Thursday 14 April 2011

The politics of home education


    Education Otherwise is retrenching. It has since 2007 been getting into the habit of spending more than it should and not generally on its core work of advising and supporting home educating parents. Individual members would of course offer help, but the central organisation became a little too involved in campaigning and politics. This is now changing and EO is in a sense returning to its roots; withdrawing from arguing with the government and devoting more time to supporting its members. Some see this is a good thing, others as a bad move. It has been argued that without a main organisation with which to deal, the Department for Education will feel able to divide and rule; passing any amendments to existing laws which they feel like and then relying upon the fact that there is no national body to coordinate a response. This at least has been the view expressed recently by Mike Fortune-Wood of Home Education UK. He originally belonged to Education Otherwise at one time, but decided that he could start a better organisation of his own and has spent the last few years sniping at and criticising EO. There was a rumour going the rounds recently that Home Ed Forums up in Scotland felt that the future in this field belonged to them and some members there were crowing about the fact that both Education Otherwise and Home Education UK were practically moribund and that they would themselves in the future be the ones representing the interests of home educators. They even offered to buy the Home Education UK brand name from Mike Fortune-Wood and take it over. He declined.




      The extent to which national home education organisations have been helpful for home educating parents in the past few years is debateable. Some people swear that they would not have been able to cope without the support offered and I am quite prepared to believe that this is true. However, when reading the lists these days, some of us feel that they cause more mischief than they are worth. There is often an air of us and them, as though local authorities and civil servants at the Department for Education were by definition the enemy and always up to no good. This is in sharp contrast to the cordial relations enjoyed by home educators with their local authorities in many areas. The suspicion is that rather than solving problems and reducing tensions between parents and local authority officers, the advice being given out on some forums and lists is actually exacerbating things.




        My own view, and I have expressed this both here and in my book, is that the future lies in local arrangements between parents and their local authorities. Most local authorities are perfectly happy with the idea of home education as such; they are just a little uneasy about some individual families. It is their attempts to deal with these individual cases which often turn up on the Internet lists and are then brandished as examples of how local authorities are in the business of persecuting home educating parents. This then frightens other home educators and makes them less anxious to cooperate with the local authority themselves. The fact that having a cheerful and good natured relationship with the local authority is often regarded as little better than treason on some lists, also discourages people from talking about good relations with local authorities. The result is that the bad experiences are often all that people read about on the lists. This creates a skewed and unbalanced view of home education in Britain today.




          One feels that it is time to acknowledge that most people rub along pretty well with their local authority and that the cases of fighting are very much the exception. It is time to drop the idea that home educators are locked in a life or death struggle for survival with both central government and local authorities and for parents to start trying to reach an amicable arrangement with the individual local government officers with whom they come into contact.

          46 comments:

          1. "One feels that it is time to acknowledge that most people rub along pretty well with their local authority and that the cases of fighting are very much the exception."


            Evidence needed for this strange claim.

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          2. "This then frightens other home educators and makes them less anxious to cooperate with the local authority themselves. The fact that having a cheerful and good natured relationship with the local authority is often regarded as little better than treason on some lists, also discourages people from talking about good relations with local authorities."

            Yes this soooooooo true. But you have failed to mention Simon, the people who get you so afraid and suspicious of your LA that they advise you not to accept any visits to your home unless you have someone from their 'charity' to represent you when the LA official visits. Even if you have never previously had any problems with your LA.

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          3. "He originally belonged to Education Otherwise at one time, but decided that he could start a better organisation of his own and has spent the last few years sniping at and criticising EO."

            You clearly know nothing about the history and reasons for Mike no longer being a member of EO. This is understandable since you were not involved nationally or on email lists at the time, but this doesn't excuse you re-writing history to what you think it might have been. Also, in no way can a web site and internet forum be described as 'an organisation'! If anyone could be accused of constantly sniping at and criticising someone they had had a disagreement with it's you. Mike consistently ignores you but that doesn't stop your constant references to him at every opportunity.

            "My own view, and I have expressed this both here and in my book, is that the future lies in local arrangements between parents and their local authorities."

