Yet another government review of Home Education

[AMumInScotland]

government review

They're just going to keep on at this. We have 4 weeks to respond!

Not read through it yet myself properly, but according to another forum the questions are:

1. Do you think the current system for safeguarding children who are

educated at home is adequate? Please let us know why you think that.

1. Do you think that home educated children are able to achieve the

following five Every Child Matters outcomes? Please let us know why you think that.

1. Do you think that Government and local authorities have an obligation

to ensure that all children in this country are able to achieve the five outcomes? If you answered yes, how do you think Government should ensure this?. If you answered no, why do you think that?

1. Do you think there should be any changes made to the current system

for supporting home educating families? If you answered yes, what should they be? If you answered no, why do you think that?

1. Do you think there should be any changes made to the current system

for monitoring home educating families? If you answered yes, what should they be? If you answered no, why do you think that?

1. Some people have expressed concern that home education could be used

as a cover for child abuse, forced marriage, domestic servitude or other forms of child neglect. What do you think Government should do to ensure this does not happen?

i don't home educate but I read it with free as a liberatarian. The home educating people are going to have to do quite a bit of lobbying and get MPs on side and a load of publicity if they want to stop this. Labour has continuously interfered in family life in a very socialist nanny state type of way and this proposal needs to be stopped in its tracks. They use "child abuse" type arguments to justify many of their erosions of our freedoms because it's so hard to argue again.

Gosh what are the five outcomes - Obviously every child matters but do the outcomes matter.

This is awful

I think it is appalling that the government (or is it just this government) feels the need to interfere in so many aspects of peoples lives

This isn't going to stop imho until the LA's get the right to meet face to face with the child, whether that be in the home or a neutral place.
They will keep banging on about vulnerability until they do.

I've responded online, but there weren't many responses I have to say.

I personally don't have a problem with face to face contact, or indeed allowing them into my home, but we have a fab LA and no problems.

Other LA's, despite the guidance behave abominably and have parents automatically on the defensive, which just cycles into wanting nothing to do with the LA which means they become more bullying/persistent, which leads to less likelihood of engagement and the wheel goes round.

Interestingly on the 60 questions being asked of the LA's in this consultation one of alludes to whether they can vouch that HE children receive 20 hours of suitable education (f-time).

I've never known a figure be placed on this.

I think the 20 hours may come from rules on child benefit after the child is 16, but AFAIK no-one has ever tried to quantify the requirements for younger children who are HE, because it is so hard to decide what hours to count as "education" if you are not working to a structure.

Personally, it wouldn't bother me to meet with them face to face, or to have to explain how DS is educated, because we've gone for a very structured approach and he's working towards iGCSEs so they would have no problem ticking their boxes. But explaining autonomous education to people who just don't get it must be a real struggle, and your child having a face-to-face meeting with a representative of an LA which has utterly failed them in school with issues like bullying or SEN provision would stick in the throat of many parents.

I don't think this review has had much publicity which probably explains the low response rate so far - I certainly had no idea another one was coming up and only saw it because I'm on another forum. I'll put in a response, though I'm not sure how much it will count for as I am not directly affected by this - we have different laws and guidelines up here.

Jeez this has shocked me - I had no idea they were doing this - just at a time when after 2.5 years of convincing hubbie I'm finally HEing my kids!!

I will most definately be responding - thanks for flagging this up muminscot - I also think for the time being I will ensure I am keeping some sort of progress diary so that I can "prove" my worth as a HEr and that DS is far far better off where he is.

I wonder why its not publisised? Maybe to encourage a rubbish response so they can then use that as a stick to further beat us with? Or am I getting paranoid....

ok having reread the article and made notes (yes I know sad...) I have noticed a few key points....

1. It clearly states
   "There are no plans to change parents? well established rights to educate their children at home."

2. "The review will of course talk to home educating families to ensure their views and experiences are heard.?

3. "A central part of the Government?s commitment for all children is that, no matter what their background or circumstances, they have the right to achieve the five ?Every Child Matters outcomes?: Be healthy; Stay safe; Enjoy and achieve; Make a positive contribution; Achieve economic wellbeing."

On those points I don't think we have anything to worry about - the every child matters outcomes are easy for us to acheive with our chilren - probably better than any school could acheive them on our behalf IMO. Point 2 is iffy as they aren't advertising this to my knowledge on any HE groups I have joined - but now i know I can help spread the word and we can make sure we voice our opinions and be heard.

And anyone who tries to stop us HEing we can quote point 1.

I feel marginally better tbh having read it more carefully. Where do I go to voice my views to the govnm?

