Tuesday 9 November 2010

More about Education Otherwise

Somebody yesterday wanted to know a little more about the background to Education Otherwise's current problems. I thought that I would post a brief outline, particularly as some people elsewhere seem to be getting a little worked up.

In early 2007, there was something of an upheaval among the trustees of Education Otherwise. On February 10th that year, eleven trustees resigned and eight new ones were appointed in their place. One of these new trustees was a woman called Joanna Cynthia Berry. Up until that time, Education Otherwise had always filed their accounts and annual return promptly with the Charity Commission. Since that time, they never have done so. The latest accounts, for the year ended June 30th 2009, were finally filed on September 17th this year. This was very late. The annual return for that year has still not been filed and the Charity Commission are getting quite tetchy about this. The annual return is simply a document detailing any changes in trustees over the last year. It can be done online with a few clicks of the mouse and the only reason that I can see for the failure to submit it is that EO are not sure who to put down as currently being trustees. They have a very high turnover of trustees due to internal wrangles and some people resign almost as soon as they have been appointed. Some, like Fiona Nicholson, are in and out like Jack-in-the-boxes. She was appointed as a trustee on February 15th 2008, resigned three weeks later on March 6th and less than a week later was appointed again! Companies House have also had to put the frighteners on EO in order to get the information which is legally required to be supplied to them.

There was a good deal of controversy about one of the trustees appointed in 2007, Jo Berry who was mentioned above. There was an unfortunate incident in her domestic life and the suggestion was made that she was perhaps not the best person to assume responsibility for child protection for the charity. Certainly, the fact that she was a trustee caused raised eyebrows in some local authorities. At one point, there was a threat of legal action against former members of Education Otherwise for things which were said concerning her. Quite a few people thought that her continued presence as a trustee made Education Otherwise look as though it had a cavalier attitude towards child protection. Another suggestion being made was that the new trustees were behaving in a vindictive fashion and forcing out of the organisation people who had served it loyally for years.

At the end of 2008, two members of Education Otherwise requested a list of members. This was part of another bout on infighting in the organisation. Because EO is a limited company as well as being a charity, they were legally obliged to provide this information, but refused to do so. Instead, they became embroiled in a court action to prevent the release of the names of the Signed Up Members of the company. This row continued after Graham Badman had started his review of elective home education and the whole business of safeguarding and the possible abuse of home educated children was a major issue. Education Otherwise then decided that one of the reasons that they would not release the list of members names was that many parents were home educating because of child abuse. They said, in a submission to the court that they would not allow anybody to see the list of members because:

' one reason for this is that individuals who home educate their children comprise a significant proportion of individuals who were abused as children, this often being the motivating factor in that individual deciding to home educate their child.'

It was, to say the least of it, unfortunate that this became known just as Badman was asking about child abuse among home educators! Some people thought that this, combined with the controversy over Jo Berry, gave an odd and undesirable impression of EO to the outside world.

The latest attempt to hold an Annual General Meeting and get the accounts approved was held last Saturday, November 6th. It was a bit of a flop, because few trustees turned up. Another AGM is to be attempted this Saturday in Oxford. Supposedly, Jo Berry is going to stand down as a trustee at this meeting. People on some lists have made much of the fact that the accounts have been very late for the third year running and that the annual return has yet to be made to the Charity Commission. It is now about seven months late. I do not personally attach much importance to this. Many charities are slack about filing their annual returns. There seems to be a suspicion that the court case cost a lot more than has been thought and that this is why the accounts took so long to prepare. A figure running into tens of thousands of pounds for lawyers fees has been mentioned, but until the accounts can be examined, this is only rumour.

There are two main reasons why charities have difficulty getting their accounts done on time. these are (a.) useless and incompetent trustees and (b.) some sort of funny business going on. My own view is that the probable explanation lies in a bunch of people managing to seize control of EO in 2007/2008 and not altogether realising just what was entailed in running the company. I believe that inefficiency lies at the heart of the matter rather than crookedness.

30 comments:

  1. Thankyou very much for this overview. I appreciate you painting this picture for me (and others) to understand.

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  2. Thee are a few other things that occur to me about EO. Families often withdraw children for school in a crisis situation and then join EO. It would be interesting if we had more data, but I do suspect that quite a proportion of new home educators don't actually stick to it for very long - HE is harder than they think, or they manage to solve the original school issue and return to school. So such families would contribute to those who join EO for a year and then disappear. Those who do persist in HE may also discover that in reality it is their local group which appears to be of more long term relevance to their home educating lives, so once they have discovered that, they don't continue their membership beyond the first year.

    The result of this is that (as Simon said yesterday) there is a continual turn over in EO's membership, which isn't for any sinister reasons, but does complicate matters.

