Monday 22 November 2010

Letting the cat out of the bag

Every so often, somebody intimately connected with the world of British home education will make a casual remark which gives the game away as regarding how a lot of home educators really view education. This happened recently on the Badman Review Action Group. A discussion was taking place about the proper response of a local authority which learns that a child in its area is not attending school. The unanimous view among home educating parents seems to be that if the local authority are told that home education is taking place, then that should be the end of the matter. The parents' word should be accepted and unless they have good reason to suspect that something is amiss, the authority should just cross that name of the list of those missing from education. Parents are, after all, the ones responsible for seeing that their children are receiving an education.

I pointed out a couple of cases which I have mentioned here. One was that of a fourteen year-old girl whose mentally ill mother got lonely during the day. Since the daughter hated school, they got together and the child was de-registered. The pair of them spent all day from then on watching television. The girl surfed the net a lot too. Now to any normal person, and I am talking here not about educational professionals but ordinary parents and people in the street, it is plain that here is a young person missing from education. Watching the Jeremy Kyle Show in the morning and then looking at Facebook in the afternoon is not what most people would see as an education. One of the people who founded the BRAG list though, thought that this showed that an education was being provided for the child. She expressed the view that one can learn a lot by watching television and using the Internet.

Now the truth is, most teenagers do all this sort of thing in addition to learning at school. Staring at a succession of photographs of other people's friends leering drunkenly at the camera while sticking their tongues out is what many young people spend hours doing in the evening. It is not particularly educational. A lot of them are addicted to soap operas as well. There is no harm in this either, but it would be hard to claim that viewing Hollyoaks is an educational activity. For a child to do nothing at all but this for the whole day would be an absolute disaster from an educational viewpoint.

I have noticed before that some home educators claim that watching television or surfing the Internet is as good as an education in itself. It was interesting to see this view expressed on one of the major lists. I suppose the rationale behind this is that if one watched BBC2 documentaries all the time or the educational channels on cable television and then spent a lot of time doing research on the Internet, then one could learn a lot. This is true, but is not how the majority of children and teenagers use these media. This sort of thing gives one an insight into the sort of lifestyle that some teenagers who are supposedly being home educated actually live. It is hardly surprising that such parents are reluctant to allow their local authority into the home to observe this!

I also cited the case of an eleven year-old boy working in an illegal factory. Again, there seems to be nothing wrong with that either from some people's point of view. The child might be happy and learning a trade, what's the problem? In other words, all the legislation which has been enacted over the last century and a half to abolish child labour and ensure that children actually have childhoods, is, for these people, a mistake. What's wrong with kids working in factories or down mines and up chimneys? At least they're learning a trade! Who's to say that this is any less educational than sitting at a desk all day?

It is opinions like this which ring huge alarm bells in the minds of those charged with protecting children and ensuring that they receive an education. I have seen such views expressed before; this is not an isolated case. That parents in the twenty first century should honestly believe that it might be a good thing for an eleven year-old child to leave school and work in factory or for a fourteen year-old girl to slump in front of the television all day is little short of horrifying. One wonders what sort of education the children of those who espouse such views might be receiving. Certainly, it is not to be wondered at that local authorities are uneasy about this sort of thing.

18 comments:

  1. Old webb says-One was that of a fourteen year-old girl whose mentally ill mother got lonely during the day. Since the daughter hated school, they got together and the child was de-registered. The pair of them spent all day from then on watching television. The girl surfed the net a lot too. Now to any normal person, and I am talking here not about educational professionals but ordinary parents and people in the street, it is plain that here is a young person missing from education.

    Did you report this family/child to there LA has a child who is not being educated? you have a duty to report any parent who is not giving there child an education!

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  2. "The child might be happy and learning a trade, what's the problem?"

    This is a really tricky one, because our young people are kept as "children" for far too long, and often not allowed their independence when they could and should be helping out within thier family + society.

    But of course, we don't want anyone - especially children who are more vulnerable - to be taken advantage of and/or abused.

    The way things are here and now feel wrong to me, but unfortuately I don't have any solutions....

