...from yesterday's article in the Guardian, The Observer quotes Roland Meighan (previously Professor of Education at Notts University):
'The one downside is that home-scholers have no laboratories or sports equipment. "But that is the fault of the system, not the home-educators," says Meighan.'
Actually, I'd say that would be the fault of the parents and is actually not a real problem. Most HEors can get themselves a chemistry set and make their way down to their local leisure centre.
Update: Please note Archright's comment below. They and I suspect that Roland Meighan didn't actually say this!
Actually, Carlotta, to be fair to Roland, I don't think he said the bit about lack of facilities (I honestly can't imagine he ever would) That last paragraph is written in such a confused way that it's hard to tell, but I think the mother from the previous para is saying it, or the journo has bunged it in as a usual assumption.
ReplyDeleteOn the subject of facilities, though...grrr. We're just registering YS for GCSE exams (he wants to go to local VIth form college next year) and it's £150 per exam! Can the LEA really not squeeze him into an exam room locally?
Do hope u are not leaning towards libertarianism. The libertarian movement in us are very right wing and its cornerstone is every mans right to carry a gun.shouldn't we research our political roots correctly before we attempt to go into absolute political obscurity?
ReplyDeleteARCH, I think you must be right. I do agree: it doesn't sound like Roland.
ReplyDeletere: exam access....yep, I do agree. The exam fee does sound completely unreasonable. I think EO may be trying to work this one out as we write, but haven't heard anything for last week or so and this may be too late for YS, I suppose.
Hi, Anon.
ReplyDeleteYep, I do lean that way. I would call myself a libertarian because most, though not all my ideas, are gradualist, moderate libertarian.
I am also aware of the libertarian position on gun ownership, although I personally have never taken a line on this issue, as I really don't know enough about it.
I do agree that it is often very helpful to research political history, (see couple of posts above this one...entitled Popper for Busy People)... but also think that we are not restricted to the past, so we may look for the best ideas in any field, whatever their origin.
re: exam fees. I put two boys through GCSEs a few years ago and the local comprehensive agreed to allow them to sit it there and we weren't charged anything. Maybe just asking a school without discussing with LEA might be better? But then perhaps things have changed.
ReplyDeleteD
Well let me correct that, I think we were charged about 20 pounds each or so for the actual exam, and that was to sit French. So possibly French is just a cheap one to sit.
ReplyDeleteD
D, thanks for that. I did ring several schools and got absolutely nowhere. In desperation I rang the LEA and was put on to Connexions (who were perturbed to find we weren't on their 'system'!) and all they could recommend was a private centre on the other side of London. Not very good, is it? Last year, one friend made 84 phone calls before finding a desk space. It's a real mess.
ReplyDeleteARCH
ReplyDeleteKnowing the conversation we had with Connexions about not being on their database, was based on information we got from the ARCH website and blogs, I would love to have heard that conversation that you had with them!
LOL!
regards
Julie
Re E0 and exam centres,I suspect we won't get much from the Independent Schools Council re exam access till they've had their Public Benefit Symposium which I believe is in March. I imagine the delegates will be swapping tips on how to throw a bone to the Charities Commission. Opening up access to exam centres might be a relatively painless way to do this.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/thoughts.htm#exams
Fiona
http://tinyurl.com/2xklzu
ReplyDeletesorry, try this link to meeting about exam centres.
Fiona