Sunday, 27 March 2011

Secular and Christian home educators in Britain

There are in Essex, where I live, quite a few Christian home educators. Up by Harwich are loads of Jehovah's Witnesses, there is a self-contained community in the countryside, a bit like the Amish and there are even the remnants of the Peculiar People of Brentwood, some of whom refuse to send their children to school. I also know a number of individual home educators who are regular church goers. I was never sure whether this accurately reflected the national picture in the UK. When one follows the groups on the Internet, there is often the impression that home education in this country is a secular, vaguely left wing affair; in sharp contrast to the USA where it is widely believed by many in this country to be the province of right wing, gun toting Christian survivalists. Since I began this blog, I have noticed that quite a few of those commenting here regularly are practising Christians. They cover a broad spectrum, ranging from Calvinists to Witnesses. Still, this may not signify. I have never made any secret of the fact that we are a church going family; maybe that attracts religious types? Recently though, I have observed how many of the more prominent home educating groups seem to have a strong Christian element at their head. Home Education UK is run by Mike Fortune-Wood, whose wife Jan is very influential in the field of home education. She had written a number of books on the subject, which people sometimes recommend on here. She is also an Anglican priest. Education otherwise, the oldest and largest home education support group, has recently undergone a complete change of management, when the people in Swindon managed to outmanoeuvre and ultimately rout those in Sheffield who had been running the show for the last few years. The leader of the Swindon faction is Shena Deuchars who is a leading light in her local Congregationalist church, or United Reform as it is now. I am wondering if this all indicates that the influence of Christianity on British home education is stronger than many people realise? Perhaps the secular side is on the wane and we shall see a situation emerging which mirrors that in America.
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24 comments:

  1. Loz27 March 2011 at 00:56

    ' I am wondering if this all indicates that the influence of Christianity on British home education is stronger than many people realise?'

    Not in this house it isn't.

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  2. Admin27 March 2011 at 01:04

    Well we are Christians but are not home educating for this reason. I don't necessarily think it fully affects how we home educate and it wasnt what prompted us to follow this path. I dont think we seek out other Christian home educators and I am not sure that we are some sort of driving force. Christianity may influence some people into HE but actually I have found that it is the more radical/alternative/pagan/hippie/different thinking people who seem to home educate. And I certainly come accross more of these kinds of poeple on lists and forums.
    Having said that, within our home education group 9 out of the 15 families who attend are Christian families, all from different denominations. The other 6 families are broadly of no religion or of strong mother earth/pagan belief.

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  3. suzyg27 March 2011 at 01:15

    People with strong religious beliefs by definition question the status quo, and especially the explicitly secular policies of most modern democratic governments.

    You would expect to see a disproportionately large number of religious believers involved in more or less any activity that questioned the status quo.

    In my experience people who would describe themselves as Christians are characterised by a vast range of beliefs and behaviours. What influence people's religious beliefs are likely to have on home education as a whole will depend on who is in a position to do what.

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  4. Anonymous27 March 2011 at 01:18

    "Having said that, within our home education group 9 out of the 15 families who attend are Christian families, all from different denominations. The other 6 families are broadly of no religion or of strong mother earth/pagan belief."

    Yep. As a techie atheist home educator I do feel in the minority!

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  5. Admin27 March 2011 at 01:28

    Anonymous said...Yep. As a techie atheist home educator I do feel in the minority!
    Which shows that a lot of this is about perception because as a broadly Christian of no denomination,mostly structured, non-LA registered home edder I feel in the minority too.

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  6. Allie27 March 2011 at 01:35

    Well as an atheist home educator I certainly don't feel in the minority here but that's probably because this city is a bit of a magnet for 'alternative' types.

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  7. Julie27 March 2011 at 01:45

    Christian home edder here, part of a group of Christians- although we welcome anyone (our blurb says group with a Christian ethos, but even I am not sure what we exactly mean by that)..... so group contains lots of folk with no religion, one ot two pagans and a load of orthodox Muslims....

