Here are two small news items which may, in the long run, make it harder for home educating parents to refuse visits from their local authorities and just send in written reports from time to time:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12764054
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5ibFxE9lwF5VbFQgb0kju3fAWotQQ?docId=N0305631299259261316A
Before I write another word, bearing in mind a couple of the people who comment here regularly, I should make something crystal clear. I am not suggesting that home educated children are any more likely to be abused than those who attend school. Having got this out of the way, what are we to make of this newspaper report?
There has already been unease in some local authorities at the idea that a child who was home educated and whose home was not visited regularly by local authority officers will, as an adult, pursue the council through the courts, claiming compensation for not having received a proper education and so being unable to get a job in later life. Again, please don't remind me that providing a suitable education is the parents' responsibility and not the local authority's; I know this as well. When panics of this sort begin, actions are not always taken on strictly reasonable grounds; there is often an irrational, knee-jerk reaction. So it may well be with these claims for compensation.
I have an idea that quite a few local authorities will now be getting nervous and going through their books looking for possible victims of abuse whom they might have overlooked. It is inevitable that in some places, these will be thought to include home educated children who have not been seen for some time. Even before this, there were signs that some councils were starting to take a tougher approach and insist upon children being produced for their inspection. I suspect that this will become even more common in the future.
I noticed a constant stream of the same sort of question here again
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2011-03-15a.43142.h&s=home+education
- makes me think either the MPs are bored so they keep asking the same question time and time again, or something else is going on....
' makes me think either the MPs are bored so they keep asking the same question time and time again, or something else is going on.... '
ReplyDeleteI'm not in general one for conspiracy theories, but I am beginning to wonder about this as well. It ties in with a number of questions by other backbenchers, asking whether the Secretary of State could give them the figures for the number of home edcuated children in their constituency. Now they are openly asking for a mechanism to be put in place. What is interesting is that those asking were both Conservative and Labour; suggesting to me a pre-arranged plan, especially since the questions were identically worded.
I'm puzzled. This article is over two years old and the issue of LAs being open to legal action if they are given formal responsibility for the welfare of children in their area has been raised repeatedly in discussions about HE - at every level.
ReplyDeleteWhy is this 'news'?
'Why is this 'news'?'
ReplyDeleteHuman error! I have put in one of the correct recent pieces which I meant to include.
Ah.
ReplyDeleteStill can't see it's anything new, though. LA officers aren't going to care whether they are sued by individuals (if they can get legal aid, of course) or get sacked by secretaries of state or get taken over by SERCO - they don't want to get the blame regardless, and they have been in the firing line since the Children Act 2004.
'Still can't see it's anything new, though'
ReplyDeleteI have also now included the piece which I wished originally to draw attention to! I have so many articles washing around, that sometimes I get a bit muddled up.
I'm keeping my thoughts to myself about what I think of social services (seperate issue not connected with HE).
ReplyDeleteand actually...I think I might keep quiet about my thoughts pertaining to the LA too, lest I be shunned completely. =P
'... sometimes I get a bit muddled up.'
ReplyDeleteI see...
'Still can't see it's anything new, though. LA officers aren't going to care whether they are sued by individuals '
ReplyDeleteTrue, but higher up the chain people get a bit edgy. There is often a general tightening up of procedures when scares start,with old files dug out and checked.
'I see...'
ReplyDeleteWhy suzyg, rarely have I seen more meaning expressed in half a dozen characters! Do you Tweet? You would be a natural. If expanded, your statement might be expressed thus;
'I see... (You only get 'a bit' muddled up 'sometimes'? Why you fool, you are in a permanant state of muddle; it is the unmuddled bits of your posts which only happen 'a bit' and 'sometimes')
Makes more sense now.
ReplyDeleteFor some time our systems of health, education and social care have been driven by political expediency rather than because they have been designed to be workable, so this outcome is hardly surprising.
Unfortunately, litigation isn't going to deal with the flaws in the system design, and since the compensation is being paid from the public purse, it's not a trend that's going to be allowed to run and run.
'...I think I might keep quiet about my thoughts pertaining to the LA too, lest I be shunned completely'
ReplyDeleteIndirect confession of a home edcuating Quisling, who invites the local authority officers into her home and gives them tea and biscuits! I am shocked at you Loz.
There were no tea and biscuits involved..whoever sugested that is a complete and utter liar and I shall be seeking legal advice...lol.
ReplyDeletesimon said
ReplyDelete'I see...'
Why suzyg, rarely have I seen more meaning expressed in half a dozen characters! Do you Tweet? You would be a natural. If expanded, your statement might be expressed thus;
'I see... (You only get 'a bit' muddled up 'sometimes'? Why you fool, you are in a permanant state of muddle; it is the unmuddled bits of your posts which only happen 'a bit' and 'sometimes')'
I couldn't possibly comment!
