entry into house and interview child alone with out parents by an LEA officer?
contact must only be made if parent want this not forced?If a family wants contact then fine have home visit chat with nice LEA man but many of us do not want this and will not allow it also many outstanding issues with a school are brushed under the carpet by LEA but parents want answers!
I have very fond mermory of visiting my Aunt in leigh park and playing there when i was young i never had any problems when i visited and found every one to be really nice.Leigh Park had a sense of community something now lacking in a lot of areas including some very middle classes places.
see below letter wrote to David no reply from him
Dear County Councillor David Kirk
I am writing to you to tell you what home educators want and what the Hampshire County Council should and shouldn’t do for home education. Here is a small list of what home educators want:
1. Art materials such as paintings, pencils and colour pencils for drawing.
2. Science materials such as chemistry kits and physics books.
3. Maths materials such as Maths computer software and maths tools like compasses, rulers, protractors and calculators.
4. English tools such as pens, exercise books and dictionaries.
5. Geography tools such as atlas’s, and books about other countries.
6. History materials like history books and history computer software.
7. Help with PE such as access to sports centres and sports grounds.
8. Computer software on how to operate and program computers.
9. Access to exam halls.
10. Help with any particular talent a child might have.
Home educators should be helped with learning materials but they are not. Instead the Hampshire County Council and probably a lot of other councils do things like this:
1. Send letters saying things like “I understand you have decided to home educate your child, I must remind that you must provide a suitable education for your child.” And then going to ask questions like are you a teacher? And what curriculum are you going to follow? You don’t have to follow a curriculum and you don’t have to be a teacher.
2. Sending letters that say someone will coming down to inspect shortly. You do not need to have an inspection and the Hampshire County Council cannot enter someone’s house. Only Social services can do that if they have solid evidence and not heresy that a child is at immediate risk of harm.
3. The Hampshire County Council should not serve school attendance orders unless they have solid evidence (Not one officer who says that the child isn’t receiving a suitable education) that a child is not receiving a suitable education.
This is what the Hampshire County Council should do:
1. Train their staff in the area of home education and use a home educator to teach them.
2. Regularly put forward policies on home education describing how they can help it.
3. Provide support and guidance such as providing the materials home educators want and replying and listening to complaints and letters sent by home educators.
When and what actions are you going to take over this letter?
Dear County Councillor David Kirk
You have not replied to my letter of 19.2.09 about home education.
Yours Sincerely
1. Art materials such as paintings, pencils and colour pencils for drawing.
ReplyDelete2. Science materials such as chemistry kits and physics books.
3. Maths materials such as Maths computer software and maths tools like compasses, rulers, protractors and calculators.
4. English tools such as pens, exercise books and dictionaries.
5. Geography tools such as atlas’s, and books about other countries.
6. History materials like history books and history computer software.
7. Help with PE such as access to sports centres and sports grounds.
8. Computer software on how to operate and program computers.
9. Access to exam halls.
10. Help with any particular talent a child might have.
This sounds like a list of what schools offer.
Really? Wonder why my school going child needs to buy so much of these materials then. If they helped with particular talents of a child (like chess), Peter would be in school!!!
ReplyDeleteHmmm. The problem with this analogy is the difference between a market stallholder and a private individual home-educating their children. The stallholder is buying a service from the council, namely the stall or space in the market. They are entering into a contract with the council and the inspector is there to ensure the contract is adhered to. There is no such contract between the home-ed parent and the LA, and nor should there be. The LA is not providing a service to the home-ed parent and has no remit whatsoever to inspect or monitor home-educating families.
ReplyDeleteThe current law is totally adequate when it is understood and adhered to by parents and LAs. Annual visits are at best unnecessary and at worst deeply intrusive and stressful for the whole family, particularly when the LA representative does not have an open mind about the parents' educational philosophy.
FWIW, in my brief time as a stallholder last Summer, the officials simply told us where to pitch and took our money, the other stallholders told me that even though they took less money at said market than others, it was the friendliest to work at. Perhaps it's the more adversarial/officious officials that engender the bolshy response from the stallholders?