    I suppose in an ideal world the family + society/neighbourhood that this particular child was in would be able to judge whether he is happy or being abused, and step in if necessary.

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  3. "A discussion was taking place about the proper response of a local authority which learns that a child in its area is not attending school. The unanimous view among home educating parents seems to be that if the local authority are told that home education is taking place, then that should be the end of the matter."

    The discussion was about how a HE family is approached for information and by whom. There was certainly not a unanimous view that the LA should just accept a bold assertion that HE is taking place when the HE department makes their 'Donaldson' informal enquiries. It's possible you are mixing up their thoughts on enquiries from the department looking for children under Children Missing Education legislation. Once this department has been told that the family HE they should supposed to then switch from the CME guidelines to the HE guidelines (and possibly pass the details to whoever deals with HE if it's a different person). The HE guidelines then go on to detail how informal enquiries should be carried out and the Donaldson advice about parents being wise to answer comes into play. A couple of people have queried the need to answer informal enquiries but most on BRAG apoear to accept that Donaldson's judgement means we need to provide more information.

    "I pointed out a couple of cases which I have mentioned here. One was that of a fourteen year-old girl whose mentally ill mother got lonely during the day."

    Wasn't this in response to questions about doorstepping rather than answering enquiries? Most people accept that the LA will make informal enquiries and that parents would be wise to answer. Disputes appear when the LA specifies that the enquiries will be answered with a home visit or attempts to force the issue by doorstepping.

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  4. Anon says-Disputes appear when the LA specifies that the enquiries will be answered with a home visit or attempts to force the issue by doorstepping.

    yes you are right disputes arise when LA staff try to say that only a home visit will be enough and refuse to look at any other evidence of the education child is geting including reports from paid tutors!

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  5. "I suppose the rationale behind this is that if one watched BBC2 documentaries all the time or the educational channels on cable television and then spent a lot of time doing research on the Internet, then one could learn a lot. This is true, but is not how the majority of children and teenagers use these media."

    But we are not talking about the majority of children and teenagers. We are talking (usually in this context) about children and teenagers who have been raised non-coercively with their love of learning intact. I know many teenagers who are just as likely to be glued to a nature documentary as the Simpsons. Besides which, many interesting conversations can arise from episodes of the Simpsons or other non-educational programmes. I've been surprised at the number of questions my children have been able to answer on quiz shows as a direct result of Simpsons episodes alone, so if nothing else it has improved their general knowledge.

    Does you daughter really never choose to watch educational programmes herself? What a shame.

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  6. Perfectly true of course that some children use the Internet sensibly and watch educational programmes on a regular basis. Equally true that others do not and waste hours gawping at facebook or watching the X factor. It would be unwise to rely upon a child's choice of television and Internet use to provide a decent education. The idea that left to themselves the average child will be able to make a sensible decision about the amount and type of television watching or Interset use is an interesting one, but without more evidence it would be hazardous to adopt this as an educational method.

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  7. "It would be unwise to rely upon a child's choice of television and Internet use to provide a decent education."

    In your view, possibly based on your experiences with your own children and others you know personally. We have always had every confidence in my children's ability to make sensible TV and internet choices and have never controlled or restricted use. Now that they are all in their late teens or older, we have not been disappointed. They either watched educational TV as much as lighter TV or limit the amount of time watching TV to make time for other activities. Have you had to place limits on your children's TV and internet use to achieve a good balance?

    "The idea that left to themselves the average child will be able to make a sensible decision about the amount and type of television watching or Interset use is an interesting one, but without more evidence it would be hazardous to adopt this as an educational method."

    Not in our experience! It has enabled them to develop self control and to be selective in what they spend their time doing. Who cares about what research says happens 'on average' if it works well for your family? For someone so cautious about attempting something with little research evidence to support it I'm very surprised you chose to HE, given your previous comments about the lack of research evidence.

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  8. "It would be unwise to rely upon a child's choice of television and Internet use to provide a decent education."

    BTW, has anyone actually claimed that they rely just on the child's choice of TV and internet use to provide their whole education? In my experience they play a part, but are by no means the whole!