            Sounds a good plan, as long as it's all voluntary. I've heard of some very good HE-LA relationships in the past. But problems often develop with a change of staff or leadership , so it's not always easy to trust them.

            "One feels that it is time to acknowledge that most people rub along pretty well with their local authority and that the cases of fighting are very much the exception."

            I'm not sure that this has been in doubt. I've often seen it said on lists to newcomers that they shouldn't become too anxious about dealings with their LA because support lists invariably include more problems than descriptions of good relationships because of their nature. People need support when they are having problems, not when things are going fine.

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          4. "the people who get you so afraid and suspicious of your LA that they advise you not to accept any visits to your home unless you have someone from their 'charity' to represent you when the LA official visits."

            I know I don't read all the lists all the time, but I've not seen this one! I think it's often a good idea to think defensively, without going over the top, at least until you know what your LA is like. If you dive in with complete trust you may make matters worse for yourself if they turn out to be one of the 'bad' ones.

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          5. ' Mike consistently ignores you but that doesn't stop your constant references to him at every opportunity.'

            I'm not sure about constant; every three weeks or so perhaps.

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          6. ' But you have failed to mention Simon, the people who get you so afraid and suspicious of your LA that they advise you not to accept any visits to your home unless you have someone from their 'charity' to represent you when the LA official visits.'

            You are right Samantha, this is indeed another way of stirring up suspicion and mistrust betwen parents and local authorities. The new cottage industry of home education consultants and advisers are also making things worse by cashing in on this and persuading people that they should not meet any local authority officer without a third party being present.

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          7. are you saying that those home educators who do not trust their local authority that there should not tell others about there unhappy dealing with the LA? you want it all keep quiet?

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          8. "and persuading people that they should not meet any local authority officer without a third party being present."

            I've seen this suggested when problems have already developed or if someone has particular concerns or worries, but not as a routine suggestion. Who in particular says this?

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          9. 'are you saying that those home educators who do not trust their local authority that there should not tell others about there unhappy dealing with the LA? you want it all keep quiet?'

            Hampshire have a brilliant reputation for dealing with and helping home educating parents and this is precisely what I was talking about above. Here is the case of one peculiar man who could start a fight in an empty room. He is without doubt the exception in that area, but because he appears on so many blogs, people might gain the impression that Hampshire is a terrible place to be a home educator. Once again Mr Williams, you have illustrated my point perfectly. Thank you.

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          10. '"and persuading people that they should not meet any local authority officer without a third party being present."

            I've seen this suggested when problems have already developed or if someone has particular concerns or worries, but not as a routine suggestion. Who in particular says this?'

            Home education consultants like Paula Cashmore?

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          11. I may be one of those who could "rub along pretty well with their local authority and that the cases of fighting are very much the exception" However, I wouldn't trust them and would never ask them for advice on something of which they know very little.
            I recently rejoined EO because it gave me support and information when there was little else around. I want that organisation available to my own children if they need it.
            Even though EO have steped back from active politics, I dont think that means they wouldn't have something to say if, and when, necessary.
            If they are aiming to go more for considered co-operation and negotiation as opposed to outright upsetting of local authorities and government, this may not be a bad thing.

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          12. "I've seen this suggested when problems have already developed or if someone has particular concerns or worries, but not as a routine suggestion.

            I have seen it. I have seen it suggested that the family court may become involved in a family's life if they take the risk of allowing an LA official into their home or even outside the home in a place such as a library etc! Some of the people offering these services claim to have intimate knowledge of how the family court system and social services operate. They put the frighteners on parents and then offer their services as a solution. They offer their 'help' not to private candidates who have sought them out individually and asked for it, and not solely on their own websites. They mention social services involvement along with their services on public HE lists, so everyone can see them and those who feel vulnerable will avail themselves of their 'help'.

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          13. Simon wrote,
            ""and persuading people that they should not meet any local authority officer without a third party being present."
            Home education consultants like Paula Cashmore?"