'There were no tea and biscuits involved'
ReplyDeleteI had better not mention the cake which my daughter once baked when we were expecting a visit... Let's hope that Peter Williams is not listening.
'Indirect confession of a home edcuating Quisling'
ReplyDeleteLets not forget that we have a statement of SEN to consider in this case...I do not however have the same considerations for my other 3 children. Might be interesting to see what involvement the LA require for the others, if they leave happy with their findings about the first.
' if they leave happy with their findings about the first.'
ReplyDeleteIt has been suggested that local authority officers tend to leave well spoken and articulate, middle class parents more or less to their own devices. This was certainly my experience and we must hope that it will be yours.
'It has been suggested that local authority officers tend to leave well spoken and articulate, middle class parents more or less to their own devices. This was certainly my experience and we must hope that it will be yours'
ReplyDeleteNow now Simon, what an incredibly presumptious comment...once again, lets hope that Peter Williams is not listening.
'Unfortunately, litigation isn't going to deal with the flaws in the system design, and since the compensation is being paid from the public purse, it's not a trend that's going to be allowed to run and run.'
ReplyDeleteTrue enough, but this particular gravy train has yet to hit the buffers. I might mention that the local authority of one parent who comes on here pretty frequently are pretty nervous about the possibility that his son might in later life sue them for not making sure that he received an education. The legal niceties of the matter are irrelevant; it happens and will continue to happen for a while yet.
Loz said
ReplyDelete'Now now Simon, what an incredibly presumptious comment...'
I don't think it's presumptious at all. Many home educators have reported LA officers saying 'it's not people like you we are worried about'.
And the people who were like the ones they were worried about (single parent, on benefits, social housing) had a much harder time, solely, as far as one could judge, due to their demographic profile, rather than because there was evidence for the child being at risk of anything.
I've seen the attitude of a LA officer change dramatically when she came to our home compared to her tone talking to me over the phone.
'True enough, but this particular gravy train has yet to hit the buffers.'
ReplyDeleteFair comment.
'have reported LA officers saying 'it's not people like you we are worried about'.'
ReplyDeleteWell know local authority inspectors of home educating families who openly express this view, include Myra Robinson in the north of England, Mike Allpress in Essex and of course Tony Mooney.
As I am sure I have mentioned before - at the very first meeeting we had with our LA manager, he said he felt his primary job was to protect his LA from being sued by a child in later life. Depressing, perhaps unlikely to happen, but this explains their motivation for their dealings with families.
ReplyDeleteOld Webb says-It has been suggested that local authority officers tend to leave well spoken and articulate, middle class parents more or less to their own devices. This was certainly my experience and we must hope that it will be yours.
ReplyDeleteyes their left us alone to! not heard from our LA for almost 5 years guess that means we must be articutate? we are middle class own house and not on welfare pay full taxes to! we never had a meeting or a home visit or as parents sent in any evidence of the education our chilkd gets!
i knew you be the type to get your daughter to bake a cake for your LA when their visted your house! and also you be the weak type to allow the LA to interview your daughter on her own to look for abuse!
as for your post their are NO new laws being put forward for this parliament over home education. M.Ps have far more inportant thing to be thinking about such as the middle east Japan rising oil prices unemployment going abouve 2.53 million protests planed for the spring and summer its going to be a long hot summer! im afraid Webb home education does not get a look in!
I do love Peter and Carols' posts. They cheer me up no end.
ReplyDeleteGuess I better not invite the LA round then, as I don't fit their profile of 'those we're not worried about' being a single parent who lives in a council house and is a verified scrounger and all. A shame really; I'd like a good excuse to lavish myself with cake....
'Guess I better not invite the LA round then, as I don't fit their profile of 'those we're not worried about' being a single parent who lives in a council house and is a verified scrounger and all. A shame really; I'd like a good excuse to lavish myself with cake.... '
ReplyDeleteProbably shouldn't, but...LOL.
Golly...right now it is so tempting to make a post about the supposed (or indeed the presumed) class divide in HE families.
*rubs chin thoughtfully*
I anon-says- do love Peter and Carols' posts. They cheer me up no end.
ReplyDeleteglad it cheers you up! looks like libya high up on our great leaders thoughts! air attacks by the sound of it! oil will go up along with food prices!
"Again, please don't remind me that providing a suitable education is the parents' responsibility and not the local authority's; I know this as well. When panics of this sort begin, actions are not always taken on strictly reasonable grounds; there is often an irrational, knee-jerk reaction. So it may well be with these claims for compensation."
ReplyDeleteThat's the ridiculous aspect of this issue though. If LAs gain the powers they seem to want, they lay themselves wide open to being sued when they inevitably fail on occasion.