    I was for many years involved in the National Childbirth Turst, which used to have similar issue sin that many joined when they were pregnant with tehir first child, became involved in local groups and then didn't keep up their National membership. The charity made huge efforts to overcome this; partly by stopping the "local group" level of membership, but also by campaigns to stress the importance of work done nationally, by influencing NHS practice and so on. There is a real emphasis on the fact that even if your baby days are over, families can make lives better for others by continuing financial support and so fund research etc.
    There isn't the same sense with EO; most local groups aren't affliated to EO at all, and so there is no ways of pressuring folk to remain EO members. There is little possibility for research (or support for it) and even though EO was active in the Badman campaign, so were other groups, especially BRAG, so EO doesn't seem the only choice.
    In addition, home educators are so diverse I am not sure it is possible for one organisation to ever represent everyone. Some in the NCT may have minority views (eg be pro bottle feeding) but in the HE world I am not sure there is even a majority view to represent.

    All this makes it more difficult for any home ed organisation to flourish, let alone one who has had all the upheavals of recent years.

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  3. Teacher Julie says-Those who do persist in HE may also discover that in reality it is their local group which appears to be of more long term relevance to their home educating lives,

    No local group in this part of Hampshire?

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  4. Yes, there is Peter - and if you go into your local library this week, you will see a display they have done about HE!

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  5. Teacher Julie said...

    Yes, there is Peter - and if you go into your local library this week, you will see a display they have done about HE!

    A display is no good if the group is miles away! or only wants those that do home education the right way.We will carefull take a look at this so called display to see what it says lets hope it does not mention HCC or that Jan Lewis! still no word from her! Did you have a hand in this Julie?

    Education otherwise where helpful to us about you do not have to have a yearly visit or a meeting with anyone from LA we spoke to they barrister Ian very helpful he was he said its such a shame but you dont have to have any meetings or yearly visits from any one from LA.

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  6. Hand in what? the library - nothing to do with me; that is your local group!

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  7. Teacher Julie said...

    Hand in what? the library - nothing to do with me; that is your local group!

    Sorry we know of no local group in this part of Hampshire.Where does it meet and what does it do? who does it report to? We are out and about in this part of Hampshire and have never seen this group very strange.

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  8. I am sure there will be details in the library display!

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  9. It's interesting Peter. In all the years I have known Julie, I have NEVER heard her talk about a right or wrong wrong way to home educate. I've only ever heard her encourage people to find out what's best for their kids. You, however, are constantly referring to the 'wrong' or 'right' way to HE.

    And what's a 'so called display'? Julie told you that your local group has put up a dislay on HE in the library. What reason do you have to believe it's not a display?

    The fact that you don't know there's a local group in your area is sad, but hardly Julie's fault, so stop blaming her for your ignorance!

    Mrs Anon

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  10. Mrs Anon says-In all the years I have known Julie, I have NEVER heard her talk about a right or wrong wrong way to home educate. I've only ever heard her encourage people to find out what's best for their kids.

    We not heard Julie encourage people to home educate where is the evidence for this? finding out what is best for your children and then being able to act on this is not so easy according to Julie if your not sure about home education then back to the crap state school that failed you! and Why does teacher Julie not want the money that is lost when you home educate not being giving to those parents that wants it Julie talks about choice but they is no real choice from what we can see she is to busy sucking up to HCC!

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  11. No, Mr Turnip Head, she is busy trying to get cheap/free exam centres for people like your son to use, if they ever wish to take exams.

    Take your blinkers off.

    Mrs Anon

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  12. oh no mrs Anon said a funny word _No, Mr Turnip Head, she is busy trying to get cheap/free exam centres for people like your son to use, if they ever wish to take exams.

    Take your blinkers off.

    We have seen no sign of that and have letters from HCC saying no help for home educators! your allowed to take exam in any school in this part of Hampshire in your home educated!
    you talk a lot about what you say teacher Julie does but we seen no sign of this on the ground here!

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  13. 'We have seen no sign of that'

    Yes, but you're not likely to, are you, when you apparently didn't even know that there was an HE group local to you.

    Have you been to the library yet?

    Mrs Anon

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  14. Peter says of a local home ed group,

    "who does it report to?"

    which strikes me as a very odd question. I have never been in a home ed group that answered to anyone beyond its members. There are a lot of other ordinary home edders out there, Peter, who just meet up for mutual support and socialising. I find our local community a huge source of support, information and encouragement. If you've got a local group who are organised enough to get a display in the local library then I'd certainly check them out.

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  15. crafty Mrs Anon says-Yes, but you're not likely to, are you, when you apparently didn't even know that there was an HE group local to you.

    Have you been to the library yet?

    it must be a very quiet group if it does not know of us! does it meet in secret? have never heard of a group meeting in this town sorry! maybe HCC are running the group!

    to wet to go to libary today but we will see what all of this means on monday chess over the weekend!

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  16. Allie says-There are a lot of other ordinary home edders out there, Peter, who just meet up for mutual support and socialising. I find our local community a huge source of support, information and encouragement.

    no home edders giving metual support or socialising here and has for the community here in this town im afraid it does not like home education it is very anti home education your on you own in this town! no support from this communtiy more likly to report you for not sending child to school!
    You like here Webb almost all children go to school its a very nice area!