            I've looked at her web site and she doesn't say this at all. It's there as an option for those that want it, but she certainly doesn't advice people to do this routinely. She also makes it clear that all the information she provides is available for free on the internet. Her service is for those who don't want to spend the time searching or don't have the time to search for themselves.

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          14. "I have seen it suggested that the family court may become involved in a family's life if they take the risk of allowing an LA official into their home or even outside the home in a place such as a library etc!"

            If you are interested in some of the reasons for not having visits or meetings, you could read this article, http://www.fitz-claridge.com/?q=node/19 Is this the sort of thing you are talking about? The article ends with:

            "The minuscule possibility that you might come before a judge is, perhaps, one more reason to keep control of the evidence provided and keep all communications with the LEA written (and well-presented, and reasonable!)."

            So clearly they think this outcome is unlikely. Would you call this article scaremongering or is it just putting forward a point of view that is worth considering when making decisions about your family?

            "Some of the people offering these services claim to have intimate knowledge of how the family court system and social services operate. They put the frighteners on parents and then offer their services as a solution."

            This must be a recent development and something I've not observed. Can you quote the relevant passages? If they are offering a service to the public I don't think list rules of confidentiality would apply since you would be advertising a service that presumably they advertise elsewhere.

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          15. Webb says-Hampshire have a brilliant reputation for dealing with and helping home educating parents and this is precisely what I was talking about above.

            Where is the evidence for this statement Webb?

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          16. "Hampshire have a brilliant reputation for dealing with and helping home educating parents and this is precisely what I was talking about above."

            So do you think that if an LA employee or LA as a whole is fine with one home educator they are fine with all? You don't think there's any scope for bias that results in them being OK with some home educators and not others through no fault of the home educator?

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          17. Simon said,
            "I'm not sure about constant; every three weeks or so perhaps."

            Constant: not changing or varying; uniform; regular; invariable.

            Constant sounds about right then.

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          18. 'Simon said,
            "I'm not sure about constant; every three weeks or so perhaps."

            Constant: not changing or varying; uniform; regular; invariable.

            Constant sounds about right then'

            Completely and utterly, barking mad! Halley's Comet appears in the sky like clockwork every seventy six years. This is certainly regular, uniform and invariable, but one would hesitate to accuse this comet of 'constantly' visiting us. Another example of the sort of odd, one might almost say pathologically strange, use of language which I have observed in some of those who comment here.

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          19. 'So do you think that if an LA employee or LA as a whole is fine with one home educator they are fine with all? You don't think there's any scope for bias that results in them being OK with some home educators and not others through no fault of the home educator?'

            I think that most local authority oficers are, like the great majority of home edcuating parents, human. They will get on better with some people than others. We sometimes take against people for no real reason and I dare say this happens in the context of home edcaution as in every other aspect of life.

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          20. "They will get on better with some people than others."

            Would they be the ones who choose the "school at home" approach? It must make it so much easier for the LA (and their box ticking) when the parents choose to follow the narrow and overcrowded national curriculum.

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          21. "Another example of the sort of odd, one might almost say pathologically strange, use of language which I have observed in some of those who comment here."

            So now quoting from a dictionary is pathologically strange?

            "Completely and utterly, barking mad! Halley's Comet appears in the sky like clockwork every seventy six years."

            In the context of blog articles, I think every three weeks can be considered regular and not varying and according to the dictionary, this fulfils the definition of constant.

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          22. "We sometimes take against people for no real reason and I dare say this happens in the context of home edcaution as in every other aspect of life."

            So why take the risk of letting them collect the evidence, putting their own interpretation and bias into it, when you can provide the evidence yourself in the way you choose?

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          23. 'So now quoting from a dictionary is pathologically strange?

            "Completely and utterly, barking mad! Halley's Comet appears in the sky like clockwork every seventy six years."

            In the context of blog articles, I think every three weeks can be considered regular and not varying and according to the dictionary, this fulfils the definition of constant.'

