Tuesday, June 30, 2009

21st Century Schools White Paper

Ed Balls' speech can be found here.

No mention of the monitoring of home educators that was leaked yesterday, but perhaps he is just keeping that under wraps for now.

UPDATE: Can't find any mention of home education in the White Paper (Your Child, your schools, our future, Building a 21st century schools system) or in the DCSF statement about the paper here. What am I missing!

6 comments:

Pete Darby said...

I think the announcement was premature prognostication... anyway, Balls is demonstrably losing his grip on reality. I wouldn't have been surprised if the white paper launch consisted of him ramming two pencils up his nose, putting his underpants on his head and going "p'Paaaaaaaaaah".

SueHM said...

I'm a little concerned about this....

Chapter 3 - Blue Box
Second bullet point

"Legislate to make clear that schools have responsibilities for children across the area as well as those on their own roll"

(will HE kids be 'attached' to a school and monitored by them instead of the LA?)

and

The blue box at the start of Chapter 2.

They keep saying 'every pupil' when they refer to what will happen in Schools, but 'every child' when they say what this 21st Century curriculum is going to contain... like PSHE etc.
"This will be underpinned by legislation'
That legislation better say each 'PUPIL' and not 'CHILD'....

Carlotta said...

Thanks for that, Pete. Haven't found many laughs in this whole situation recently!

And yes, Sue, I had spotted a few areas like that which might have allowed for HE children to be included and also clocked the apparently careful use of the words pupil and child.

Anonymous said...

a bit OT but have you noticed lord lucas proposed amendment here
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldbills/042/amend/ml042-iih.htm
Is he really listening to us?
Jo

Working Dad said...

Still mentions the HE monitoring at http://www.commonsleader.gov.uk/output/Page2831.asp

Carlotta said...

Thanks Jo...have just seen it.

Bother.