...on funding for home educators in Essex.
It will be interesting to see how accountable these parents will be expected to be but I would hazard a guess that they will be held to a far higher standard than state-run schools and the parents who use them.
You home educators really ought to think twice before taking support from the state. It seems an obvious means for them to get their feet in your doors.
ReplyDeleteHome education is surprisingly liberal compared to most other aspects of life. It should stay that way.
This is often cause for a debate on home education lists. Some new home edders like to get all excited about accepting money from the state. Some more experienced HE folk realise that money always comes with strings. Our strongest argument against control from the state is that we are financially independent and need not 'prove' that we are spending money in the way that government would like it spent.
ReplyDeleteHe who pays the piper calls the tune.
Diane
Exactly Diane.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, the families in that story are only home educators in the most flexible use of the term, seeing it only as a temporary fix until they can get their children into good schools. I don't imagine that they are in the least bit concerned about state monitoring or control.
Too right Diane. Support and funding always comes with strings. No way would an LA cough up thousands for us to spend on what we like for HE.
ReplyDeleteHi Fiery and Ruth,
ReplyDeleteThe LA is responsible for the local schools being in such a mess. Therefore they are responsible to the parents to produce something better for the children. The LA is only acting in its own interests in the hopes that it can stave off litigation. £10,000 is - as my father-in-law used to say - cheap at half the price.
Diane
threedegreesoffreedom.blogspot.com
I would always be wary when a LA throws money at you..it probably means they owe you alot more!
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely an interesting situation.
ReplyDeleteAccording to an article in our local paper a while ago, the parents have been given this payment as a one off and possibly with the intention that they should start a small school, which up until now they haven't done as they want to get their children into the schools of their choice. They are not home educators in the truest sense of the word and will not be thinking about the strings attached to taking the money.
Interestingly, Bishops Park College is not run along the traditional lines of school. It is run more like a community centre with a library that is open to the public on Saturdays. I'll be blogging about this school later today.
Shirl x
Thanks for that Shirl.
ReplyDelete