I said in a recent post that I had a fairly light hearted attitude towards the fact that my local authority has an extremely misleading policy about elective home education. This led to a stern reproach from somebody who made the comment that this could discourage parents from choosing to educate their own children. This may well be so, but would it necessarily be a bad thing?
Educating one's own child is an enormously time consuming task which occupies the whole of one's life. When first I embarked upon it, I had a vague idea at the back of my mind that I would be able to write and do other things at the same time, that the education might perhaps fit in around my other interests. This was ridiculously optimistic and the reality has been that for fifteen years, I have had to put almost everything on hold. I cannot imagine that I could have done any less and still delivered a first class education. I don't think that it would have stopped me from home educating, knowing what a huge job it was, but it would not have been a bad thing to know in advance. Some of the provisions of the new Children, Schools and Families Bill are designed specifically with this end in mind; to impress upon those who are considering home education, just what a time consuming, lifestyle changing business it will be.
The twenty day cooling off period is supposed to do this, to give the parents a few weeks to think things over before making the final, irrevocable step of deregistering their child from school. The requirement to submit a statement of approach also tends to this end. At the moment, parents can just dash off letters to their children's school, pull them out and that's pretty much it. This is an appalling state of affairs. I had been a supporter of home education for years before my own children were born and had read a great deal about it, even so the reality was a bit of a shock for me. I had no idea how intense it would be. I think anything that prepares parents for this culture shock must be a good thing, as is anything which makes the decision more serious and causes a parent to stop and think about what she is about to do.
For this reason, I cannot see anything wrong in local authorities having stuff on their websites which make the process of deregistering a child and teaching her at home seem a little daunting. It think it a good thing. Those who are determined to do so will of course persevere, but it might well discourage some who have thought about home education simply as a reaction to some problem they are encountering. Of course, once you look into the matter, you will soon find out that the process of deregistering is straightforward and that the powers of the local authority are in fact quite limited. Never the less, the sort of thing that many local authorities put on their websites will give food for thought to those who might be about to embark upon this course of action.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I had been a supporter of home education for years before my own children were born and had read a great deal about it, even so the reality was a bit of a shock for me. I had no idea how intense it would be. I think anything that prepares parents for this culture shock must be a good thing, as is anything which makes the decision more serious and causes a parent to stop and think about what she is about to do.<<<<<<<<<<<<<
ReplyDeleteI wonder if there is a difference between the way mothers and fathers approach such things?
You read a great deal about it (as did I) but then, I immediately tried to contact those who were already practitioners. Within a few days of having made the decision (which was an emergency rescue mission for a 5 year old with as yet undiagnosed autism) I had met with several home educating families and was attending a weekly group for HE'ing parents and children. Chatting to parents about the realities of HE and about how they HE'd reassured me that I could do it.
Of course, it's even easier now with the internet. Within hours of making the decision you could be in contact with 1,000's of other HE'ers from all over the world, gleaning ideas, getting your questions answered etc.
Nothing replaces a group of parents and chidlren meeting together, though. This seems to be something which mothers seem to find quite easy, perhaps because it feels like an extension of the whole post-natal mothers' groups thing.
The reality of HE was not a shock for me at all.
I wonder if that is a mother/father distinction?
Mrs Anon
So, as I am a Town Councillor, a business woman, vice chair of an enterprise board and an enthusiastic historical re-enactor should I conclude that my education for my children is not up to scratch???? I certainly find time for all of this. It depends on one's model of education does it not? And one's individual circumstances.
ReplyDeleteYet again we have to look at all families on a case by case basis. Which one of the points the proposed bill gets very wrong.
The idea that everyone's experience must be the same as yours in order to be correct is not realistic.
Actually the measure is whether there is commitment to both the child and the education of that child, and a valuing of education in general. The number of hours spent by the parent varies depending on one's model and one's efficiency......
I would be astonished to hear that anybody's experience was like mine. However, I believe that providing a full time education certainly means that one adult must be available to the child constantly. I am sure that this can be done if a couple take it in turns, which of course is what happened in my family.
