Tuesday 23 October 2012
Another ‘briefing paper’ about the Welsh plans for regulating home education
Perhaps I have unfairly focused upon the ‘briefing paper’ produced by Wendy Charles-Warner. After all, she is not the only player in town. Let’s look at the one produced by Fiona Nicholson up in Sheffield. It is to be hoped that I am not casting either the charming Ms Nicholson or her son into hazard by mentioning their general location, as I inadvertently did with Mrs Charles-Warner a fortnight ago. Here is the document produced by Fiona:
http://edyourself.org/walesbriefingpaper.pdf
I have observed before that in contrast to the campaign against Graham Badman’s proposals, the current agitation against the ideas being mooted in Wales are not concerned with abstract ideas about rights, duties or matters of conscience. Instead, objections to the proposed new law is stated in terms which are calculated to appeal to those who are not themselves home educators; the aim being to make others feel sympathetic to the cause. It is being very cleverly done. For instance the cost of the scheme and the fact that it might draw resources away from other vulnerable children is a popular debating tactic being used.
Fiona, in a pretty deft and cunning piece of sophistry, manages unfortunately to pander to homophobes. I am sure that this was not intentional, but never the less, that is what has happened. In an attempt to alarm Christians and get them on the side of home educators, she says this:
Sex Education
Concerns have been raised over the requirement for home education to "prepare [children] for the responsibilities of adulthood" [67] interpreted as meaning that the parent has to teach children about sex and contraception by a particular age. Some parents who are home educating because of particular religious or philosophical convictions would find themselves unable to comply and would not wish their children to be asked about sex education during the mandatory interview.
Now most of us, when we talk of ‘preparing children for the responsibilities of adulthood’ might well think in terms of things like teaching about income tax and mortgages; Fiona thinks, or purports to think, that it means that home educated children will have to be taught about contraception by a certain age. Worse still, a man from the council will be coming round and checking our children’s knowledge of contraceptive methods, in order to make sure that we have been fulfilling out duty around sex education. It is a chilling prospect! Well, it would be, if there was any truth in it.
Where does the homophobia come into this? Take a look at this piece about the new Welsh proposals on a Christian website:
http://www.christian.org.uk/news/wales-considers-forced-registration-for-home-schoolers/
Now look to the right and check out Related Articles. See the one about ‘compulsory Sex Education ‘undermines’ free society? This was a hot topic among many Christians at the same time that some home educators were fighting against certain parts of the Children, Schools and Families Bill in 2009 and 2010. One of the reasons for this is that quite a few Christians are bitterly opposed to their children being taught about homosexuality; in particular the notion that gay relationships can in any way be regarded as being as valid as heterosexual marriages. In fact, any sort of sex education, of the kind likely to be approved by a local authority, is regarded by many Christians as a wicked plot which will end up with their children being taught how to commit sodomy or obtain abortions. Sex education, from this perspective, is designed to persuade innocent, God-fearing children that unnatural, same-sex unions are as holy as Christian marriage and that promiscuity is normal. What about contraception? Why has Fiona mentioned that specifically? Are you a Catholic and so opposed to artificial birth control? You fool, the council will force you to teach your child about the use of contraception! It is perhaps no coincidence that the campaign against the Welsh proposals has now attracted the favourable attention of the American Home School Legal Defense Association; a notoriously reactionary, homophobic and right-wing group.
I suppose the real question to ask is whether Fiona Nicholson or anybody else has the least particle of evidence that local authorities really will be interrogating children about their knowledge of contraception and sex if this bill goes through. How will it work? Will it be like having the man round to read the gas meter? One imagines somebody from the council knocking on the door with a clipboard, saying, ‘Morning madam, I’ve come to check your daughter’s knowledge of contraception.' He is shown the poor little mite of eleven or whatever age it is by which Fiona thinks that children will have to be taught about sex and contraception. ‘Now Mary, can you give me three reasons why withdrawal is not a safe method of contraception? Do you know about the Dutch Cap?’
Is this really what any sane person imagines will be happening if the registration and monitoring of home education in Wales becomes law? If so, could we be given some evidence for this belief? Otherwise, it will look to many as though this is just one more of the ridiculous scare stories being put about to enlist the support of even the most unsavoury types in the campaign against the proposed legislation.
