Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Elaine's Response

1 Do you agree that these proposals strike the right balance between the rights of parents to home educate and the rights of children to receive a suitable education?

Agree
X Disagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: I believe this is a highly dangerous and suspect attempt at a power grab, placing the state between children and parents. Home education is not a right conferred from on high as some sort of special privilege to the citizenry. It is an inherent, natural and necessary freedom. The law as it stands is perfectly adequate and both protects the rights of a child and allows intervention where a parent is failing in their duties. What it does not allow for is the state as parent of first choice and that is right and proper. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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2 Do you agree that a register should be kept?

Agree
X Disagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: There is no need for a register. It implies that home educators are a group that are suspect and need careful watching as if we're more criminal than any other parent. It is not simply a register either. It is an annual license to home educate. There is no reason for a register other than to increase the already overbearing paternalism of local authorities. The DCSF have not listened to home educators remonstrations about the abuse of power and the ultra vires activities of LAs and they have done this repeatedly. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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3 Do you agree with the information to be provided for registration?
Agree
X Disagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: As above. There is no need for a register of law abiding people. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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4 Do you agree that home educating parents should be required to keep the register up to date?
Agree
XDisagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: Another attempt to criminalise law abiding people. In the DCSF's dystopian future all parents will be criminals. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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5 Do you agree that it should be a criminal offence to fail to register or to provide inadequate or false information?

Agree
X Disagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: Another attempt to criminalise law abiding people. In the DCSF's dystopian future all parents will be criminals. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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6 a) Do you agree that home educated children should stay on the roll of their former school for 20 days after parents notify that they intend to home educate?

Agree
X Disagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: This is a blatant attempt to give LAs time to talk. (for talk see bully ) home educators out of their decision. Home education is equal in law to that of school. I was around when this was discussed before and the many good reasons why a delay was a very bad idea. I've been home educating for 16 years. YOU HAVE NOT LISTENED TO HOME EDUCATORS! IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU DID! I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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6 b) Do you agree that the school should provide the local authority with achievement and future attainment data?

Agree
X Disagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: School is not home education. Home education is very very different from school. What happens in schools has no relevance to home education. It's rather like trying to make home made sour dough bread using instructions for mass manufacturing white sliced loaves in a factory. There is also the well know problem of schools overstating childrens abilities, especially children with special educational needs. Perhaps you should really be looking at why schools are overstating abilities. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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7 Do you agree that DCSF should take powers to issue statutory guidance in relation to the registration and monitoring of home education?

Agree
X Disagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: The law as it stands is perfectly adequate and fit for purpose. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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8 Do you agree that children about whom there are substantial safeguarding concerns should not be home educated?

Agree
XDisagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: If a child is safe to be left with the parents then it is safe for them to remain/be home educated. The law as it stands allows for action if there are any genuine safeguarding concerns. There are also procedures in place if there are serious educational concerns. Those procedures allow for action providing there is proper evidence for those concerns. It is not alright to try and sidestep due process for convenience. This is a proposal that seeks to legitimise local authority officials' personal prejudices. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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9 Do you agree that the local authority should visit the premises where home education is taking place provided 2 weeks notice is given?

Agree
X Disagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: For premises you mean homes don't you? An invasion of the home without just cause and a legal warrant is an illegal act and should remain so. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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10 Do you agree that the local authority should have the power to interview the child, alone if this is judged appropriate, or if not in the presence of a trusted person who is not the parent/carer?

Agree
X Disagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: A paedophile or bullies charter if ever there was one. Currently only if there are very seriouse and very immediate concerns for a child's safety a senior social worker can make a decision to interview a child out of the presence of a parent/guardian. This is a very serious decision to make and is only made in the most extreme circumstances and for good reason. The Police do not have this sort of power either. This is the most outrageous proposal. I cannot think what the implications of this would be for a free and civil society. This is extremely disproportionate and a proposal I can only think was born out of pure prejudice rather than from any empirical evidence. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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11 Do you agree that the local authority should visit the premises and interview the child within four weeks of home education starting, after 6 months has elapsed, at the anniversary of home education starting, and thereafter at least on an annual basis? This would not preclude more frequent monitoring if the local authority thought that was necessary.

Agree
X Disagree
Not sure
No Response

Comments: I believe in the presumption of innocence. There is no reason for forced access to homes, forced inspections of those homes and their occupants and forced interviewing of children . Especially from officials who have no understanding of education outside of the school system and no idea how home education works in practice. Four weeks is a ridiculously short period of time in home education terms. Home education is not school and it takes many months to adjust from one system to another. This proposal highlights the total lack of knowledge of home education. The law as it stands and the systems in place are perfectly adequate and fit for purpose. I intend to fight these proposals at every available opportunity. I have had enough of attempts to grind home educators down with attack after unwarranted attack on our community.

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