            Quoting from the dictionary can indeed be pathologically strange. Do you really not understand, you silly-billy, that I do not mention Mike Fortune-Wood like clockwork, every three weeks? Sometimes, it might not be for five weeks, on other occasions perhaps a week. This is not constant, even in the dictionary definition of the word. It is at irregular, infrequent intervals. This is not constant; Constant means 'the same', or 'regular'. Originally you said that I made constant references to the man; I am pointing out that far from being constant, these references are made at irregular and infrequent intervals.

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          24. "Quoting from the dictionary can indeed be pathologically strange."

            Misusing a word is a sign of disease? Now whose being a silly-billy.

            "Originally you said that I made constant references to the man; I am pointing out that far from being constant, these references are made at irregular and infrequent intervals."

            You pointed out that your references were irregular and infrequent by stating that they were "every three weeks or so perhaps"? Yes, that makes sense, not.

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          25. "Do you really not understand, you silly-billy, that I do not mention Mike Fortune-Wood like clockwork, every three weeks?"

            Oh Simon, Simon, Simon. Why claim something that is so easy to prove wrong? A quick Google finds 17 references to Mike by you on separate pages on your blog over 3 months. That's an average of 1.3 times per week! Did you knowingly lie thinking nobody would bother to check? Or are you so obsessed you don't even know you are doing it?

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          26. 'You pointed out that your references were irregular and infrequent by stating that they were "every three weeks or so perhaps"? Yes, that makes sense, not.'

            Of course if Smith visits the pub a dozen times a year, perhap not going for two months in the summer and then twice in a month in the autumn, he might very well average it out and say that he goes about once a month. You are no statistician, Anonymous, unlike your namesake who has carried out a careful study of this vexing problem, of such great interest to those who read this blog, details of which she provides above.

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          27. 'A quick Google finds 17 references to Mike by you on separate pages on your blog over 3 months'

            This is great! It's like having a Boswell to my Dr Johnson; somebody who is so fascinated by my writing that she feels compelled to chronicle it and work out how often I have mentioned people and things. I am immensely flattered. I hope that you will in the future, Anonymous, be providing annotations and indices for Home Education Heretic?

            Of course not all those references which come up on google are to Mike Fortune-Wood as such. Some are simply cases of my mentioning 'the HE-UK list run by Mike Fortune-Wood' and that sort of thing. It is still an impressive total though and I look forward eagerly to Anonymous' further statistical analysis of this blog.

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          28. 'Would they be the ones who choose the "school at home" approach? It must make it so much easier for the LA (and their box ticking) when the parents choose to follow the narrow and overcrowded national curriculum.'

            Oh, give it a rest. This is one of the myths that AE'ers hold so dear: that if you don't do AE then you must do 'school at home'. Like they are the only 2 alternatives.

            In the 15 years we were HE'ing we only met ONE family who did 'school at home' and they were Americans only here for a year and who needed to slot back into the US school system when they got back. And they certainly didn't use our National Curriculum!!!

            People who aren't autonomous aren't necessarily doing 'school at home'. They just aren't autonomous.

            I mean, I know that those who consider themselves a persecuted minority must have a myth about 'the others' but I'm so sick of this one. Find someone/something else to blame your problems on.

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          29. "This is one of the myths that AE'ers hold so dear.."

            Bit of a wild generalisation there! Way to go, perpetuating the divisiveness. I'd venture so far as to say most AE'ers probably couldn't care less how other families home educate, it being none of their business.

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          30. 'I'd venture so far as to say most AE'ers probably couldn't care less how other families home educate, it being none of their business.'



            'Would they be the ones who choose the "school at home" approach? It must make it so much easier for the LA (and their box ticking) when the parents choose to follow the narrow and overcrowded national curriculum.'

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          31. Yes. That was one opinion, not the one held by most AE'ers to my knowledge.

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          32. when the parents choose to follow the narrow and overcrowded national curriculum.'

            I would be interested to hear of any parent who has managed to follow and implement fully the National Curriculum. I have an idea that such people are about as thin on the ground as those who do 'home at school'. I was the world's most structured home educator, but would not have touched the NC with a bargepole!
            '

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          33. 'Yes. That was one opinion, not the one held by most AE'ers to my knowledge.'

