Action for Home Education

June 2007. The evaluative ticks [ie next to the responses "Yes", "No" or Not sure"] are my own and other personal observations are also included in bold.

1 Do you agree that it is helpful for the DfES to issue guidelines to local

authorities?

Yes

Comments:

Elective Home Education Guidance from the DfES / DCSF is a vital tool for

all local authorities. It should set out the essential roles and

responsibilities and link these to the Education act 1996. Furthermore it is

imperative that the DCSF also stresses the emphasis on ECM and

Safeguarding Children protocols.

Yes – provided it is clear, specific, agreeable to all parties (but this can be

problematic – leads to unnecessary compromise) should be developed into a

statutory framework

• LAs should be issued guidance on EHE but this needs to be clear, concise

and reflect Local and National priorities and agendas (ECM, WTSGC).

• DfES should support schools on EHE issues – too many schools are

suggesting to parents EHE is the best option without considering other

options that may be available.

2 Do you agree that the description of the law (paragraphs 2.1-2.3) relating to

elective home education is accurate and clear?

Comments:

Yes – it is long awaited – dependent on the guidelines actually guiding how the

home education is done. The consultation should really consult and take notice

of professionals nationwide who are aware of real cases. Please note that the

guidelines are also for parents and should itemise real helpful examples of what

is required:

• provided it is clear, specific, accurate and linked with ECM & Safeguarding

children

• which aspect should be statutory

Need clear descriptors regarding what constitutes an ‘efficient and suitable’

education – more detail, helpful if it specified literacy and numeracy as

compulsory activities.

How can LA fulfil this duty if unable to meet some EHE children?!

2.4 Please provide a clear definition of “full time” education and what would

be the constituent parts.

3 Do you agree that the description of local authorities’ responsibilities

(paragraphs 2.5-2.11) is accurate and helpful?

Not Sure

Comments:

• The guidance is good in the fact it provides an overview but does not help LA deal effectively • How long, if at all, do we have to wait before we see the child?

• Guidance is parent centred NOT child centred!!

• Guidance is needed on developing and promoting effective relationships.

This document is about:

• Parents’ Rights & LA Responsibilities

Should be about:

• Parents’ Rights & Parents’ Responsibilities

• LA rights and LA responsibilities

• The Child’s Rights are paramount

2.5 – 2.11 Too ‘Woolly’ – contradictory.

2.5 Government ‘passes the buck’ to LAs regarding providing written information.

2.6 & 2.11 Appears to be contradictory

2.6 Ambiguous. Need evidence that a child is being educated at home – if unable child missing education?

2.7 Education Act 1996 – please provide LA’s with clear guidance definition of how good reason” to Believe that parents are not providing a suitable education. Case Study.

• 2.11 Following Case Law (Eunice Spry and Gloucester) clearer Safeguarding and issued from the DCSF – essential / musts!

[note - the above "bold" section runs off the edge of the pdf file and so sentences are not complete]

4 Do you agree that the section on contact with the local authority (paragraphs

3.4-3.7) is accurate and helpful?

Not Sure

Comments:

Policies and Procedures

DCSF should commission a national conference for LA’s to lead on best

practice, offer advocacy (and establish a common database / framework )

Traveller Gypsy/Roma parents and their families ought to become a national

priority for the acquisition of “functioning skills” to enable this generation and

subsequent generations of children to reach their potential on all of the ECM

outcomes ( to break the cycle of ignorance and enable Equal opportunities to

be exercised) and broaden horizons and enable communities to fully diversify

yet retain cultural values based upon knowledge , choice and not bigotry .

Contact with the LA

Please define reasonable concerns

3.7 “with or without the child” – this remains a grave concerns for LA’s :

ECM and Safeguarding mantras MUST advocate that DCSF strengthen the

Education Act to ensure that the child / youngster is seen.

5 Do you agree that the section on providing a full-time education (paragraphs

3.11-3.14) – and in particular, the characteristics of provision (paragraph 3.13) –

is accurate and helpful?

Comments:

3.11 The consultation document lists what is not required but not what is.

3.13 This is too vague and woolly as is 3.12.

The document is contradictory.