ReplyDelete"I believe that providing a full time education certainly means that one adult must be available to the child constantly. "
ReplyDeleteSo, in your view, are the parents of children who are being tutored by the LA at home for up to 5 hours per week breaking the law? Presumably they are and the LA know they are so the LA is not carrying out it's duties either.
Ah, I see how the confusion has arisen. I am not talking here of some legal definition; indeed, there is none. I am talking of what I believe to be necessary for a child's development. By a "full time education", I mean an adult being on hand all the child's waking hours, in order to answer questions, encourage, supervise and play with the child. I rather assumed that most home educating parents aim to provide this, but I may be mistaken in this.
ReplyDeleteSo what is your view of families with more than one child?
ReplyDeleteThere we go - I certainly wouldn't pass your test Simon. By your standards I would be a home ed faliure.....see how it works??? Your "norms" are not everyone elses.....and should not therefore be seen as a standard.
ReplyDeleteWith a husband away working all week, my other duties (including housework) and a teenger that only sleeps 8 hours a night I am not on hand at all waking times.
I can negotiate, and I am home most of the time, but not always available. That's real life for some of us.
Horror of horrors I am out at meetings, to which I drag my 4 yr old (which she loves) twice a week too! Leaving my poor 13 yr old on his own (which actually he LOVES).
I even sometimes have a lie in and leave him to get his sister's breakfast!!! (They have a ball...)
I wouldn't, however, say the education of either of my children was deficient.....
And by the way I have met very well home educated children who have parents who both work full time. (And another two cases where the parents were illiterate....) Case by case.......that's the mantra.
"The requirement to submit a statement of approach also tends to this end. At the moment, parents can just dash off letters to their children's school, pull them out and that's pretty much it. This is an appalling state of affairs."
ReplyDeleteIn most areas I've lived and others where I have friends who home educate this is not what happens. The LA usually follows up with a request for a home visit and often a comprehensive form to be completed as well. The legality of this is of course debatable, but this is usually what happens in my experience.
"For this reason, I cannot see anything wrong in local authorities having stuff on their websites which make the process of deregistering a child and teaching her at home seem a little daunting. It think it a good thing."
Do you also think it a good thing when the child in being bullied and the school is ignoring the problem? Sometimes home education is the only way to keep a child safe.
Any child in a mainstream English school can be derigistered by giving written notice to the school. Of course the local authority will ask for some information later; I can't for the life of me see what you mean by "the legality of this is of course debateable". Do you mean that it might be illegal for the local authority to ask somebody to fill in a form? Or that it might be illegal to ask to visit the family? More details needed there, I think.
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't think that it is a good thing when a child is being bullied and the school is ignoring the problem. I think that the schol should be forced to deal with the bullying.
"Do you mean that it might be illegal for the local authority to ask somebody to fill in a form? Or that it might be illegal to ask to visit the family? More details needed there, I think."
ReplyDeleteNo, it's obviously not illegal for the LA to ask someone to fill in a form or ask to visit the family. However, it is misleading at best for them to suggest (as they often do) that the family is required to fill in the form or accept a visit. As I said, the legality is debatable, meaning I don't know if an LA misleading or lying to the public could be called illegal. I do believe it is morally wrong and should be illegal. I have absolutely no problem with LAs asking for further information to establish that there is no appearance of failure to provide a suitable education, they are explicitly allowed to do this under current law. I do object to their insistence on evidence in a particular form. In the case of R v Surrey Quarter Sessions Appeals Committee, ex parte Tweedie (1963), Lord Parker held that:
'.....an education authority should not, as a matter of policy, insist on inspection in the home as the only method of satisfying themselves that the children were receiving full time education.'.
Does this statement by a judge mean that a LA who so insists is breaking the law? I'm not sure, what do you think?
"No, I don't think that it is a good thing when a child is being bullied and the school is ignoring the problem. I think that the schol should be forced to deal with the bullying."
But often the parents have spent months attempting to force the school to deal with bullying without success leaving home education as the only safe option for the family. The alternatives would be truancy or leaving the child in a dangerous situation for even longer whilst they search for further remedies to force the school to act. If the LA makes home education appear more difficult than it is in practice, the family may take one of these options even though they could easily home educate in reality.