Friday, November 21, 2008

Clacton Home Schooling Parents Demanding Funding

...via the House of Lords.

One to watch.

5 comments:

lotusbirther said...

What concerns me about this story is the presumption that because these children are not at school, they can't take part in sports or science. That to me just leads to more myths about home educating and how it can't possibly be a suitable option.
If it costing £100 per week per child, what on earth are they spending that money on?

Is there a local home ed group who can stand up and and offer an arm of support for these parents who are rightly concerned about the school-education that their children would receive?

I am sure the local MPs are watching with interest too.

lotusbirther said...

an extra thought - it surely proves how much input home educating parents do put into their children's education and that it isn't something that can be compartmentalised from the rest of the family life. that last point is something the government are currently suggesting with the possible removal of home educating lone parents from IS

Carlotta said...

It's ridiculous to imagine that we cannot manage team sports in anything other than a school setting. We either have regularly played and still regularly play rugby, hockey, rounders, netball, basketball, badminton, football, athletics in the HE setting. We also go to after school sports clubs of various sorts...these can cost very, very little...say £2 a time.

Anonymous said...

Oh I can see £100 per week if they insist on hiring tutors. After all these are parents who don't see anything wrong with the National Curriculum and the whole school system, they just don't like the particular school they were allocated. If the council turns around and gives them what they want, a place at their first choice school then their children will be there in a heartbeat.

I just can't see them getting the funding from the current government as it would open the floodgates for every parent who didn't get their first choice school. Something like this was inevitable given how hard they sold the illusion of parental choice, but seriously, not going to happen.

Shirl said...

I am watching this with interest too; we live in the area and are literally 5 mins from this particular school, which was only built a few years back and has amazing sports grounds with it. Actually, for a school, it's a good looking building (I'm into architecture lol).

The group of parents in question have chosen not to send their children to this particular school because it's catchment takes in Jaywick which is the third most deprived area in England. It's definitely an area that has been forgotten about when it comes to funding; but it's residents seem to have a strong community.

These parents are not home-educators in the truest sense; they are parents who have chosen to home tutor with private tutors because they don't like the fact that they couldn't get into their chosen schools.

I'm doubtful that funding will go ahead, but if it does, I suspect they may have to "open" as a small school. I guess the whole thing appears elitist but interesting never the less ... ;0)