    Howver most Christians I know are so busy home educating their large (by UK standards) families that they don't have much time for national orgs, politics or anything else.....

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  8. Simon Webb27 March 2011 at 04:08

    'I am wondering if this all indicates that the influence of Christianity on British home education is stronger than many people realise?'

    Not in this house it isn't.'

    Your vehemence about this, combined with your use of the expression 'Gods forbid' a few days ago, suggest strongly that you hold heterodox views on religion. What can they be? Come now Loz; it is time to come clean and share this with us all!

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  9. Anonymous27 March 2011 at 05:12

    "Perhaps the secular side is on the wane and we shall see a situation emerging which mirrors that in America"

    I sincerely doubt that the situation shall ever really resemble that in America due to the increasing religious intolerance among people in this country. IMO It is becoming less acceptable to profess any relgious belief with real conviction these days. I sometimes find being a christian quite lonely and our (non-related) decision to Home Ed sometimes compounds this feeling.

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  10. Anonymous27 March 2011 at 22:30

    ' Home Education UK is run by Mike Fortune-Wood, whose wife Jan is very influential in the field of home education. She had written a number of books on the subject, which people sometimes recommend on here. She is also an Anglican priest'

    Is she still? I thought not.

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  11. Anonymous27 March 2011 at 22:32

    What's a 'techie atheist'?

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  12. Julie27 March 2011 at 23:06

    "Is she still? I thought not."

    apparently she resigned, although not being an Anglican I am not sure if that still makes her a "priest"......

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  13. Anonymous28 March 2011 at 00:51

    I don't think it's like being an american president.

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  14. Simon Webb28 March 2011 at 01:08

    'Anonymous said...
    I don't think it's like being an american president.'

    It is not. Resigning from her job in Birmingham did not make Jan Fortune-Wood any less of a priest.

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  15. Anonymous28 March 2011 at 03:04

    Once a priest, always a priest. Whether she still is a vicar or not is a different matter. Vicar is the job, priest is the qualification.

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  16. Simon Webb28 March 2011 at 03:27

    'Once a priest, always a priest. Whether she still is a vicar or not is a different matter. Vicar is the job, priest is the qualification.'

    You have put the case in a nutshell, Anonymous.

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  17. Anonymous28 March 2011 at 05:44

    Always? Would you still call someone who had lost their faith a priest?

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  18. Anonymous28 March 2011 at 05:56

    Or what about a priest who is defrocked?

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  19. Simon Webb28 March 2011 at 06:12

    'Anonymous said...
    Always? Would you still call someone who had lost their faith a priest?'

    Of course. Consider the case of Anthony Freeman, a priest and self-confessed atheist. He was sacked from his job by the Bishop of Chichester in 1994, but there was no mechanism to strip him of his priesthood. Fifteen years later, he is still an ordained priest, although he has no license.

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  20. Simon Webb28 March 2011 at 06:14

    'Anonymous said...
    Or what about a priest who is defrocked?'

    Talking of 'defrocking' in connection with a female priest such as Jan Fortune-Wood conjures up unfortunate images. One feels that one might be intruding upon the domestic life of the Fortune-Woods were one to pursue this train of thought further!

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  21. Anonymous28 March 2011 at 08:16

    It wasn't in connection with Jan FW, the conversation had moved on to priests in general as far as I was concerned.

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  22. Nancy12 February 2012 at 20:35

    Hello,
    I'm a home educating Mom in America. Actually, my two daughters have graduated now. One in college and doing very well in spite of a learning disability. My younger daughter and I "free-spirit" traveled around the United States her second semester senior year. It was great! Just thought I'd mention that I loved home educating and though parts of it were a bit rocky, overall, my girls and I are very glad that we went that route. Great memories. Eclectic approach primarily, but also followed your English Educator, Charlotte Mason, and her philosophy on education. So my youngest is a certified raw vegan chef, is babysitting and now a couple people asked her to train their dogs. My eldest is an Equine Administration Major along with Outdoor Recreation/Leadership Training.

    ReplyDelete
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