Monday 25 April 2011

The salami approach to home education legislation

Several things are becoming clear since the business about delaying the removal of a child's name from the register for twenty days after the parents announce their intention to home educate. First, as will be seen from Nick Gibb's letter below, this change will be coming in September, regardless of what protests are made. It is such a minor point and nobody except for a handful of the more militant home educating parents can see what all the fuss is about. Secondly, Graham Stuart has somehow been squared by the leadership of the Conservative party and is no longer a maverick MP ready and willing to fight alongside home educators for their supposed rights. This was predictable.


So what will Michael Gove and Nick Gibb's strategy be? I don't think that they are likely to make a big song and dance and try to push through a huge raft of changes to the law on home education, the way that Ed Balls did. Rather, I have an idea that they will take the most important proposals and try to slip them through 'salami' style. By this, I mean very thin slices at a time so that each one appears to be fairly uncontroversial and sensible. taken by itself. The twenty day business, for example, looks to most people like a fuss about nothing. I can understand, but do not agree with, those who oppose this change in the pupil registration regulations. Most non-home educating parents don't even see what the problem is. Compulsory registration would be a logical next step. Most home educating parents had more or less conceded this point, assuming that when ContactPoint came into full operation, it would mean de facto registration anyway. Like the twenty day rule, it is something that the vast majority of parents and professionals in this country would see as a sensible move to protect children. With Education Otherwise out of the political arena, there is nobody to coordinate opposition in any case. I don't think that they were that against registration anyway.


If the Coalition play their cards right and just stick these changes in at intervals, the chances are that no home educators will even notice them until they have almost become law. In this way, they will be able to put through most of the main recommendations of the Badman review without too much bother. I have heard that several Labour MPs are now ready to champion the cause of home education, falling over themselves to agree with parents that Schedule 1 of the Children, Schools and Families Bill was in retrospect a great mistake. They really are shameless!

24 comments:

  1. Webb says-I have an idea that they will take the most important proposals and try to slip them through 'salami' style. By this, I mean very thin slices at a time so that each one appears to be fairly uncontroversial and sensible

    Im afraid i have to agree with Webb here the only question is will their go for the forced meetings Badman wanted with children on there own to check that the child is not being abused?
    how far will Gove go? will the government still be in power after the local government results in May? it may become very weak and home education will be low down the list of things to do.
    it does not matter to us what happens our son will be to old for any of this to affect him or us! but for others i think its going to get harder to home educate i wonder what hoops future home educators wll have to go though in 5 years time?

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  2. it appears that the SI has not yet been laid before Parliament yet? so that gived a small bit of hope?

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  3. 'Gived', there's no such word as 'gived'.

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  4. OMG a word spelled wrong send for the teacher!

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  5. 'OMG a word spelled wrong send for the teacher!'

    Oh, the irony.

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  6. 'Anonymous said...
    'OMG a word spelled wrong send for the teacher!'

    Oh, the irony.'

    I have a suspicion that this particular individual does not realise the irony that he, who is supposedly furnishing his child with an education, should be calling for a teacher!

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  7. I webb says- have a suspicion that this particular individual does not realise the irony that he, who is supposedly furnishing his child with an education, should be calling for a teacher!

    its a joke Webb dont you get it? the way you and anon carry on you would think the end of the world had come if you spell a word wrong

    what you mean supposedly furnishing his child with an education? if you belive a child is not geting a suitable education then you must report that parent to thier LA which in our case is Hampshire County Council why have you not done this? i thought you where concerned about children geting a good education? HCC would have to look into this matter if you wrote them a letter telling them of your concerns over the home education of this child what about you anon you could write in to? after all 2 letters are better than one? you want the address?

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  8. "Rather, I have an idea that they will take the most important proposals and try to slip them through 'salami' style. By this, I mean very thin slices at a time so that each one appears to be fairly uncontroversial and sensible. taken by itself."

    Yes, I think this has been spotted, frequently over the years actually! It's the more usual approach of government (as opposed to the Balls/Bad man approach). And this is exactly why each seemingly minor change should be opposed. Because when viewed as a whole, the changes are likely to be detrimental to HE and to every parent's ability to choose in future.

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  9. And don't forget the, if we don't get away with it once, try again a few months/years later, maybe changing it slightly, and hope they don't notice. The 20 day delay thing was tried in 2006, for instance. Different government (supposedly), possibly different civil servants, the same objective but with slightly different (and just as pathetic) justifications.

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  10. "Yes, I think this has been spotted, frequently over the years actually!"

    This is a problem with the 'HE community', a lack of recorded history. A strategy is recognised and possibly resisted if it's recognised in time. Then it's forgotten. Then another bright spark spots the strategy again, often too late to be of use.

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  11. Peter and Carol said...'OMG'
    You're one reason why the government is putting home ed under scrutiny.

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  12. Sure as hell can't grasp the meaning of the word 'irony'.

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  13. It could be that Hamps council may have written you and your kid off.
    It's part of what is known as the 'hidden agenda'.

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  14. "It's part of what is known as the 'hidden agenda'."

    Oh no, not another conspiracy theorist...

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  15. anon says-You're one reason why the government is putting home ed under scrutiny.

    my goodness you spelt puting wrong.you wrote putting maybe you need an english teacher?

    you really belive that a government would put home ed under scrutiny because of us? i wish i was that powerful to make government sit up and take notice! if only it was true i bring a few more things to government attention! im afraid government takes NO notice of us and never will!

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  16. anon says-It could be that Hamps council may have written you and your kid off.


    lets hope so anon! as we written them off years ago! but their should do something if their belive like you and Webb do that a child is not geting an education?
    I do enjoy these chats on here such fun!

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  17. 'my goodness you spelt puting wrong.you wrote putting maybe you need an english teacher?'


    Peter, you spelt your name wrong. It's supposed to be 'Petter'.

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  18. anon -Peter, you spelt your name wrong. It's supposed to be 'Petter'.

    and yours is pratt! any one who spells a word wrong should be given free english lesson from Julie! if you spell a word wrong 2 times you have to attend a class given by Webb! spelling will now get better by everyone.

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  19. Julie is a Maths teacher.

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  20. anon says-Julie is a Maths teacher.

    shame as i was hoping to be at the front of the class to see Julie! never mind at least we got Webb? i can feel my spelling geting better already! what would be worse Webb taking a class or Badman?

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  21. Which Labour MPs are you referring to Simon?

    Elizabeth

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  22. So is this just a bit of unsubstantiated gossip or are there now Labour MPs supporting HE?

    Elizabeth

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  23. So I take it it is just unsubstantiated gossip then?

    Elizabeth

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  24. Looks like it was, Elizabeth.

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