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  9. 'BTW, has anyone actually claimed that they rely just on the child's choice of TV and internet use to provide their whole education? In my experience they play a part, but are by no means the whole!'

    Nobody has to my knowledge suggested this. I gave a specific example of a teenager who was doing nothing but this and was told that this constitutes a suitable education for a fourteen year-old. I was disputing this statement.

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  10. "Equally true that others do not and waste hours gawping at facebook or watching the X factor."

    Yes, probably about the same amount of time as you appear to waste on the internet. Does it leave time for anything else? If it does for you I'm sure it does for children too.

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  11. The comments here and elsewhere all tend to confirm my suspicions that there are parents who under the guise of elective home education are in fact not providing even the most rudimentary education for their children. This is shocking and I make no apology for working with others to end this state of affairs. That anybody in this day and age should believe that for a child to work in a factory or watch television all day might be an adequate substitute for an education is little short of horrifying.

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  12. Old Webb says-The comments here and elsewhere all tend to confirm my suspicions that there are parents who under the guise of elective home education are in fact not providing even the most rudimentary education for their children. This is shocking and I make no apology for working with others to end this state of affairs.

    How you going to do that then Webb? No new laws are being brought in for home education in the education bill! who you going to work with uncle Badman?
    nothing going to happen i think government got a lot more inportant things to worry about such as the bad debt labour left us with!

    your really funny Webb shouts and government will do something LOL

    no one give 2 hoots what you think!

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  13. 'no one give 2 hoots what you think!'

    Going by the number of comments on the last post, this would seem to be an inaccurate statement.

    Margaret

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  14. 'Anonymous said...
    'no one give 2 hoots what you think!'

    Going by the number of comments on the last post, this would seem to be an inaccurate statement.

    Margaret'

    Yes, the same thought had occurred to me, Margaret. When by mischance I stumble across a blog, the author of which I do not give two hoots about, I usually just move on, rather than spending hours debating with him and calling him a dickhead, prat and tosser. Like you, |I strongly suspect that those commenting here give considerably more than the proverbial two hoots about what I think!

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  15. Old Webb says-I strongly suspect that those commenting here give considerably more than the proverbial two hoots about what I think!

    WHERE ARE THE NEW LAWS ON HOME EDUCATION WEBB?? WHAT DECADE WILL THEY BE BROUGHT IN 2020 2050 OR 3050?

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  16. "The comments here and elsewhere all tend to confirm my suspicions that there are parents who under the guise of elective home education are in fact not providing even the most rudimentary education for their children. This is shocking and I make no apology for working with others to end this state of affairs"

    The comments here have not suggested this at all, where are you getting this from? I've mentioned above that my children watch TV and use the internet but did not mention how long they spend on it so you certainly should not have reached the conclusion that we are not providing an education. Really Simon, for a supposed academic you place far too much importance on the odd random message on email lists. People mention that TV can be educational and you immediately leap to the conclusion that their children are permanently slumped in front of Jeremy Kyle! And I thought you disliked sloppy thinking, LOL.

    The example you gave was someone who was not home educating. The LA knew this and did nothing. Why you think this is a good case with which to berate home educators rather than LA officials I cannot imagine. The current system worked - it enabled them to discover that a child was not receiving an education but the LA did nothing. Now, either they decided that she was getting a better education at home than she ever would if forced to go to school against her will (quite likely true unless they could provide an option that she willingly chose to accept), or they took the easy route and did nothing for their own benefit. Either way, this case does not support giving the LA greater powers.

    Sally

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  17. sally says-The example you gave was someone who was not home educating. The LA knew this and did nothing.

    yes we agree with the LA did nothing it is the LA that are at fault here.It is told about a family children not geting good education but does very little LA have the power to take action but wont! very odd

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  18. Margaret said...

    "'no one give 2 hoots what you think!'

    Going by the number of comments on the last post, this would seem to be an inaccurate statement."

    If you count concerns about Simon lying about someone writing anonymously in his blog comments and whether the comment:

    Simon you are a muddle headed bufoon with breath like an pigs bottom (just checking that there is no moderation)

    was intended as a joke or not, you may have a point. But I don't think the original writer of the '2 hoots' comment meant that!

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