Naming and Shaming - Trafford LA

Home educators everywhere are once again infuriated by the fact that those who have a remit to understand education law, ie: certain members of Trafford Local Authority, appear either unable to read, or are unable to understand what they read, or perhaps worse still, wilfully choose to behave unlawfully.

We hear via HE lists that a new LA advisor for Home Education has been appointed in Trafford and that she is making unlawful demands to visit all home educating families, whether or not there is any reason to think that an education is not being provided. To compound the sins, Trafford's website appears to endorse these ultra vires demands. Finally, to top it all off, one of the home educators who raised the issue with the LA then received an email from someone in the LA, clearly sent to her in error, which revealed a degree of unprofessionalism and discourtesy that would cause one to lose all confidence in the authority.

The MP, Chief Executive, Head of the Education Committee, anyone else we can think of, can expect to hear about this. Do these people endorse illegal behaviour by their staff? Do they realise that it is their duty to ensure that the LA provides clear and LEGAL information for HE parents:

"that are clear and accurate and which set out the legal position, and roles and responsibilities..."

We expect to hear that the advisor has been dismissed since she has behaved unlawfully, that the website has been re-written and that those within the LA who behave in an unprofessional fashion have been reprimanded and have mended their ways.