Where to find UK home education information without using Facebook

[MixedBananas]

I have syarted Home Ed for my nearly 5 year old. Was keen to join Facebook for the Home Ed page for UK but refuse to accept terms of FB and the face scanning rubbish. I don't use social media.

Where can I get the same information? Is there another website? Centralised location online?

I am using Twinkl, CGP, Oxford Reads and Lovevery. I have no concerns about progress, but more so want to know whats the latest on HomeEd and useful tools and links and help in general.

Honestly I would find it very tricky without Facebook. I HE my 4 year old and that’s where all the information and local area groups are. Once in local groups it might be possible to then not use Facebook if they have active what’s app groups that share local information.

All our HE groups/meet-ups are in the local private HE Facebook groups. Not anywhere else. I can’t see how you’d find the info as it’s not circulated outside the HE community, and that is FB based. I’m in a nationwide HE admin group and that’s just how every single group communicates.

Could you just make an account without putting any photos on there?

Do you have any friends from baby groups etc who are going to home ed, could you find out info from them?

It’s all on Facebook here too. There are some Whatapp chats (not sure the T&Cs there but they’re Meta owned) but Facebook is far more active. I don’t like Facebook either but if you want to be part of the majority of HE communities, you might need to suck it up.

I’d also be hesitant to rely on other people passing on information to you. A friend of mine who wasn’t on Facebook would ask me how I knew certain events were on, and the answer was almost always I saw on Facebook. She asked me to send on details of things which looked interesting and while sometimes I remembered, I often forgot or was busy and distracted, and it annoyed me a bit to have unwanted admin role (and that was before I had my child too). She now has a Facebook page to track local events.

It’s probably not impossible to manage HE meet-ups and social events without Facebook but it’s definitely a huge obstacle. Could you try to find out through Google any HE classes (there’s lots of swimming and gymnastics classes around here) or forest schools and meet other HE parents and try to find out if there’s any WhatsApp groups or other pointers for groups they can give you. If you won’t use WhatsApp either then that’s extremely hard. And there’s every chance they’ll reply with, “oh yes, it’s all in the Facebook group”.

Yes I tried. But they want video selfie to confirm accounts NOPE. I do not consent. They are not my employer ao no thanks.

It's ok I managed to find the HomeEd.org website with all the information I need and all the details on legialation and law etc..templates. Phew
Also YT channel for them. i feel I have a lot to keep me busy and going for now.

We will join clubs and allow DS to socalise that way.
There is a massive home ed community here I was directed to FB. Will emquire at the Library or see if we meet organically. So far DC are very well soclaised so no concerns.

Isn’t the video selfie just to confirm you are over 18. It scans your face and deletes in 48 hours does it not?

What on earth do you think they are going to do with your video selfie apart from delete it once their systems have scanned it to confirm that you are, in fact, human?!
I hope you do a bit more research into what you are teaching your child.

They say they do, but there have been multiple scandals of these face-scanning companies getting hacked and having their data leaked, which includes faces they were supposed to delete but didn't

Ok but what are the chances a) of that happening and b) that even if your face is in a data dump that your face is the one chosen out of millions to be misused as what?

I dont really like it either but you only have to do it once and you have to weight up the cost benefit rationally.

It’s not clear even if the worst were to happen what terrible ill would befall OP. It would be pretty much impossible for her face to not already be on the internet somewhere/ on a database (whether that’s Sainsbury’s CCTV facial recognition, UK Gov passport biometrics, her face in the back of someones holiday photo)

But it’s very clear that by not joining facebook shes going to struggle to be informed about HE opportunities in her area.

I am just saying all things weighed its not a rational reaction. I would begrudgingly do the video - which I did do a year or so ago for a number of sites.

a is pretty high and ever increasing as companies vibe code more and more, b is also reasonable since these datasets can be used at scale and don't need to be used one by one.

E.g. imagine software that lets anyone with smart glasses on the street that takes a fancy to you to get your name and then be able to search up your workplace, address, etc

Got to give it to you that is great imagination. Meanwhile I barely have enough signal to get nectar app loaded when I need it on a brand new iPhone pro.

But yes sure I do agree OP if you’re absolutely remarkable. The most beautiful being to walk the earth then I would be more hesitant. For your average Joe I am sure there’s plenty more fascinating/ rich/ beautiful people who will be higher up the bad actor list than you.

I don't know what the nectar app's poor performance has to do with anything. 4g is more than enough speed to send pictures to a server and get results.

In fact a private version of this already exists: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clearview_AI