Last week, Shena Deuchars of Education Otherwise was very keen to distance the organisation from Alison Sauer, after somebody commented here that she used to work for EO. Shena said, very definitely in response to this idea:
‘"But Alison Sauer did once hold a position within the EO organisation, until recently wasn't it?"
No, she did not. I have phoned her this afternoon to ask. I am assured that she has never been an LC, a trustee or a volunteer in any capacity.'
Now of course, I know perfectly well that Alison Sauer has in the past represented Education Otherwise at national level. I am sure that others also know this. Just look at this piece from The Scotsman:
http://news.scotsman.com/education/Home-educators-failing-children.2470084.jp
I love the dogmatic way that she paints home education in her own image!
‘If you are a professional teacher you don’t know what you are talking about when it comes to home education. We don’t do any teaching. Our philosophy is self-directed learning’
Don’t you just adore that ‘we’ don’t do any teaching? 'Our' philosophy is self-directed learning. Is that official EO policy that she is expounding here? I wonder why Education Otherwise are so keen to disown her now?
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I think I am losing the will to live over all this!
ReplyDeleteI hate to say it, but I am not sure that you can link EO and Alison the basis of one newspaper report--- in the eyes of the press, "home education" is the same as "Education Otherwise" anyway - and not just the press- remember the muddle over who exactly was involved in the whole Khyra Ishaq trial reports and SCR? - then EO's title was interchanged freely for the local education department responsible for HE! Anyway even if Alison did once speak in EO's name (whether she was authorised to or not) does it matter? She is clearly not doing so now, and there has been so much change in EO that is also hardly surprising!
The whole "who wrote what" is also peculiar and frustrating - since we only have seen what is presumably an early draft - leaked by a frustrated ex- co-conspirator, I assume. Alison is resisting all attempts to explain what is going on, we can only hear from those who may have once had some involvement and unless Alison has a huge change of heart, we aren't going to get more until GS publicises the new proposals. For the moment, more speculation is just pointless.
Alison lives in SCOTLAND???? And she's trying to write the legal guidelines for England? This doesn't sound quite right.
ReplyDelete'Julie said...
ReplyDeleteI think I am losing the will to live over all this!'
Brace up, Julie! As a Calvinist, you must know what a terrible sin is despair. I was making two points here, the first being that Alison Sauer used to be a spokesperson for Education Otherwise. The other was that given her strong views about what home education means, that a professional teacher can't know what she is talking about with regard to home education; this sheds light on the sort of document she would be likely to produce. Home educating is a broad church, containing many different styles. Here is somebody who says bluntly that home educators don't teach, as though this is an accepted definition. I think it reasonable to consider this and ask ourselves about the bias that such a person might have when preparing a paper on home education. This is why it is important to know whether she wrote the thing herself or as part of team.
Simon.
Thank you, Julie! On occasion, I have certainly found myself giving up the battle to try to persuade a journalist to understand that HE does not equal EO (or vice versa).
ReplyDeleteI would also point out that this newspaper report is from 2003. In 2003, I stopped working for Oracle. Would it be reasonable for someone to suggest that something I said last week was representative of a company with which I have had only peripheral dealings in the last EIGHT years?
I also find it hard to believe that the "quote" from Alison came out of her mouth like that. It seems to me much more likely to be the journalist's summary of a conversation, in which Alison was asked to comment on what Pat O’Donnell had said. IME, the interviewee rarely gets a chance to revise what is printed before publication.
Finally, Simon, I was not trying to "disown" Alison on EO's behalf. I was merely trying to introduce a grain of truth (as I understand it) into the speculation.
'Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteAlison lives in SCOTLAND???? And she's trying to write the legal guidelines for England? This doesn't sound quite right. '
She used to live in Scotland. Her husband still works there, but she lives in Lancashire in a place called Barnoldswick. A local paper there described her as a 'home education guru' This was very curious, since her husband accused me in a comment here of wishing to be a guru myself! Perhaps there is only room for one 'home education guru' in the country.
Simon.
Perhaps there is only room for one 'home education guru' in the country.
ReplyDeleteSimon.
And we all know he lives in a hammock...
'Finally, Simon, I was not trying to "disown" Alison on EO's behalf. I was merely trying to introduce a grain of truth (as I understand it) into the speculation.'
ReplyDeleteI did not mean to suggest that Alison was currently representing Education Otherwise. You said:
'I have phoned her this afternoon to ask. I am assured that she has never been an LC, a trustee or a volunteer in any capacity.'
I understood this to mean that you were saying that she had never represented EO at any time or in any capacity and I am sorry if I misunderstood you. What actually were you trying to convey, if you don't mind my asking?
Simon.
'The other was that given her strong views about what home education means, that a professional teacher can't know what she is talking about with regard to home education; this sheds light on the sort of document she would be likely to produce.'
ReplyDeleteHer comment is a bit insulting to the 1,000's of professional teachers who are home educating.
Cross-posted. Let me edit a little of what you have written, Simon.
ReplyDelete[A journalist in 2003 said that] Alison Sauer [was then] a spokesperson for Education Otherwise. [...] Here is somebody who [said in 2003] bluntly that home educators don't teach, as though this is an accepted definition.
My understanding still is that the journo in 2003 was mistaken.
My views on a number of things have changed in the last eight years. Have not yours? It seems unreasonable to assume that Alison has not changed since 2003, even if one were to assume that quote to be an accurate statement of her views then.
Simon, it used to be the case that any home ed group called itself an EO group. Not that it had any connection with EO the organisation.
ReplyDeleteAlso, LA's used to call their inspectors/visitors EO officers which was very confusing for parents. I believe this is why EO claimed the rights to the name and since then people haven't been able to call their group/activitiy EO.
My memory is poor, but I think that's what happened.
'Simon, it used to be the case that any home ed group called itself an EO group. Not that it had any connection with EO the organisation.'
ReplyDeleteThis is true. The only problem is that at the time she made this statement, Alison was actively involved with another group called the Highland Home Educators. If she had mentioned this group, with their distinctively Scottish name, I am sure that the Scotsman would have used the correct name instead. I still don't understand why Education Otherwise wish to airbrush her from their history in this way, but I dare say they have their reasons.
Simon.
'It seems unreasonable to assume that Alison has not changed since 2003, even if one were to assume that quote to be an accurate statement of her views then.'
ReplyDeleteIt is worth looking at the website which she and her husband set up last year and also reading what she said to a newspaper in 2009. Her views are the same now as they were in 2003, at least as far as home education is concerned.
Simon
"Also, LA's used to call their inspectors/visitors EO officers which was very confusing for parents. I believe this is why EO claimed the rights to the name and since then people haven't been able to call their group/activitiy EO."
ReplyDeleteIndeed, and it still happens. This is from the Statutory Guidance for Inclusive Schooling:
"Education otherwise
"57 The new statutory framework for inclusion does not affect parents’ right to educate their children outside of the school system."
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/i/inclusiveschooling.pdf
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