Did anybody watch channel 4 last night?

[2kidzandi]

Hi just wondering if anybody watched an interesting program on channel 4 last night The worlds biggest family and me. The reporter Mark Dolan visited a large family with 13 kids in Lincolnshire who were home educated. Of the Home ed he states: "The shepperd children are all home educated, this means that THEY WON'T GAIN ANY QUALIFICATIONS, but at least they will be well versed in the Bible"!!! I was perplexed as to the reason why the family allowed someone with no respect for their choices to interview them. Would confirm for some people that HE is sinister and always religiously motivated which it isn't very often in this country! Annoyed.

That's awful
but, sadly, you have to watch out for this sort of "twist" if you volunteer to go public. I've done a quick BBC news interview and was lucky to have been represented fairly well on that occasion. Unfortunately I have friends who've been caught out on the radio a few times by interviewers trying to make us look bad. I hope they complained. I might stick a complaint in to channel 4 come to think of it. I'm off to have a look.
Mutter mutter.....

I watched it and have to say that I didn't hear the tone you imply when Mark Dolan said that sentence. He was stating a fact that those particular children were being home educated with a very heavy biblical influence (for those who didn't see the programme, the father stated he didn't want his children exposed to the world telling them that evolution was right when there was no proof for it, the house was covered in bible phrases, children's artwork saying 'god is risen' etc). The qualifications bit wasn't discussed but maybe those parents had decided against qualifications for their children. The presenter seemed genuinely interested and intrigued in their lifestyle choice, and the family you're talking about were presented as the most moderate example in the programme (compared to the guy with 17 wives and 84 children!). It is a series looking at 'extremes' (last week was the most enhanced women - ridiculous boob jobs). The home educated bit wasn't really emphasised at all apart from as part of their lifestyle generally, and I don't think anyone would take it as confirmation that all home schooling is religiously motivated and sinister, that's really underestimating the intelligence of the average viewing public. However there obviously are families out there like this one - whose choice to home educate is totally religiously motivated, and some may think sinister!

I don't know if you saw the programme from this series two weeks ago, it was about child geniuses (genii??) and showed a very well spoken, intelligent, self-motivated home educated young girl with not a hint of sinister religion in sight. I think you can see clips on the c4 website.

Didn't see it. Wouldn't go on telly for toffee, quite frankly, about any aspect of our lives.

Mind you, we do have a house with bible verses on the wall and my children do use bible colouring. SinisterHEfamilies-R-us

THere is another thread about this programme - telly addicts maybe?

I saw that programme and could not agree more i was really annoyed by that comment as well but i know mine will still gain the qualifications they want and are enjoying what they do