Petition - on home education

[LilMissHissyFit]

Here's my basic position on it.

There's nothing wrong with the register in principle, the home visits stuff needs to be looked at to make it less intrusive, but the home edders need to appreciate that some kind of auditing of what they're doing should happen.

There are still 2 more readings plus the committee and reporting stages before this Bill Becomes Law (note my humourous use of capitalisation there, US civics text book fans!!), in the HoC and HoL, plus an election next June (at the latest), so given that Cameron doesn't want this, and Broon is unlikely to win, it's pretty much dead duck legislation wise...

I think alot of Home educators already do acknowledge that local authorities staff responsible for implementing the present law are poorly trained in educational methods. philosphy and law and practice

Just to demonstate the current level of ignorance I was told by someone who knocked my door when I removed my children from school and asked to come in that she "had to come in cos my boss says I have to" ( thats not a reasonable nor legal reason to allow access to a home and a child)

I was then further told the reason for the visit ( NB I had to specifically enquire why she wanted to come in)

"I have a form to fill in see? about your kids?" and when I asked her to leave it with me and I would look it over, contact her and fill it in and return it... or contact them if they wished to meet and discuss the requirements/completion :- and note I think thats reasonable and the reason I wanted to look it over and meet was because my son had only been home educated less than a week and didnt want to be caught on the hop or give incomplete info- not that I wasnt willin to give it

she responded "Oh no, WE have to fill it in, you dont have any right to see what is written about you"

which is absolutely untrue... I have a right to see this info under the data protection act!!!!

So if thats the status quo in my authority at present ( and I know from others its very common- LA staff who know and implement the law are rare)

then the thought of these same staff being allowed to give me "permission" ( or refuse it)to home educate when the same local authority staff dept has already failed my children (in most LA's home education is assigned to the same dept as special needs provision and truancy/education welfare) its a very scary prospect... under these powers they would be able to force my son back to the school which caused him and my elder daughter to attempt suicide- I would have no judicial process to follow to present my case and prevent this.... there is no safeguard- my son being at home IS the safeguard against damage to his mental and physical health as well as his education( at which he is outdoing his non SEN peers in some areas)


The local authority havent ever requested to work with me, offer my child any resourcesnor opporunities ( not even a library card which would allow me to borrow more books than your average child borrower) they havent offered me the chance to meet them on neutral ground nor agreed anything which would help my son nor offered me any opportinity to work with my family or engage in any sort od dialogue ( such as I would think is reasonable= tell us what your son learns, whats he done in the last few months, where have you visited etc) all that would be reasonable and welcomed by the majority I think, along with resources for exams being provided by local authorities instead of the stsus quo in most LA's "we wont help you unless you stick your kids in one of our schools"- they wont even allow access to resources they already prrovide such as FE colleges or courses/arrangements offered to truants for exam sittings ( thats not unreasonable if we are talking about the best interests of children surely??)
why do our children have to be badly behaved, pregnant at 14 etc before they get offered opportunities to sit GCSE's without attending compulsory "schooling"???? in a comprehensive school????

My LEA have consistently assumed and insisted Im in the wrong and am doing my child a great disservice by removing him from school on the basis of nil dialogue and no real evidence to the contrary ( 2 1/2 years of home education has proved them wrong- and yes Ive submitted written reports to say umm look what I can do, look what he can do!) One fellow Home educator was told " we wash our hands of people like you". when she asked for details of home education groups... well thats helpful!

Its no wonder home educators are concerned by allowing local authority staff greater powers when they dont understand and abuse the powers they already have... my LA is not untypical

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

An update for anyone whos interested

http://www.grahamstuart.com/2009/12/08/mass-petitions-against-home-education-clampdown/#comments

Graham stuart,MP, a member of the children and families select committee who heard the evidence into the Badman report organised a mass petitioning of parliament last night... breaking the record for the number of petitions submitted to parliament on a single issue

He outlines very well in this link some of the reasons why the governments proposals are a very bad idea

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

also here
http://freedomineducationunderthreat.blogspot.com/2009/12/anyone-for-monopoly.html

and Here

http://freedomineducationunderthreat.blogspot.com/2009/12/lawyers-pov.html

there are two excellent critiques of the provisions laid down in the bill and the implication for parents should it go ahead

Neither of them are 'hysterical' or overreacting.... thats the actual position.... perhaps now people can see the unfairness that home educators face if this bill gets passed through parliament

 

[Funky_monks]

I am in favour of people being allowed to educate their children as long as:

They adhere to the National Curriculum and are subject to inspections by Ofsted. I would also make some sort of teaching qualification (NVQ at least) compulsory.