'ridiculous scare stories'
ReplyDeleteLike this blog post, you mean?
''ridiculous scare stories'
ReplyDeleteLike this blog post, you mean?'
By which I take it that you honestly believe that under the proposed new law, a man from the council will be visiting home educated children and asking them about their knowledge of sex and contraception? Well, it may be so. Tell us, what are your grounds for this belief?
Stop being so silly.
ReplyDeleteJust when I've come round to thinking that maybe compuslory registration and some light monitoring may be quite a good idea, I read a blog post like this and remember the number of eejits who work for LAs.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Simon.
'Stop being so silly'
ReplyDeleteWell, I agree that is sounds pretty silly. However, the silliness is not of my creating. Fiona says that the proposed law has been:
'interpreted as meaning that the parent has to teach children about sex and contraception by a particular age'
She goes on to say that some parents;
'would not wish their children to be asked about sex education during the mandatory interview.'
I agree entirely that the idea of a man from the council coming round to check what a child knows about sex and contraception is a very silly one. It is however not mine.
'I read a blog post like this and remember the number of eejits who work for LAs.'
ReplyDeleteSo at least two people commenting here really believe that a man from the council will be coming into people's homes to cross examine children about their knowledge of sex and contraception. Have I got that right?
Given the inconsistency among the LAs that we see already, then it's entirely plausible that some will interpret the rules in this way.
DeleteGiven the shortcomings of some in the LAs (not to mention the Welsh Assembly Government), I think it's important that children understand the importance of raising the time limit on abortions - to at least 65 years post partum.
DeleteWe're back to trust, aren't we, Simon? You always had a good relationship with your LA, courtesy of your background, and, dare I say without being too controversial, your gender. You therefore think the best of what is likely to happen and believe that they wouldn't do it.
ReplyDeleteOthers, who have had less good experiences, take a more jaundiced view and suspect it'd be a case of 'anything'll do to criticise them with.'
As for the argument about scarce resources, I use it because it is true. At a time when many children can't access speech therapy and the vital first years are being wasted for autistic children because of a shortage of diagnostic and support services, allegedly because 'there isn't the money during the recession' there is no way that the PTB's should be looking to extend monitoring of home educated children when there is no evidence that it will do any good.
You may call this an emotive argument. You'd be right to because any parent who has ever struggled to navigate a system that seems to be designed to stop you accessing help will get emotional about there suddenly seeming to be money available to monitor home education.
I hate the way Simon constantly dismisses this argument as a cynical tactic when so many people have personal reasons for feeling strongly about this issue. It's especially despicable from one who used to work for a charity and was personally involved in advocating for parents of children with special educational needs. He must have seen the results of a lack of resources many times. And it's hardly a new argument either. Looking back to posts on this blog will reveal exactly the same argument being put forward in 2009!
DeleteI am ROFL! I would just love for an LA personnel to come round armed with clipboard in tow and attempt to ask my child about the potential hazards of the withdrawal method. Not only would they be likely to leave with the clipboard clamped around their neck, they would also be assured that I know the aforementioned method does not work!
ReplyDeleteI do wish people wouldn't whip up unnecessary hysteria about these things. You have brought some humour to my morning Simon!
'I do wish people wouldn't whip up unnecessary hysteria about these things.'
DeleteWhich is exactly, of course, what Simon is attempting to do here.
'You have brought some humour to my morning Simon!'
ReplyDeleteAh, my life has not then been wholly in vain!
'I know the aforementioned method does not work!'
Alas, the temptation to tell an exceedingly old Catholic joke has proved too much for me. What do you call a woman who uses the rhythm method of birth control? Mummy!
Indeed! It failed me twice.....
DeleteOn the other hand, It has been successful for me for 15 years. I have three planned children and no 'mistakes'
Delete'You always had a good relationship with your LA, courtesy of your background, and, dare I say without being too controversial, your gender'
ReplyDeleteIt's not at all controversial Anne. The fact that I am a man and the local authority officers were all women, obviously has a bearing on the extent to which I was able to dominate the agenda during their supposed 'monitoring' visits! It is also at the root of much of the irritation which is felt at me by home educating mothers on the internet, although not in real life, I am glad to say.
