Friday 28 January 2011

School to be run by home educating parents

It will be interesting to see how this works out:


http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/yourtown/witney/8768394.Free_school_targets_Cogges_farm-home/

The idea of a bunch of home educators running a school sounds a bit weird.

13 comments:

  1. '“The principle is the child’s work is never defaced by any adult. The child can change it, but the adult has no right to say ‘that is not correct’ or ‘that is spelt wrongly’.”'

    I wonder how many of them will mysteriously end up being diagnosed as 'dyslexic' by the time they are 14?

    Oh I musn't be negative. Good on them for setting up their own school.

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  2. 'The principle is the child’s work is never defaced by any adult. The child can change it, but the adult has no right to say ‘that is not correct’ or ‘that is spelt wrongly’.”'

    I wonder how many of them will mysteriously end up being diagnosed as 'dyslexic' by the time they are 14?'


    A fair point indeed, Anonymous! One also wonders if a child concludes that 2 + 2 = 5, does the same principle apply? Does the adult still have no right to say, 'that is not correct'?

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  3. These are the women who had met David Cameron to discuss a free school, aren't they? I suppose it is good that they are getting a chance to do what they wished, but in many cases, schools are what many home educators want to avoid any way. I am afraid though that I am no supporter of Steiner's teachings....it is a pity if the first "home ed" run school turns out to be run along such odd ideas.

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  4. I have a ten year old who has never had a single spelling corrected (or indeed anything he's written marked by anyone) and he has excellent spelling and loves to write. Pointing out people's mistakes is not the only way for them to learn.

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  5. I don't think they met DC, Julie.

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  6. Anonymous said...
    '“The principle is the child’s work is never defaced by any adult. The child can change it, but the adult has no right to say ‘that is not correct’ or ‘that is spelt wrongly’.”'

    I wonder how many of them will mysteriously end up being diagnosed as 'dyslexic' by the time they are 14?

    I'm not sure they mean that you can't tell a child - particularly an older one - how everyone else spells things! I didn't correct my daughter's spelling mistakes + now she's very meticulous (obviosuly more than me lol) about getting them right... if I don't offer to correct mistakes now she asks me to... (she's also 10)

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  7. "I don't think they met DC, Julie."

    - gosh then, was that another lot? They were home educators in Oxfordshire too, weren't they? I assumed there couldn't be two lots wanting to start free schools in the same county, but I suppose there is no reason why they couldn't be.

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  8. There's one group of HE parents starting a school (actually many aren't even HE'ing yet.)

    There's another group of HE parents in that constituency who met with DC during the Badman Debacle to show him the real truth, much of which was very fruitful.

    They are two separate groups. As far as I know, only 1 person is in both groups.

    I don't think the 'school' group met with DC, did they? If so, my sources must be incorrect.

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  9. I thought they did (not during Badman but in the last couple of months) - will try and find the news report ( in case it is my dead brain!)

    Julie

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  10. http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8722603.Mums_plan_county_s_first__free_school_/

    says they met the PM ("on Friday" - presumably in December) - and that is the same free school mentioned in this link of Simon's- so I am right, aren't ?I - this is the one free school to be set up in Oxfordshire by home educators and they did meet David Cameron?? I couldn't rwally imagine thre would be two lots!

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  11. or even "really imagine there"...

    blame migraine meds....

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  12. Oh well, maybe. Sorry about your head. I don't even have that excuse.

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  13. Why does a school run by home educators sound weird?

    Surely for those who find mainstream state education not suitable for their children, or those that cannot afford private education, home education is the default. It is not that they are anti school, just that there is not the right school available.

    The article, written originally for the Oxford Mail, was not particularly good journalism (or maybe it was, depending on your viewpoint) as the quotations were stated out of context. However, this does seem normal reporting behaviour. In a previous article there were several factual inaccuracies.

    Also, to clarify, there are 11 groups looking at setting up free schools in Oxfordshire. The group in Witney was set up by people who are all home educating school age children. One group in Oxford is mainly made up from parents of preschool children. Yes, the Witney group met with David Cameron with regards to the free school. Two of that group (with others) also met him to discuss the Badman Review the previous year.

    Is there anything else you would like to know?

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