Saturday 8 May 2010

Good news for some home educators

As our politicians rake through the wreckage of the recent election, looking for something to salvage from the shambles, there is excellent news for those parents who believe that government should not concern itself overmuch with home education. We may be in the middle of a constitutional crisis, but there is one very bright spot for such people; the chances of new legislation on home education are becoming vanishingly small.

Picture the scene for the leaders of the three main parties. Here you are, trying to piece together an administration, perhaps the first formal coalition since World War II. So many important things to worry about! So much to do! Here are a few of the problems facing you; immigration, the financial deficit, Europe, Trident, the war in Afghanistan, electoral reform, MPs' expenses, the possibility that fewer than 50% of children educated at home gain five GCSEs at grades A*-C and the consequent effect on their future earnings. Where to start? So many difficulties and you're going to have to fight each one through the commons in order to get a consensus.

Obviously, different politicians will have different priorities; one will be more concerned with immigration, another with the economy. I think it a fair guess though that few of them are likely to be putting the monitoring of home education up at the top of the list next to the war in Afghanistan. The chances are that all this deal making will be occupying everybody for some considerable time. There will probably be another election later this year, for which the campaigning will begin almost as soon as the next Prime Minister is installed in Downing Street. I really can't think that anybody is going to be giving any thought at all to changing the law on home education for the time being. There are simply more important things to consider.

The danger for home educators is always going to be during quiet periods in political life, when people are sitting about idly, making chains out of paper clips and asking themselves, 'What can I meddle with next?' Anybody in the Department for Children, Schools and Families who is at a loose end in the near future though, might be better engaged in asking themselves why a fifth of school leavers can neither read nor carry out any but the simplest arithmetical operations. The recent research on this from Sheffield University makes horrifying reading.

So at least for the next year or two, there is probably nothing to worry about for those parents who are determined to remain fanatically secretive about their children's lifestyle and academic achievement. The only threat to this somewhat eccentric way of life is likely to come from various local authorities, some of whom are evidently behaving as though the CSF Bill was actually passed in its entirety. I rather think that it will be some while before central government gets round to examining this issue again, unless of course too many cases of home educated children being abused or murdered by their parents crop up in the national press.

24 comments:

  1. I am still not 100% convinced that the political situation will even end up as everyone thinks it will. If I were a LibDem who wanted PR above all, would I be happy forming an alliance with anyone without that being a certainty? After all, without PR, the LibDems may never have such power or influence again. I am not saying I want or approve of Gordon Brown hanging on; I am reminded though of the 1974 attempt of Ted Heath to do a deal with the then Liberals, and it falling apart on Monday am.

    If we do get a Tory-LD govt then yes, home educators will generally be happy with the outcome as far as changes are concerned, since it will be a low priority. If the political situation changes, either next week or after a short Govt term, who knows!

    As for what LAs do, well I am increasingly convinced that the way forward is more support on their part, because if they can offer something concrete, many families will actively engage with them to get it. Our LA was intending to ring the DCSF for confirmation of the college thing on Friday, but now of course the civil servants are still out of action until we have a real Govt. They also said that the notification about money for statemented children hadn't actually filtered down to them (it ended up on a desk in childrens services) but had been discovered and would be implemented asap.... again though families won't benefit from these things if the LA doesn't know about them!

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  2. Simon says-I think it a fair guess though that few of them are likely to be putting the monitoring of home education up at the top of the list next to the war in Afghanistan.

    In oher words Simon you lost?LOL you put you faith in old Badman?Balls and you lost. you where so sure the children bill was going to be passed why was that? where as i knew it would fail!
    Simon says-there is probably nothing to worry about for those parents who are determined to remain fanatically secretive about their children's lifestyle and academic achievement

    We secretive about our child lifestyle you know who where talking about Simon? if you do then report us? you want crazy Jim phone number? Julie you they? can you phone? LOL! you lost Simon home educators won Peter wrote really fine letters of complaint Peter wants answers to his conerns?

