Wednesday 5 May 2010

Tory plans for home education

I suspect that some of those home educating parents who were playing kiss-in-the-ring with the Tories over the Badman Review and the attempt to block the CSF Bill, must be kicking themselves now! It is becoming quite clear that the Conservatives plan something for home education as soon as they are able to form a government. Here is what Nick Gibbs, Conservative Spokesman for Schools says;

"It is important that the need for monitoring does not become a barrier for parents who wish to home educate their children, nor should it damage the important working relationship that home educators have with their local authorities."

Note the reference to the, "need for monitoring". Surely that was the one thing that many home educating parents believed was not needed? It is, I think, fair to assume that this means that the Conservatives plan to introduce legislation of their own in this field. Nick Gibbs, by the way, does not seem very well informed about home education. He says;

" I hope that the hostility between local authorities and home educators, which the Government created with the publication of the Badman report..."

I wonder if he really believes this? Does he not know of the hostility which existed before Graham Badman had even been heard of by most people? He also says;

"We do believe that there is a need for greater support for home-educating families"

What does this mean? The sort of support that Graham Badman was keen to offer? I don't think that home education is going to be forgotten by whoever wins the election today. There are rumours that a number of cases involving home education are gradually moving towards the courts. The recent trial in Plymouth has, of course, been completely ignored by home educators.
There is something of a tradition of opposition parties helping to scupper government legislation and then bringing in pretty much identical measures once they have their feet under the table in Downing Street. Anybody here old enough to remember Barbara Castle's In Place of Strife White paper, the one which was to crack down on trade unions and strikes? the Tories under Heath fought it tooth and nail. As soon as the 1970 election had been won, they passed the Industrial relations Act 1971, which was practically identical. I would not be particularly surprised to see the same thing happen with the Children, Schools and Families Bill.

15 comments:

  1. Well, the "day" is here..... although I do wonder if we will wake up tomorrow and have a real idea of who is going to govern! I was at a meeting with the LA last night (ducking, Peter - our local area, not yours) and it was mnetioned that the LA are going to ring the DCSF on Friday to try and get confirmation of the money for college thing; although they also though if there was no clear Election winner it could be weeks before they got an answer!
    Personally I can remember 1974 ( I was away at uni then)- the thought of doing it all twice
    doesn't appeal.

    I have to agree that I do think whoever gets in we will face more legislation; I am sure the opposition to the last Bill was motivated by the desire for political one upmanship rather than idealogical conviction- the one thing all the HE campaigning has assured is a higher profile for home education - which will lead to more desire to control matters.

    Peter - if there is no more HE legislation on the books by the end of the next full Parliament - I will eat my hat (if I had one!)

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  2. Julie-I was at a meeting with the LA last night
    how cosy! sucking up to them again Julie? is it cos you went to uni that the LA like you?

    Julie-I have to agree that I do think whoever gets in we will face more legislation;

    I dont think so once the Tory's get in and see how much debt we are in they have far more impotant things to do than worry about home education! The money will not be they for councils to waste on home educators!
    Julie dont listen to old Webb he in with the LA's/Badman its not to late for you to see the light!
    Dont worry i have an old hat you can eat Julie LOL.it all going to be ok we won.

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  3. Graham Stuart has just Twittered:

    "Just to let HE's know I've spoken to Nick Gibb. We will not introduce registration and monitoring and the standard letter will be corrected."

    http://twitter.com/Grahamstuart

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  4. Bad luck Simon as you can see from Graham Stuart Twitter no monitoring or silly registration the Tory pary does understand about home education.it is refreshing to see a party listen to us home educators.We had a very good meeting with Damian Hinds conservative prospective parliamentary candiate for East Hampshire he understood to that we do not need silly registration or monitoring.he got our 2 votes not long to wait now to see labour finshed! and a new area begin its gone the old ways of Labour its over Simon raise a glass Julie 2nite i will LOL

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  5. Fixed link to Graham Stuart's Twitter,

    "Just to let HE's know I've spoken to Nick Gibb. We will not introduce registration and monitoring and the standard letter will be corrected."

    http://twitter.com/grahamstuart/statuses/13497860573

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  6. Well, Peter - looking at the results at just before 8am - not really sure we are out of Labour land yet!

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  7. Simon, the problem with being a voyeur instead of a participant on the home ed lists is that you clearly didn't spot that this quote was from an OLD letter Gibb wrote before tory policy had been changed, as a result of Cameron and Gove meeting with actual HE'ers in their constituencies.

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  8. Julie said...

    Well, Peter - looking at the results at just before 8am - not really sure we are out of Labour land yet!

    Brown is finshed The tory have won the most amount of seats! no chance of any silly rules for home education relax and have a glass of wine 2nite and take no noctice of old Webb mad ideas about home education!

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  9. Hmm - are you right anon? - the letter I saw that was being sent out and circulated on the list (this week) was dated less than a month ago, and then some one had a face to face meeting with a Tory PPC who said much the same thing this week? Just trying to ascertain the facts .... though with the current poll count, who knows if it matters anyway!

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  10. Peter - not worried about what Simon thinks; just not sure we actually have a Conservative Govt!

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  11. Julie said...

    Peter - not worried about what Simon thinks; just not sure we actually have a Conservative Govt!

    They is hope for you yet then Julie! i think we have a conservative government so dont worry dont you enjoy our chats Julie? you hopefully begining to see the light about how good home education is?

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  12. Julie, different anon but from what I hear they were accidentally copying and pasting old policy when they sent the recent letters out. It's unreasonable to expect each MP to have a full understanding of every issue so they obviously copy and paste the party line into letters when replying. Unfortunately in this case it was an out of date policy.

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  13. Coo - anon above - doesn't toatlly engender confidence does it?

    Peter - it doesn't seem at all clear to me that we have any clarity about anything. I have the horrible suspicion that whatver happens in the sort term we will have to do this all again in mnths, if not weeks! Yet, will we actually get a different result if we do ?- the only (and I don't want this to happen)thing I can forsee that will work is that if Labour promise the Lib Dems PR they will cooperate to get that law passed first.

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  14. "Simon, the problem with being a voyeur instead of a participant on the home ed lists"

    I was a regular participant for years on those lists and would cheerfully be so again! This particular letter had been sent to a number of parents and the policy has only changed, if indeed it has, in the last day or so since I made this post.

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  15. Julie says -Peter - it doesn't seem at all clear to me that we have any clarity about anything.

    It will become clear Julie dont worry and they be no new laws on home education its over we can all relax now! old crazy Simon lost! you picked the wrong side Simon LOL

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