            You know 'most AE'ers'? I only know the ones I've come into contact with, most of whom are anxious to promote this myth, even telling me, without knowing anything about me, that's what I must be doing, when in fact, I did nothing of the sort.

            This is a widely held opinion. I'm surprised that you haven't encountered it. But, keep reading here, you'll see it again soon.

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          34. Of course not 'most', but all of the ones I know are too busy getting on with their lives to worry about what other people are doing. You must realise that only a tiny minority posts on blogs and lists, and those are perhaps the most evangelical.

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          35. Yes, I do understand this. The reason I am so irritated by this myth though is because of the hostility I've encountered from AE'ers in real life, not on lists.

            I haven't, unfortunately, found them to be 'too busy' to promote this myth. It seems to be intrinsic to their educational philosophy.

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          36. "Oh, give it a rest. This is one of the myths that AE'ers hold so dear: that if you don't do AE then you must do 'school at home'. Like they are the only 2 alternatives."

            Where does it the poster say that they think there are only 2 alternatives? They suggest that those who follow school at home will be OK with LAs. This doesn't mean this particular group isn't tiny or just one of many possible approaches. You seem to be the one perpetrating a myth about autonomous home educators!

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          37. "You seem to be the one perpetrating a myth about autonomous home educators!"

            Especially as they do not even say they are autonomous. The may just use informal education of their own rather than their child's choice, for instance.

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          38. "This is great! It's like having a Boswell to my Dr Johnson; somebody who is so fascinated by my writing that she feels compelled to chronicle it and work out how often I have mentioned people and things."

            Yes, that's typical of you. Attack is the best form of defence after all. Someone researches their point rather than ranting off the top of their head (as you seem to do frequently) and they are the weird one. LOL

            "Of course not all those references which come up on google are to Mike Fortune-Wood as such. Some are simply cases of my mentioning 'the HE-UK list run by Mike Fortune-Wood' and that sort of thing."

            Yes, the two seem closely entwined in your bitterness. Maybe because Mike threw you off that list. It would be quite interesting to know the joint total of comments about Mike and the list, since you seem to dislike them to an equal extent. I wouldn't be surprised if the count didn't double. Maybe anonymous could take a look at that?

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          39. Seem to recall that MFW has expressed an interest in rejoining EO.

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          40. 'Especially as they do not even say they are autonomous. The may just use informal education of their own rather than their child's choice, for instance.'

            ROTFLOL!
            You don't even believe that...

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          41. "ROTFLOL!
            You don't even believe that..."

            Only a minority of home educators are fully autonomous, so the odds are in favour of it not being an autonomous educator. The vast majority use a mix of parent and child-led education with a few at each end of the spectrum who are completely parent-led or completely child led - the normal distribution or bell curve.

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          42. "Oh, give it a rest. This is one of the myths that AE'ers hold so dear: that if you don't do AE then you must do 'school at home'. Like they are the only 2 alternatives."

            Sorry to burst your bubble but I am not an autonomous home educator. I simply commented that LA's would prefer parents who do "school at home" I know my LA do!

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          43. "I would be interested to hear of any parent who has managed to follow and implement fully the National Curriculum."

            I would be interested to hear of any parent who would actually WANT to use the National Curriculum, even as a rudimentary guide.

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          44. "I would be interested to hear of any parent who has managed to follow and implement fully the National Curriculum."

            Do you think you missed much NC content in your daughter's education? You don't need to work through the NC document item by item to cover the same material. If the LA can see you are covering similar material in a similar order they are likely to be happy.

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          45. ' If the LA can see you are covering similar material in a similar order they are likely to be happy.'

            I did not do most of the things covered by the NC. My local authority knew this and did not seem to care at all. I do not remember the subject ever coming up. Maybe Essex are exceptional though?

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          46. Really? Can you give an example of something you didn't cover? I've looked at a few pages we've covered most of it autonomously and I know your daughter's education was wide just going by her qualifications. I'll admit to not covering a modern language with all of my children though.

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