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  3. Julie says-They also said that the notification about money for statemented children hadn't actually filtered down to them (it ended up on a desk in childrens services) but had been discovered and would be implemented asap

    How come you know this Julie? you been chating the LA up?

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  4. Peter - I told you. We (ie members of 2 local HE groups) had a meeting with the LA last week!

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  5. 'the possibility that fewer than 50% of children educated at home gain five GCSEs at grades A*-C and the consequent effect on their future earnings.'

    Nice. I like the way you snuck that up there along with REAL, proven problems to solve. Don't forget the possibility that Dolphins might take over the world.

    Mrs Anon

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  6. 'So at least for the next year or two, there is probably nothing to worry about for those parents who are determined to remain fanatically secretive about their children's lifestyle and academic achievement.'

    I don't want the LA to observe, monitor or in any way 'support' me in my home education, but obviously, that is NOT the same as being fanatically secretice about my children's lifestyle or academic achievement.

    Everyone knows what grades my son got for the exams he's done so far, everyone who asks that is. That's all our friends. No secrets there. Everyone knows he's got into several academic institutions to do A Levels.

    Everyone at the County Athletics Competition who sees him today will know about those activities. Everyone who sees him play guitar in a concert in front of 200 people next week will know about that.

    It's just silly for you to say that people who are anti-snooping and interference by the state are 'fanatically secretive about their children's lifestyle'.

    Mrs Anon

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  7. Julie said...

    Peter - I told you. We (ie members of 2 local HE groups) had a meeting with the LA last week!

    we not members of any group no one asked us to be members Julie do you have to home educate the right way to be a member? its all very fishy if you ask me!

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  8. Not the slighest bit fishy - the group has all sorts of members (150 families) from the very autonomous to the very structured.... and we all manage to get on perfectly happily, because the one thing we have in common is a keen concern to educate our children to the highest standards possible.
    You don't live in our area, Peter - but Jaki from North Hants NHEO has already posted here about your nearest group, so if you want to get invited to meetings, join that!

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  9. Julie-You don't live in our area, Peter - but Jaki from North Hants NHEO has already posted here about your nearest group, so if you want to get invited to meetings, join that!

    you have to get invited? make sure your the right type? I dont think Jaki will invite us! we not the right type!

    BBC coming down later to film Peter i put in a good word for Hampshire County Council LOL!

    I enjoy these chats Julie dont you?LOL

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  10. er - Jaki already invited you on here - you don't have to pass any test - just actually be a home educator, past or present, (to prevent anyone who isn't getting on a home ed list!- there are soome funny people out there on the internet!)

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  11. I dont know how you join her group Julie? I wonder what they get up to at the group? That Jaki like the LA? and Badman?

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  12. We won Julie they gone Brown/Balls LOL told you we win Simon you lost!

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  13. I don't think we can afford to be complacent. No matter who's in power, they'll be on our backs again at some point once they've sorted out more serious matters, as you say. In the meantime there's some good work being done by Julie and others to build bridges and educate the LA's about HE. Plenty of new MP's to talk to as well. The more they understand, the less suspicious they will be.

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  14. Erica says-don't think we can afford to be complacent. No matter who's in power, they'll be on our backs again at some point once they've sorted out more serious matters,

    I dont think so Erica! it comes down to how inportant is home education to any government and to put it bluntly they is NO money in home education and nothing in it for any M.P so they will not waste they time on us!
    ahh yes Julie who is always sucking up the Hampshire LA i wonder why? what in it for Julie? no one does anything unless they something for them? try geting your gas boiler fixed for nothing? or you roof fixed for nothing!
    i do enjoy my chats with Julie but she got it all wrong like you have!

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  15. Peter - you completely fail to grasp is that I (and the rest of the commitee) do what the members of the local group want -and they have decided that their priority is working with the LA, rather than fighting it. So we have
    a) worked with our local area office to get the standard letters sent out to all home educators to be less offensive (and legally accurate!)
    b) persuaded the LA to register an IGSCE exam entre for home educators.
    c) Persuaded them to allow us to use a school lab for practicals

    and there are other projects in the pipeline, like working with the LA to train their HE advisors. Now I am not suggesting that everyone needs to get involved or want any of this for themselves, but for those of us who do want to, I can't see why it should bother you!