Otherwise I can see these children being at a distinct disadvantage when it comes time for them to finally integrate themselves into society.

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

based upon what exactly????

Is there any evidence that teaching a state dictated curriculum places a child at an advantage or that allowing a child to follow a distinctly different curriculum places them at a disadvantage??
why should OFSTED ( who are responsible for inspecting schools) have any involvement in inspecting an educational method they neither are familiar with nor understand ( and the state dont provide-if the state provided it they would have a right to inspect it- as they dont why should they 'inspect')
Local authorities can already make enquiries and repquest meetings and visits to examine the provision a child recieves... but thats already the law, they dont need any further powers over our children or their education if they use them as they should

The stats showing outcomes at independent schools would blow your 'conditions' out of the water.... they dont follow the national curriculum but have far higher admisssion rates to universities, better exam results etc....

Of course one doesnt necesarily soley cause the other but neither can you say that not following the national curriculum places children at any disadvantage

The research into outcomes from home educated children ( from Rothermel and Thomas respectively) which is available shows they do better than children in schools.... but hey, dont let that cloud you
Home educators dont often use the national curriculum but thats because its relatively narrow and restrictive, they dont have to follow it and children can pursue a topic to a wider,deeper extent if they dont

and given that they do better already and very few home educators have a 'teaching' qualification why would it make things any better for children and outcomes to demand one?

 

[Funky_monks]

The research into outcomes from home educated children ( from Rothermel and Thomas respectively) which is available shows they do better than children in schools.... but hey, dont let that cloud you
Home educators dont often use the national curriculum but thats because its relatively narrow and restrictive, they dont have to follow it and children can pursue a topic to a wider,deeper extent if they dont

and given that they do better already and very few home educators have a 'teaching' qualification why would it make things any better for children and outcomes to demand one?

'Do better' how? If believe that education is about getting letters on pieces of paper, then I would agree. However, I feel that education is (or ought to be) preparation for life and for those not fortunate enough to be part of the wealthy elite, that is learning to interact with their peers of all backgrounds. For those fortunate enough to be part of the wealthy elites, public schools serve this purpose, as it prepares them for their future existence as part of a wealthy elite.

I fear that if an 'educator' has no qualification in teaching, there is no formal proof that they understand the psychology of learning. They may well do, of course, but just as every educational institution seeking to recruit a teacher would demand or provide some sort of educational training, it ought to be the states role to protect home educated children from incompetence by demanding it on their behalf (if you believe, as I do, that it is the states obligation to protect the vunerable).

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

I believe the state should protect the welfare of the vulnerable but they already have sufficent powers to enable them to do this.... just local authorities choose not to use them. They are able, if they believe the education to not meet the legal requirements which already exist to issue a court application for a school attendance order, naming a school where the child must be educated from then on should the court agree that the education isnt meeting the childs needs ( age, ability, aptitude and any special needs they may have- not 'national curriculum delivered by a teacher to the masses)

'do better how?' well rothermels research found remarkable sucess in achievement outcomes with home educated students particularly those who would have been expected to have poor educational attainment ( children whos parents were on low incomes for example) Outperforming their schooled counterparts in many areas- in particular socialisation

The psychology of teaching really doesnt come into home education because it is markedly different from teaching a class of 30 children. In home education settings the parent usually acts as a facilitator and helps guide the child through the material being studied... Children do have an innate ability to learn and find things out when not in school, sat watching ,listening and waiting for something to happen or being told what to do
At home the role of educator is usually offering guidance on what to study ( appropriate to the child) guiding them towards trying harder things, finding resources and also helping them find things out, experiment and research. It isnt the role of someone saying "This is what we do" with the child as apassive recipient of the material being 'taught' and then marking to find out where the child stands against all the other children around them.

