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Big Brother

This version was saved 16 years, 10 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by starkfamily1@...
on May 26, 2007 at 2:12:28 pm
 

Whatever happened to parental responsibility and the right to a private and family life? Big Brother knows best!?

 


 

Big brother Cartoon

Kath

 

 

Government pronouncements about home education:

 

 

4.10.06 from Mark Houston (DfES) to Mr. Tarlton, a home educator, "We will be launching a full consultation early in 2007, to explore what light touch changes we might implement to strengthen the monitoring arrangements for home education." (this letter was widely networked and you can see the response of another home educator here.)

 

8.11.06 from Adrian Thompson, public communications unit (DfES) to Mr Taylor, a home educator, "There is no specific duty in statute on local authorities (LAs) to monitor parents' education provision. However ... "

and

 

"The state cannot currently prescribe what form of education parents should provide, whilst all maintained and independent school provision is prescribed in legislation and subject to inspection. This anomaly is at odds with ..." (Government policy.)

 

and

 

"Whilst s437 of the Education Act 1996 provides a remedy for LAs which have concerns that there may be no suitable provision, this is unwieldy, time consuming and expensive and in some cases will be nugatory where home educators are making good provision but are resistant to LA enquiries."

 

Dec 2006: Lord Adonis also writes, "The state does not currently prescribe what form of education parents should provide, whilst all maintained and independent school provision is prescribed in legislation and subject to inspection. This anomaly is at odds with Every Child Matters reforms.."

 

February 2007: a 'spokesman' for the DfES is widely quoted (2), as saying "Standards have never been higher and with record funding in our schools we believe the best place to educate a child is actually in school." AHed complains

 

23.02.07 Matt Valilly responds, "I must confirm that the Government believes that, for most children, school is the right place in which to receive education"

 

10.04 07 Members respond asking for, "the evidence base upon which the DfES inform their decision that “…for most children, school is the right place in which to receive education"

 

and comment,

 

"We also remind you that the DfES and local authorities are charged with providing enough adequate school places for those parents who wish to avail themselves of state education; they have no right to express a preference for the manner in which a parent fulfils their duty to cause their child to receive a suitable education. To do so reveals prejudice and causes discrimination."

 

Meanwhile Jo Grills from the Gloucester childrens services was interviewed on TV blaming home education for some child abuse. A phone call to Gloucester local authority education office re monitoring of home education reveals that in this authority:

 

1. Any Home Educating family who decline the authority's "advisors" access to the home, or meetings, or meetings with the children when parents are not attending will be "flagged up" in the LEA. Such a refusal will raise an Alert, and "trigger" a multi-agency meeting to discuss and assess "risk". These agencies will be, "GP, Health visitor, social worker, anyone else involved...

 

2. Glos feel they have to have a legal right to enter the homes of home educating families and/or access to children without parents being present, and have written to DFES to say so. There is a strong hint that they really want the right to 'doorstep' families; i.e. turn up unnannounced and see the children.

 

Gloucester have been asked, "Is there any evidence that people remove their children from school with the intention of abusing them?" and the answer was, "NO!"

 

AHEd action

 

to join AHEd's work to promote and advance home education rights see our webpage. Membership is free to those who support our aims. Our work is documented as well as other home education information and comment on this wiki.

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