Very basically:
The Badman Report into Home Education was published on the 11th June 2009. It was commissioned amid much talk of a link between home-education and child abuse, so a balanced and fair report was never expected.
If you've just been alerted to this report and all it's implications then the sheer volume of debate and information is pretty daunting.
The report itself makes alarming reading, and has been accepted in full by the Government. Amongst its recommendations are some which are deeply worrying for anyone who cares about our right to family life, civil liberties or our children's best interests.
- The right of entry into our homes without suspicion of wrong-doing
- The right to interview our children without adult support - again without suspicion of abuse or risk to them
- Compulsory registration for all home-educators, which can be withdrawn, and therefore is more like a license/permission. A broad range of reasons for the issuing of 'SAO's or School Attendance Orders is given.
- Slurs against autonomous education, a well-established and recognised educational philosophy, which is described as 'little better than child-minding'
- Requirement for a 12 month plan, against which 'progress' will be measured (this is anathema to autonomous educators since we follow the child's interests and cannot predict in advance what they might be).
To get an overview of the issues I would suggest you start with some of these blogs:
Nothing Exceptional - who has an excellent three-part (so far) analysis of the review and the issues surrounding it.
http://nothingexceptional.wordpress.com/tag/home-education-review/
Renegade Parent - has some excellent things to say about the civil liberties angle. Along with many other excellent blogs which you can find here.
http://www.renegadeparent.net/
This is an excellent round-up of the news.
The review's recommendations can be found here.
http://www.homeschooler.org.uk/document/badman-report-recommendations And suggestions for how to act to help are here.
http://www.homeschooler.org.uk/links/actions
I want to emphasise that almost none of the writing above is my own. I want to fully credit the writers who have generously given their time and thoughts... however I'm running to keep up and I wouldn't be surprised if I made mistakes - please let me know if I have misattributed anything.
Its a really difficult time for home edders and very frustrating, I feel that our views have not been listened to and as usual the Government have already decided on change, the consultation process is just a formality.
There is a wealth of info out there that shows that home education works but I think they know that so I'm quite tired of the debate. I've written to my MP , I've filled in petitions, but I'm feeling that they wont do any good.
Some people are ok with being monitored and tested, well not me and not my family. You can't measure the important things in life, like how much you love someone, how happy you feel, success is individual and it doesn't have to be about the amount you earn or the type of job you do. I don't want my children to work under pressure, to aim for goals and targets, I don't want them to feel the unnecessary stress and intrusion into family time that homework forces on a person. My children are natural learners and they will learn what THEY need to get by in life not what this Government would like them to learn for their underlying motives.
Some people I have spoke to think its ok to be inspected, well I've rushed around like a headless chicken getting ready for OFSTED inspection in a school and a family centre in my previous jobs and it does no good at all, it is not beneficial to a child to be constantly viewing them as a series of boxes that need ticking off to become a whole person.
As a parent I am responsible for providing a suitable education for my children (that is the law) I can choose to delegate that responsibility to a school and then the school have inspections in order to evidence to me, the parent that they are providing a suitable education to my children. I'm the parent and as I have chosen to home educate my children I'm taking direct responsibility for the education of my children, I don't have to evidence to myself that their education is suitable (although I do through this blog and my wonderful family photos!)
I feel soooo angry that there is the suggestion of home education as a cover for abuse when the reason we decide to educate our children ourselves is because we care so much for our children. Its interesting that the review didn't find any evidence of abuse the main reason why it was supposed to be conducted, and it found NONE, but still it carries on recommending changes. Coming from a social services field of work I know that child protection procedures and systems that are in place for safe guarding children are adequate and provided the professionals follow them properly they work. I've met social workers who do a tremendous job and have the rights of children foremost in their minds when dealing with a case but sadly still some who are lax and don't follow protocol or who just don't have the rights of the child at heart.
I could rant on all day but unfortunately too much of my valuable family time has already been eaten up by this issue, its very depressing and after writing this part to my blog I shall not be giving much more mind to it in writing because I want to concentrate on my children and what is important to them. So if you are reading this please read up on the issues and sign the petitions and write to your MP and thankyou for taking the time to help me and my family continue learning the way we believe is best for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment