Saturday 24 January 2009

Government Review of Home Ed

"The Government has commissioned an independent review of home education to assess whether the current system of supporting and monitoring home education is the right one. "

I have spent 20 minutes this morning filling in the on-line questionnaire. It was pretty straightforward and there was a box to tick for 'members of the public' to contribute. This is an issue dear to my heart and I have no desire to be monitored, investigated or to have to prove that I am educating and I am not abusing my children. However, I know from many conversations that a lot of people, even those who love me and support what I do, feel that the system is lax. Now is our chance to let those in power know how we feel! The consultation closes on 20 February.

I did think that I felt calm and collected about this issue, but I have just read aloud my response to my husband and my voice and blood pressure have risen. I am insulted that Home Education is being linked with abuse and forced marriage or that there is doubt expressed as to whether my children can achieve the rather spurious "Every Child Matters" outcomes. If, as a reader of this blog, as a friend of mine and my family, you can spare twenty minutes, please have a look at the questionnaire and let the government know that Home Ed rocks!

5 comments:

Jane D. said...

Have done it Gaynor - I understand your feelings to question no.6 - it is not a concern that I have ever heard expressed, or seen evidence of in any published cases! I have expressed this explicitly!

Gaynor said...

Thanks Jane. I saw Richard on the site too! I hope they get lots of response from people who have real knowledge of the area and not just stereotypes!

Anonymous said...

In many ways the system looks lax because the school system is inspected and regulated within an inch of its life. The solution, of course, isn't to regulate home ed more but to regulate schools less, trust the professional judgement of teachers, and put the resources spent on inspection, national curriculum development, etc into actual schools.

But that would be crazy talk, obviously :-)

Jane D. said...

Had a great chat to one of our school governers about this today saying just what you have said Jove - here here!

Gaynor said...

I once asked my dad, who was a headmaster for 20 years, if he felt that all the restructuring of the UK Education system and the massive amounts of money spent on it had really made any difference. His opinion was that simply giving the money to the schools to use how they thought best may well have been as effective!
I just hope that the powers that be conclude that those of us who choose to take the full responsibility for our dearly loved ones' education can be trusted and that layers of regulation will add no protection to those children whose parents do not care for them.