The concept of 3.14 is interesting and could be helpful but is far too vague and

could not stand up in court. Definitions need to be stated – positive guidance

should be given – it should be phrased for parents – perhaps a separate

document. This outlines parents’ rights and local authority responsibilities – it

should show children’s rights and parents’ responsibilities as well

The document could outline “outstanding” home education looks like this:

“good” could look like this “satisfactory” and “unsatisfactory” – parents want

information as to what they should/could be doing. Not all of them want to join

Education Otherwise. Parents can also feel isolated and want actual advice,

guidance and examples – the DfES guidance could provide this.

6 Do you agree that the section on developing relationships (section 4) is useful?

Yes

Comments:

4.1 Mutual understanding? Trust? Respect?

Safeguard educational interests – need to define

Ambiguous

4.2 Support – finance for college places – every LA equal £200 per

annum.

Investigate assertions from any source – causes distrustful attitude.

Authority’s role not clearly defined.

4.3 LA must not specify curriculum?

But We do expect to see maths and English so tension created by lack

of detail and support for consultants.

It would be useful if basic curriculum specified by document.

4.4 Surely if parents cannot read and write how can they provide an

education – so may be some basic level of skills is needed.

4.5 LA need to provide written information – clear and accurate legal

position.

Why can’t this be included in the government document and therefore

country wide?

4.6 Child should be present at meeting.

Pre EHE: should have a meeting to help parents realise what is

involved.

‘Agree future contact’ annual or other visit should be in legislation. (last

sentence)

4.7 Should have access to educational environment and see

resources and child.

4.8 Write a parents report – how is it verified?

‘Appropriate’ note? Defined. Subjective.

4.9

4.10 CRB checks all should be free. I would ask the DCSF to require local

authorities to provide the names of tutors within each Community

Learning Parnership as a private / voluntary service, meeting the

CRB standards.

4.12 Have OfSTED been consulted and will their recommendation finding

be published?

7 a) Are the suggested resources in section 5 and appendix 2 useful?

Yes

Comments:

Resources are always useful and should be encouraged as a basic

minimum entitlement – to cover the key functioning skills which families

and children can aspire to ( to work towards achieving National standards

of functioning skills and meeting the ECM outcomes)

7 b) Should any other contacts be included?

Yes

Comments:

none

8 Please use this space for any other comments you wish to make about the

guidelines

Comments:

The Rights of the child / young person and ECM

By definition all children/youngsters are deemed vulnerable until they

have reached the age of 16 and their needs should be supported). Given

the proposed raising of the school leaving age, the DCSF should plan for

how and what rights school aged youngster can expect to have within a

country, region, county, District, Parish and local community ;which

should be determined at a local level by LA’s in partnership with a range

of stakeholders.

Case studies –

The DCSF should commission research on the scope of difficulties faced

between LA’s and the EHE community, which would inform future reviews

of legislation and EHE Best Practice.

~~~~~

Comment:

Olaf,

There seem to be a Series of Unfortunate Gaffs in your response. It is a shame the response is not based on knowledge, but ignorance and bigotry about home education. (Question four.)

From my observation "youngsters" have their needs met better at home than at school. You can't say that the teachers and workers in schools know the needs of every individual child better than the parents. Children are not better off locked away in school with adults they barely know, and who sometimes turn out to be paedophiles (Children at risk in schools.)

What child would *choose* to be alienated from their family members and community for their entire childhood, and then given the idea that they can only socialise with their particular age group, and must exclude younger children, and that older children will exclude them? That's the impression a lot of my schooled friends give me. It seems to be drummed into their heads from a young age that they are so much better off in school, having education literally forced upon them, whether it's their preference or not. The friends I have in home education support groups socialise with all age groups, and cooperate together, learn because they like to, and can indulge in their interests, rather than having them molded to the curriculum. So many schooled children, and even adults I have met, seem to find anything they had learnt in school boring. Learning, to them, isn't a pleasure. We don't want that imposed upon our home education because of your unfortunate prejudice. I want learning to remain a natural pleasure for my family and me, along with other home educating families. School does not provide for the needs of every child according to what that individual needs, instead I think they treat all children as if their needs are the same.

Grace, 14. Home educated in the midlands.

~~~~~

News:

~~~~~

Regional Groups:

South Cheshire And North Staffordshire Home Educators Activity Group - email - scans.heag(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk

~~~~~

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Action for Home Education

Staffordshire LA

EHE consultation response

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Regional Groups:

Staffordshire LA

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