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  16. But you only do it for your group Julie you do not tell the LEA to help all home educators why not? no use of a school lab here? and who knows what weird letters Jan Lewis send out to home educators in this part of Hampshire

    We got to fight the Hampshire LEA not suck up to them!
    you looking fro a job training the LA Julie? LOL

    it brothers me because your group is taking no noctice of other home educators why?

    not heard form you in a while old Simon what ups you still upset the children bill went down the drain! LOL prephaps you could take Badman/Balls out on a date LOL

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  17. Why should we want to fight the LA when they are listening to us? I am not so naive to expect them to be always right or even to truly understand home educators; that is why we want to get involved in training the people who actually have face to face contact with the families. As for the rest of Hants; I think Jaki and NHEO are doing fine with your area too; I know they are also getting an exam centre set up. If you don't want to get involved in what local groups are doing, then that is fine. You can't however expect anyone to be concerned with what you think if you don't.

    I would remind you that I have been a long term HEer down here; I have spent hours and hours alongside families who have got themselves into a mess with social services, on child protection registers and so on. That doesn't make me all-knowing; but it does give me an insight into how finding a better way than all this conflict will actually benefit families. You may not want access to exam centres or science labs, or ,more accurate LA letters or better trained advisors; but in South Hants we do.If you do join the North Hants group (google NHEO and it should find them!

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  18. Julie says -Why should we want to fight the LA when they are listening to us?

    They not listening to you more likly to be laughing about you and sending sly emails to other did you know they do that Julie?

    We got to fight them show them we not scared of them!

    Julie says-I think Jaki and NHEO are doing fine with your area too;
    I have no idea what NHEO is doing for our area? ive seen no change from Birch house Julie!

    Julie says-I have spent hours and hours alongside families who have got themselves into a mess with social services, on child protection registers and so on. That doesn't make me all-knowing; but it does give me an insight into how finding a better way than all this conflict

    Who caused the mess? any chance it was the Hampshire LA or social service Julie?
    conflict is the only way forward not giving in to them!

    No sign of science Labs or exams centres here in this part of Hampshire Why? and we have no idea what weird letters Jan Lewis sends out do we?

    LA look to see if your weak like a pack of dogs they are and best way to get rid of crazy dogs is to fight back with every weaopon you got!

    I do enjoy our chats Julie its just a shame you get it soooooo wrong!

    come on Webb stop sulking and do anther post LOL the children bill gone down the drain and did you see the name has been changed to education departemnt thats more like it LOL

    The best education Julie is in a top private school thats what we want 25000 per year for each child to go to a top private school like Eton or wellington private Peter played chess very nice it is! i think it only costs about 12000 per year!

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  19. Don't you think that actually Peter, you aren't really an ideaological home educator at all? If you really just want the LA to pay for private education? I suppose if the Conservatives introduced a voucher scheme, then you would get part of the cost, but at only around £4000 a year it wouldn't go very far and anyway the country is so broke I can't see that making it to the top of any politicians shopping list.

    As for the answers to your other questions - we seem to be going round in circles with you sounding like a stuck record. Whatever you choose to do, we will carry on trying to get the most resources we can out of the LA an trying to make the lives of other local home educators easier!

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  20. Julie says-Don't you think that actually Peter, you aren't really an ideaological home educator at all?

    you got that right Julie! I want more than 4000 thats no use for a private education! on our travels with the chess we seen how good a private education is small classes best teachers great playing fields. and also if you go to the best private schools like Eton or wellington you then become part of the old boy network as well! most of the top jobs are taken by people who went to private school i want some of that for Peter!

    Julie says-As for the answers to your other questions - we seem to be going round in circles with you sounding like a stuck record. Whatever you choose to do, we will carry on trying to get the most resources we can out of the LA an trying to make the lives of other local home educators easier!

    we have no choice but to home educate its a crap state school or home educate thats no choice is it Julie? thats whats Balls would say oh you got a choice send them to that state school which Balls knows is crap! you not made our life easy with you sucking up to the Hampshire LEA no sign of any resourses here nothing where are they? Peter awaits those resoures and asked for them long before you did and was told by Kirk No! Peter has been abanded by those that claim to care about education!

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  21. I thought the 2 schools in Alton weren't that bad (not exactly like the choice that those people who are stuck in central Portsmouth or someother inner city have!). I suppose we have been fortunate that we have had a choice for aall our children - be it private school, state school or HE. Certainly the children we have HEed were better served by home education that any other option - my daughter came out of an independent school, and has done much better at home than she could have done there or anywhere else.

    Yuu will never get what you want Peter- no LA could afford to pay for private education for those who want it. Did you consider sending Peter back to school at 11? - I know your wife was quoted originally as saying that you might do that? I don't know what school year he would be in - year 9? - but you could try and do a deal on flexischooling if it gave him chess training time??

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  22. Julie says-I thought the 2 schools in Alton weren't that bad

    hardly a ringing Endorsement of these schools is it Julie? we want something a bit better than that for Peter!

    Yuu will never get what you want Peter- no LA could afford to pay for private education for those who want it.

    Why cant it afford it? it can afford to pay its staff good money and do up the councils building at Winchester!They got the money when it suits them Julie!

    but you could try and do a deal on flexischooling if it gave him chess training time??

    Its not allowed Julie the council under Kirk do not agree with flexischooling and also say bad things about family to the schools! they send sly emails to each other and to the head of any schools.They dont care about Peter or any of the other children they paid to work with!

    you have no choice but to home educate but thats not a choice is it Julie? its to late Peter has been abandoned by the very people who get paid to run our education department!

    They is also no sign of ANY resourses in this part of Hampshire for home educators Julie Why?old Kirk refuses to speak to Peter(has made repeated attempts to get him to anser for his actions!) you think Kirk is ashamed of the way he has Treated Peter?

    Any one reading this make sure you save up for a private education before your children start school i would suggest saving up for a place at Eton! or wellington! unless child has special needs.

    im sure you mean well Julie but your just to weak when it come to Hampshire LA and Kirk! they going to use you and your group to make out they care about home education.

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  23. Peter, I am sorry that you haven't be able to get the sort of education you want for your son; but can't you do just as well with home education?- after all, that is the reason most of us are actually home educating.- because we feel we can do better. If it is academic achievement that you want from an independent school, many, many of us have managed to replicate that at home - as I said there will be an exam centre open to you in the north of the county (Basingstoke) from the coming year. You will get sent details when Jaki and Jan Lewis have worked it all out.
    If you want a vocational course, then I am sure that as soon as Jan Lewis has got confirmation out of the new Dept of Education (I know she has rung them once since the Election) you will be able to find out more about your sons options.

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  24. Julie says-Peter, I am sorry that you haven't be able to get the sort of education you want for your son; but can't you do just as well with home education?

    your sorry that whats Brown/Balls says when he was challenged by a parent over the lack of a good education for his child! im sure he was laughing when he said it! do as well as what Julie/ copying the crap state education? we not teachers like you so i dont think we be able to do any of the fancy education like you can how to pass exams stuff like that!if only i had know how bad state education really was i would have saved up for Peter to go to Eton!

    your only be allowed to use the exam centre if you jump though hoops? set by Jan? i wonder what she want you to do lick her boots? thats if it happens its just talk i be dead by the time you get any resourses from Hampshire LOL!

    its to late its over for Peter We on our own like we have always been! i repeat again Kirk?Hampshire Council have abanded Peter so its a 2nd rate education for Peter better than being 3rd rate which is going to a state school! take a look at where most of our M.Ps send they children to school is it by any chance a private education Julie?

    We wont hear anything from Jan Lewis and they is NO options for Peter its home education or a crap state school what kind of option is that? Kirk refuses to speak to Peter because he is ashamed of the way he has treated Peter. I never forgive them for what they done! any one reading this save up for a private education for your child unless it has special needs thats what we should have done!

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