Thats why its so sucessful. Children who have talents in particular areas can exploit them without limit.... without being restricted by age. Those children who find certain things difficult will find them difficult in school or at home, but at home they have an educator who can tailor every learning experience or resource to their particular learning style. That cant and wont happen in school.... its really not necessary to have a teaching qualification of any sort to sucessfully educate your child.

theres quite a good assortment of evidence here to back what Im asserting
http://www.education-otherwise.org/ResearchIndex.htm

do you have any evidence to back your arguments other than assertions about home education which are based on innacurate, lazy stereotypes which are endlessly repeated. We call them the "Home education Myths"

in particular
http://www.education-otherwise.org/HE/RothermelHEAims.doc
outlines exactly how home educated children 'do better' in a whole number of ways, using the same tests applied to schooled children ( baseline assessments and the like)

and a much larger study from the USA
http://www.hslda.org/docs/study/rudner1999/Rudner1.asp

 

[Fuchs66]

Although I have no problem with HE in itself, I think if it isn't in some way controlled it leaves itself (as a system) wide open to abuse. I'm also however not that happy about the Rothermel study. mainly based on the selection of participants (no time now, as I have to start shift in 20 min, to explain further). That said I have the utmost respect for anyone who takes this on and sees it through.

 

[Giles]

If home educators have managed all this time without the local council having all these powers, I don't see why we need them suddenly now. People have not changed, therefore the rules don't need to change either.

Especially given the current economic circumstances which dictate that if anything, we are going to have to cut back on council jobs, because the nation is skint.

Giles..

 

[Red Cat]

However, I feel that education is (or ought to be) preparation for life and for those not fortunate enough to be part of the wealthy elite, that is learning to interact with their peers of all backgrounds. For those fortunate enough to be part of the wealthy elites, public schools serve this purpose, as it prepares them for their future existence as part of a wealthy elite.

I fear that if an 'educator' has no qualification in teaching, there is no formal proof that they understand the psychology of learning. They may well do, of course, but just as every educational institution seeking to recruit a teacher would demand or provide some sort of educational training, it ought to be the states role to protect home educated children from incompetence by demanding it on their behalf (if you believe, as I do, that it is the states obligation to protect the vunerable).

I think your first paragraph is probably addressed in the links - there are plenty of myths about schools aswell as HE. I'm not sure how we get to interact with peers of all backgrounds in the segregated ed.system we actually have with its divisions of age and class.

And your point about educational institutions requiring training is off too. Public schools employ teachers without PGCE qualifications.

As for the psychology of learning. Well, its not as if there is one true psychology of learning. And there's very little classroom based observation to my knowledge of children learning in this setting. You can't just apply lab based psychology to classroom learning and you can't compare the context of classroom learning to the type of learning fostered by many home educators.

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

If home educators have managed all this time without the local council having all these powers, I don't see why we need them suddenly now. People have not changed, therefore the rules don't need to change either.

Especially given the current economic circumstances which dictate that if anything, we are going to have to cut back on council jobs, because the nation is skint.

Giles..

This is very much the home educators argument. Local authorities already have powers to require evidence of the education being provided and powers to act if they find the education being provided less than satisfactory under the education act.

Social services also have powers to enter homes if there are welfare concerns and rightly so.
Home educators care deeply about the welfare of children and the protection of children, their own and each others. Why else would we make the sacrifices we do to ensure our children are well educated if we didnt?

These powers arent for the benefit of the children, they offer nothing in terms of benefit to the children, huge expense to the taxpayer and essentially, if someone is intent on abusing a child and keeping abuse from the authorities they wont register anyway and would hide away/resist attempts to ensure the safety of the child under the powers Local authorities already have to act ... rendering these proposals simply an elaborate waste of money and an attack on law abiding, caring members of society. Based upon NO evidence whatsoever. It also turns the premise of innocent until proven guilty on its head. For the first time a minority group will be treated as guilty until proven innocent until we have allowed a stranger to interview our children alone for around 4 hours-Thats cited in the costing implications- interestingly funding for special needs support or other support isnt being included as statutory duties for LEA's its just " recommended' Theres no budget nor obligation placed upon LEA's

Local authorities dont understand the powers they already have, dont have funding to implement them properly nor sufficient training to carry out their statutory duties... changing the law to give them more powers wont benefit children... Local authorities fail the children who need protecting already.... why look to essentially a law abiding, responsible section of society and criminalise and alienate us?

 

[LilMissHissyFit]

IM just wanting to add this and perhaps those who read the badman report and thought "aaah yeah all seems really quite reasonable"
Might be inclined to think again

http://maire-staffordshire.blogspot.com/2009/12/our-submission-to-information_20.html

the author is engaged in a protracted dispute with the DSCF as you will see over perfectly reasonable freedom of information requests... in which she requested the evidence on which key aspects of the badman report were based...

Its very interesting reading