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  17. Peter- your local group is run by a collection of ordinary local families who home educate- one of whom has certainly been on this blog before and in fact it was because you said then there was no evidence of what went on locally that she has organised the library display.

    I am not even anything to do with the group, but I can tell you that this week (which is a fairly normal typical week) there has been a science and art session in Hook, soft play etc in Basingstoke, and a group went to a concert in the Albert Hall on Tueaday night. Coming up there is a history trip to Basing House next week and planned visit to all sorts of other places. One family from Alton comes down to our (southern) group each week for maths, English, and science GCSE classes, and is sitting her first maths module on Monday....there are plenty of opportunities out there for HE students to learn, play and meet others - go and look in the library!

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  18. Julie says-One family from Alton comes down to our (southern) group each week for maths, English, and science GCSE classes, and is sitting her first maths module on Monday....there are plenty of opportunities out there for HE students to learn, play and meet others

    who pays for all of that? any chance HCC will? answer is no! there are not plenty of opportunities for home educated children to play and meet others in this town you can still meet state school children so long as the parent is not anti home education!.This town is very anti home education.I suspect the libary will come under pressure to take down any display about home education! H
    why cant a child under 16 go to college here? whats the so called group doing about that? answer nothing!

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  19. crafty \Mrs Anon says-no home edders giving metual support or socialising here'

    Do you mean in your house? You may have to actually get a bus or something, if you don't have a car, to get to local activites, but as most of us who comment here know, local HE groups can a wonderful resource if you can be bothered to go to them.

    no i dont mean in our house! we know of no group that has meeting with activites in this town. im sorry but there are no resources to be had in this town from a local group! I perfer the train but bus is ok we do enjoy our trips to London!
    im afraid your on your own in this town Mrs Anon this town is very anti home education.
    What we want is college for children under 16.

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  20. "who pays for all of that?"

    well at £5 a week for tuition, most HE parents can manage that (the reason of course it is so cheap is that we (those who do, as Sarah might say, the donkey work, are volunteers).

    Do you want a college place for Peter?- ie is there a collge course he would actually like to do at Alton available?

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  21. Julie says-Do you want a college place for Peter?- ie is there a collge course he would actually like to do at Alton available?

    We do but your not allowed to go to College HCC will block it! so no college place for Peter shame really as he do very well there!

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  22. Have you actually found a suitable course? (Alton isn't a very big college so they probably don't do many courses for 14-16 year olds)

    and have you actually applied - there are some HE students on college courses in Hampshire!

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  23. asked once but college said no got quite angry she did! something to do with HCC i belive!

    no college in Hampshire will allow Peter to go to it becuase of HCC and David Kirk

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  24. I think that those of us who feel that we choose to home educate often feel very differently to those who feel that they have been forced into it. I don't expect services from anyone. I don't expect home ed groups to exist unless I'm prepared to put in some effort and/or money to see that they do. That doesn't bother me because I feel that I have made the choice to live this way.

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  25. You need to identify an 14 -16 course first; then you need to apply to HCC EOTAS re funding....but you will have missed the boat for this year since the courses are well underway. There are various home educated children on courses at Farehm and Eastleigh (both of which have bigger 14 -16 provision) and some doing other courses at Havant - no issues at all.

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  26. You need to identify an 14 -16 course first; then you need to apply to HCC EOTAS re funding

    Which would be turned down by HCC!(EOTAS is a complete waste of space and has nothing to offer other than threats!) Eastleigh to far away im afraid but we have played chess they Peter won money they! and we playing at Eastleigh college this weekend!
    as i said you on your own in this part of Hampshire!

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  27. I think that those of us who feel that we choose to home educate often feel very differently to those who feel that they have been forced into it. I don't expect services from anyone. I don't expect home ed groups to exist unless I'm prepared to put in some effort and/or money to see that they do.

    Who said anything about not puting effort into it?
    Why cant we have services from those that we pay tax to?

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  28. Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you wouldn't put in effort. I was just remarking that, as services are (by and large) not provided by the state for home educators, we have to do it for ourselves or not have those things. To me that seems fair enough because my family has chosen not to use the state services on offer. But if people feel they have no choice but to home educate then I can understand they might feel short changed.

    Mind you, it sounds like there is some access to colleges in Hampshire for 14-16s which doesn't seem to be happening here.

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  29. Allie says-sorry, I didn't mean to imply you wouldn't put in effort. I was just remarking that, as services are (by and large) not provided by the state for home educators, we have to do it for ourselves or not have those things. To me that seems fair enough because my family has chosen not to use the state services on offer.

    you not answered the question why cant we have services for home educators after all we pay our taxes in full? and we have not chosen we havebeen forced what kind of choice is that? go to a crap school or nothing thats the kind of chocie you want?
    there is no access to services in this part of Hampshire to colleges for under 16 your wrong!

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  30. We have a so called Elective home Education coordinator here in Hampshire Called Jan Lewis not heard a word from here thought she was supposed to provide a service to home educators Julie?

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