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AIBU?

The worst ad ever for Home Ed

175 replies

Allthebestnamesareused · 02/02/2017 15:04

So I just saw this on Facebook

www.comeonengland.org/2017/02/02/mum-homeschools-kids-by-letting-them-play-video-ga/

Each to their own and all that and I assume she is being checked to see that she is really home schooling but AIBU to say she is not doing home educators a massive favour here?

OP posts:

Report

SaucyJack · 02/02/2017 16:48

I wonder whether the kids will thank her for her approach once they've moved out of home and are expected to engage with the rules of normal society.

memyselfandaye · 02/02/2017 16:50

I saw the interview on This Morning.

Philip Schofield was going on about how much exercise they get and health etc the Mum said they had been swimming and rock climbing this week, then he said lets bring in your daughter, so the little girl sat next to Mum, she was clearly carrying a bit of extra weight and he knew that, his smug smirking face said it all.

If he'd said the kids were a bit overweight rather than passively bringing the girl into the interview to make his point he would'nt have looked like such a fucking smarmy smart arse.

Apart from that I have no opinion on how anybody chooses to educate their kids.

The kids in question may be the next Musk, Zuckerberg or Dorsey.

MommaL · 02/02/2017 16:50

CripsSandwiches "abusive parents who don't want school teachers asking questions " This has been a "concern" since 2009 and probably before, and yet there have been no proven cases of parents using home education as a cover for abuse. There are multiple FOI requests on this topic, and I don't think any revealed any cases that were not already known to Social Services.

BarbarianMum · 02/02/2017 16:56

Well there wouldn't be, would there? "Using home education as a cover for abuse" isn't a crime in itself, so wouldn't be recorded - only the child abuse itself would be recorded. And I can think of several cases where home ed has been considered a contributing factor for neglect/abuse not being detected. Of course many abused children attend school but things are progressing there and that abuse is more likely to be noticed and reported than it once was.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 02/02/2017 17:01

I think this is on the dodgy end of 'unschooling'. She isn't doing them any favours and the fact she doesn't seem to value them reading or doing simple maths is worrying.

MommaL · 02/02/2017 17:04

BarbarianMum "And I can think of several cases where home ed has been considered a contributing factor for neglect/abuse not being detected"

of those, how many were not already known to social services? Victoria Climbié was known to social services, and they did nothing and she was not home ed, she was a child missing education, it's different. Dylan Seabridge was known to social services and they did nothing. Home ed had nothing to do with it. The media blew things up. As they are doing with the family.

jeanne16 · 02/02/2017 17:15

Since she is not bothered whether any of them do GCSEs or any other qualifications, then we will presumably have another 3 totally unemployable adults who will have to be supported by the long suffering tax payers of this country!

mathanxiety · 02/02/2017 17:16

..was wondering about the mice and their little tablets....

Janey50 · 02/02/2017 17:20

I haven't read her blog so don't know the full story,but from what I've seen on this article,quite frankly I think she is deluded.

BarbarianMum · 02/02/2017 17:22

What is it you think social services should have done in Dylan's case? They visited but parents refused for him to be seen. They couldn't insist because there was no evidence of neglect/abuse and there was no evidence because no doctor/teacher/health visitor/dentist ever saw the boy. There is a great likelyhood that if he'd gone to school the physical symptoms of scurvy would have been picked up before it killed him.

Most home edders are not abusive. But if you want to abuse your kids (or just neglect them) then then home edding can really help you avoid detection.

LovelyBath77 · 02/02/2017 17:23

If they can chose whether to do GCSEs and don't want to, they probably won't be able to get a job in the future.

LovelyBath77 · 02/02/2017 17:23

Well of they refuse to let a child be seen and not been seen in ages by docs etc is that not a huge red flag?

LovelyBath77 · 02/02/2017 17:25

I agree school would be able to pick things up more, home schooling would definitely make it easier to hide things. Especially the way it seems to be left up to the parents.

EdmundCleverClogs · 02/02/2017 17:28

Since she is not bothered whether any of them do GCSEs or any other qualifications, then we will presumably have another 3 totally unemployable adults who will have to be supported by the long suffering tax payers of this country!

Hmm, I do know people who don't have any GCSEs and still work. Obviously it's minimum wage type work. However, these people have to work, they weren't told their whole lives by their silly parents that they can just 'do what they feel like', without much consequence. Yes, great letting kids be kids, but soon those kids will be adults with no sense of social integration or the work/play balance.

As for those saying how mean it is to point out how unhealthy the children look, well I'd think that regardless of home or school education. It is glaringly obviously by just looking at them that they either don't get enough time outside or have a poor diet (or both). Too much time on video games, mixed with weight issues and lack of fresh air could lead to both physical and mental health problems.

TigerInTheSnow · 02/02/2017 17:30

Just have to point out that the linked article in the OP criticising this family is full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. I bet the author went to school though. This lady may not be a 'good advert' for HE, but neither is the author of the article a good advert for conventional education IMO.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 02/02/2017 17:32

Maybe the author is hoping to write for daily mail?

OneWithTheForce · 02/02/2017 17:35

That article is awful! Of course it is, it's typical, omit 90% of the story sensationalist headline crap. 7 hours a day infront of screens is bad. It is bad for kids and bad for adults. So if that part is true then I think that's really unfair on those DC. But it really isn't reflective of the home ed families I know. This is one family out of an estimated 36,000 He children. There are so many different ways children are being educated at home. It isn't a case of one size fits all.

I didn't see "this morning" but I saw a video of the mum talking about their life. I was really shocked that she revealed their online screen names! [shocked] why would you do that? She came across as quite, hmm, something I cant quite put my finger on. Naive but something else.

Agree DC looked overweight but just take a look at children pouring out of school gates at 3pm. Lots of overweight kids there too. At my DC school the DC run a mile every morning as well as PE twice a week. There are still some obese children and others in the overweight bracket. Some will be genetic and some lifestyle, some a mix of both.

Starlight2345 · 02/02/2017 17:36

I am not someone who thinks school is right and home ed is wrong..However if the article is accurate spending 7 hours on consoles is not providing an education.

Home ed does not need to be 9- 3.30.. Yes follow there interests is a great idea..However they are children and if all there interest is staring at a screen they are going to be very disadvantages. I haven't read blog or watched them on this morning so can only go on what is on the article. Home Ed I am sure can be done very well this does not seem to be an example of it .

OneWithTheForce · 02/02/2017 17:36

quite frankly I think she is deluded

Yes I think deluded is close to what I was searching for.

Allthebestnamesareused · 02/02/2017 17:38

I just don't understand why the mother would be seeking publicity though. As my op says it has to be the worst ever ad for going down the home ed route.

If it was the programme seeking out home educators they clearly have gone for one they could ridicule. If they wanted to do a genuine piece on home ed I am sure there are far better candidates to give an insight how it can work.

OP posts:

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 02/02/2017 17:39

The mother seems fine pimping her kids for publicity but seems to dislike the fact that people are then offering an honest opinion.

OneWithTheForce · 02/02/2017 17:45

I wonder how she came to be giving the interview. Did they approach her? Or is she trying to promote a blog or book or something?

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whatsthepointofmorgan · 02/02/2017 17:50

OK, I've watched the This Morning interview and

I think the mother came across as well-balanced and had some interesting things to say.
The children were very well spoken and engaging as well.

I agree they were set up ( a bit)

FrancisCrawford · 02/02/2017 17:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OneWithTheForce · 02/02/2017 17:58

Fwiw I think holly and Phil are horrible interviewers. They are king and queen of smug, condesension. I wouldn't expose myself, let alone my children, to those two for all the money in the world.

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