I think the link should have a link to the actual consultation, but I haven't tried it yet myself.

You could try joining one/some of the main HE support lists nomoreamover
Believe me this is a VERY hot topic on all of those!

Links to the support lists can be found from the websites on the 'websites about home education thread'

Have a look at the EO list/AHED/UK-HE lists in particular.

I just phoned the press office at DCSF to find out how I could give my views that they were oh so desperate to find out....I got the worlds LONGEST link reference..........

If it works I'll cut and paste it on here for peopl ewho want to use it if that helps

BTW tongue in cheek but he got quite irritated because I kept saying DCFS....not on purpose for political reasons but it just rolls off the tongue better!!!! (julie I think it was you who commented on the govn putting school between families and children?...)

Yes that was me.

I have heard it referred to as the department of children and science fiction!

Mind you some section of the home ed community did refer to the former DFES as 'Deaf Ears'

www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationdetails&consultationid=1605&extern al=no&menu=1

oh my god it actually worked! I am off to give my views!!!!

al=no&menu=1

but the link doesn't sorry about that - but if you copy what I typed into your browser it should work. it did for me when I copied it from i wrote down....]

Just for anyone who is interested in giving official feedback....

When I tried the link to the response form, but got the message - 'An Error Occurred'. (You bet it has!).

You could try this one: www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm?action=consultationDetails&external=no&consultationId =1605&menu=1

or HERE

Also lol at the schools before families thing - I noticed that when I went to their website. Coincidence, surely

Have posted this on a seperate thread, but am posting it here for everyone to see.

Chcek out this YouTube video all about this balsted consultation

PMSL!
I actually meant to right 'blasted' but 'balsted' is probably closer to what I really think!

Are people objecting to any government involvement at all in HE?

Have filled it in.

seeker, I think one of the problems with the government wanting face to face meetings with home educating families is that the people who conduct these often have a very poor understanding of anything to do with home education (as it seems do many people, as I am slowly finding out!).

seeker - my only issue with the whole debate tbh isn't having some banana turn up to inspect the way I am raising my children - I am very confident they will go away with a flea in their ear - but I am LIVID that the implication is my child is more open to abuse because I HE. Thats what I am objecting to primarily.

"I am LIVID that the implication is my child is more open to abuse because I HE. Thats what I am objecting to primarily."

Is that the assumption, though? I thought the assumption was that a percentage of children are abused, and those not in a formal school set up have one less layer of protection. There is a chance that a vigilant teacher would spot a child who was in trouble - and the child has the opportunity to seek help from a teacher. This doesn't apply to HE children - so another layer of protection has to be put in place for them. Seems entirely reasonable to me.

it really annoys me,the government have social services to deal with child abuse, and they're always failing. the lea seem to have a few pedo's who have been found working around "their" schools,just today 1 head was found guilty of this in lincs.
the schools allow child abuse from other children,but they call it bullying,and most of it goes unnoticed by the teachers.
when my kids were at school they had,if they were lucky,6 hrs a week actual learning, inbetween the disruption, talking, teachers "popping out" ect,ect,ect.
Why pick on the people who decide that the school's form of teaching is just not exceptable and our kids deserve more and decide to do it.

They aren't picking on you, they are trying to put strategies in place to protect children! Just because it sometimes doesn't work is not a reason for stopping trying.

OK I've put my response in - but I'm only number 359 so I think there's a need for more responses folks!

"they are trying to put strategies in place to protect children!"

But seeker there are strategies in place to protect children!

If there is an educational concern the LA can and do (-I know they just asked me!) ask for more information. If they still have concerns they can go on with the formal route and issue an SAO and take it to court if necessary.

If there is a welfare concern then Social Services can and do make an assessment.

I have no issue with that.

I have huge issues with the current claims being made by the Government and other bodies.
The NSCPCC man when asked for evidence about the claims they are making mentioned one family-Eunice Spry.
She of course was known to Social Services. She had home visits!!! The LA met with the children.
The children themselves raised concerns.

And we know the outcome.

questioned again for information by a radio presenter "have you got any statistical base at all?"
He replied,
"We don?t have the evidence there statistically, no"

Education Otherwise and AHEd have asked for the information about the causes of concern- without asking for details, from the NSPCC, the London Safeguarding Board, the Government-and no one has been able to give us any.

sigh

What other minority would be persecuted and so tainted, without any evidence?

everyone who doesn't "conform" to the government ideal of CofE school attending mortgage borrowing clones julienoshoes...travellers, muslims, homosexuals, catholics..........

We've just been added to the non-confromist list.. The "govm" is scared of what it doesn;t understand