' You therefore think the best of what is likely to happen and believe that they wouldn't do it.'
I would not put anything past any employee of either local or central government. This idea would be raving lunacy though! I don't think that anybody really believes that Welsh civil servants are going to be asking children about their knowledge of sex and contraception. It is just a gambit, as I say, to get others on side.
"The fact that I am a man and the local authority officers were all women, obviously has a bearing on the extent to which I was able to dominate the agenda during their supposed 'monitoring' visits!"
DeleteAre you saying that being a man helped you to dominate the agenda?
Sadly, my experience of my LA is that an idea being raving lunacy wouldn't deter them for a second. We currently have talking bus stops for the blind, but you need to read the instructions to work out how to use them, and they're not in Braille.
ReplyDeletethe money argument goes down well with the public oos quite rightly there want any spare money sent on schools or colleges not on home educators! hammer it home just keep repeating it you wanna use money tax payers money to check up on home educators where your school needs the money?
ReplyDeleteSimon, can you confirm that the words "prepare [children] for the responsibilities of adulthood" cannot be used to include sex education?
ReplyDelete"Now most of us, when we talk of ‘preparing children for the responsibilities of adulthood’ might well think in terms of things like teaching about income tax and mortgages"
ReplyDeleteDo you have any evidence to substantiate this claim?
'Simon, can you confirm that the words "prepare [children] for the responsibilities of adulthood" cannot be used to include sex education?'
ReplyDeleteNo, of course I can't; any more than I can confirm that it refers to learning to visit the dentist regularly, open a bank account, enter further edcuation or any one of a hundred other things. I can say that the expression is generally used to mean life skills and it is possible that not having unprotected sex would be one of these. That is a long way from suggesting that parents would be compelled to teach their children about contraception.
Let us be clear about this. An extraordinary claim is being made here. The claim is quite specific; that in a year or two, we might find ourselves in a situation where a man from the council is entering homes and questioning children about what they know of contraceptive methods. When an extraordinary claim is made, the onus is upon the one making the claim to provide evidence to back it up. All I am saying is that this sounds very improbable and that I would like to know the grounds for believing such a thing. Nobody seemes willing or able to provide me with them and so I must regard the whole thing as a nonsense. If anybody has any sort of evidence for this, then all that is needed is to cite it here and I might be convinced that there is something in it.
"'Simon, can you confirm that the words "prepare [children] for the responsibilities of adulthood" cannot be used to include sex education?'
DeleteNo, of course I can't"
Many people working in LAs are likely to interpret the words in the sensible manner that you describe; unfortunately, the significant number of 'tards doing the job will use it any any warped way that they think fit, and that's the problem
'"Now most of us, when we talk of ‘preparing children for the responsibilities of adulthood’ might well think in terms of things like teaching about income tax and mortgages"
ReplyDeleteDo you have any evidence to substantiate this claim?'
Evidence for the claim that most of us might well think that 'preparing children for adulthood' could refer to useful life skills like handling a bank account, dealing with tax and finding out about interest rates and mortgages? This is the sort of thing which is usually meant in schools and colleges when talk turns to preparing children for adulthood and so I would guess that this is the sense in which a local authority would be thinking of the matter. Perhaps readers might like to ask their relatives and friends about this and see how many people come up with the idea, without prompting, that this expression might entail teaching children about contraception by a certain age!
"Evidence for the claim that most of us might well think that 'preparing children for adulthood' could refer to useful life skills like handling a bank account, dealing with tax and finding out about interest rates and mortgages? This is the sort of thing which is usually meant in schools and colleges when talk turns to preparing children for adulthood"
DeleteThat hasn't been very effective, if the level of personal debt and the state of our economy are anything to go by. If the same standards were to be applied to home educated children's knowledge of birth control, then "shoo away the stork" would be a satisfactory response in any inspection.
Here is the sort of things that Welsh schools currently teach children about preparing for adulthood. Sex might perhaps form a tiny part of it:
ReplyDeletePersonal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) provides a vital foundation for the personal development of young people in preparing them for adult life. PSHE is important in combating social exclusion and disaffection and can equip young people
PSHE aims to help pupils lead confident, healthy and responsible lives as individuals and members of society:
We aim to enable pupils:
Develop skills of enquiry, communication and participation.
To take increasing responsibility for their own learning behaviour,
Actions, views and decisions.
To help students live healthily and safely and deal with the spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues they face as they approach adulthood
To reflect on their experiences and how they are developing
To understand and manage responsibly a wider range of relationships as they mature
To show respect for the diversity of, and differences between, people
To develop pupils well-being and self-esteem, encouraging belief in their ability to succeed
To enable them to take responsibility for their learning and future choice of courses and career
In PSHE, as a Humanities Specialist School, we promote ideas of global awareness, human rights, equality and justice, fair trade issues, Amnesty International and how personal involvement can make a difference.
PSHE lessons include a range of methods both in Form Tutor periods and timetabled PSHE lessons. We use technology, discussions, activities which enable students to work out solutions and problem solving techniques in addition to working with others and improving their own learning. We integrate Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL), the Every Child Matters agenda and cross curricular themes to provide a balanced and varied experience.
At Key Stage 3, students will investigate a range of areas including relationships, bullying, citizenship, healthy lifestyles and peer pressure. Students will engage in projects such as the Giving Nation scheme in Year 8 which enables them to help the community. At the end of this key stage, in year 9, students will work towards an accredited ASDAN PSHE award which is externally certificated and can be put into their Progress File.
At Key Stage 4, students will work towards GCSE Preparation for Working Life, an accredited GCSE which will be added to their results after year 11. This will give students the best opportunity to maximise their potential and offer more choice in their post 16 pathway, whether it be in further education, employment or training. Included in this course are exercises to encourage greater citizenship amongst students
I cannot see anything there to which even the most devoutly religious home edcauting parent might object! It is quite irrelevant in any case, because we already know that even if the Welsh legislation goes through, parents will not be expected to teach according to any particular curriculum.
"In PSHE, as a Humanities Specialist School, we promote ideas of global awareness, human rights, equality and justice, fair trade issues, Amnesty International and how personal involvement can make a difference."
DeleteThis is the kind of claptrap that makes the school system a useless laughing stock. "As a Humanities Specialist School, we can't teach anything more useful than basic arithmetic with a calculator, but we recycle our potato peelings and talk about how we feel about other people's feelings while drinking fair-trade coffee".
No wonder we have armies of numbskulls desperate to exert social control, whether it's in Westminster, Whitehall, Cardiff or the local authorities.
"The fact that I am a man and the local authority officers were all women, obviously has a bearing on the extent to which I was able to dominate the agenda during their supposed 'monitoring' visits!"
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that being a man helped you to dominate the agenda?'
Can anybody suggest any other construction which might be put upon these words?
""The fact that I am a man and the local authority officers were all women, obviously has a bearing on the extent to which I was able to dominate the agenda during their supposed 'monitoring' visits!"
DeleteAre you saying that being a man helped you to dominate the agenda?'
Can anybody suggest any other construction which might be put upon these words?"
This is quite useful and interesting. Inspections? Bring them on.
'This is the kind of claptrap that makes the school system a useless laughing stock. "As a Humanities Specialist School, we can't teach anything more useful than basic arithmetic with a calculator, but we recycle our potato peelings and talk about how we feel about other people's feelings while drinking fair-trade coffee".'
ReplyDeleteFew would disagree with this; which is why some of us didn't send our kids to school. You will observe that it is also possible to take a GCSE in Preparation for Working Life. If only I had thought of that, I could have entered my daughter for it instead of physics or chemistry!
"Few would disagree with this; which is why some of us didn't send our kids to school."
DeleteUnfortunately, the kind of idiots who created this mumbo jumbo are now itching to inspect and control the home education of my children.
"You will observe that it is also possible to take a GCSE in Preparation for Working Life"
Ah yes, I believe this is known, colloquially, as "GCSE in Clues for Morons"; my hypothesis is that, rather than being aimed at the kids, it was created to enable some modest filtering at the botton end of the teaching profession.
HAHAHA!! What a ridiculous post! Where exactly does Fiona mention homosexuality?
ReplyDelete