Tuesday, October 16, 2012

"Broad and Balanced" versus "Suitable".

With the Department of Education asking things of Home Educators that are over and above the law, ie: home educators should 

"deliver a broad and balanced curriculum that is suitable for the age, ability and aptitude of each of their children", 

home educators must do our utmost to point out that, under the 1996 Education Act, the broad and balanced bit only applies to schools AND, what's more, this law presents all parents with yet another reason why education law is far from perfect, and this because "broad and balanced" may well not be suitable for some children.  

And this is putting aside any (HUGE) quibbles about what "broad and balanced" actually means.  From observing the learning of a child who pursued a series of apparently obsessive interests to the apparent exclusion of all other activities, it has transpired that though this study he has gained a wide range of transferable skills at the same time as developing huge competence in the area of study.  Perhaps a better way to go after all? 



5 comments:

mamacrow said...

i think it's really their PC attempt at saying 'please don't indoctrinate your children to reject evolution or want to blow us all up'

Honestly, they should be clearer. Can't stand woolly policy speak!

Danae said...

Defining the limits of education merely limits education. But then the whole system is set up to limit human beings, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

your only telling the same old civil servants who want to block home education its a waste of time telling these civil servants as they dont listen! I bet good old Penny Jones is still up to her old tricks and pushing for all of this!

Carlotta said...

I have to say that from the snippets of the Ed Select Committee that I saw on Wed, I was very cheered, as I felt that both Graham Stuart and Eliz Truss had a good grasp of the importance of parental responsibility and freedoms. I kept wondering if ET had read Douglas Carswell's new book, "The End of Politics and the Birth of iDemocracy" or something similar, which I assume means that increasing numbers of people are realising that they have power to determine their own lives...home educators leading the way!!

Anonymous said...

graham Stuart may have a good grasp of parental responsibility but he only one our own M>P who on that group D Hinds M>p was in favor of child staying on register at school for 20 days before you could home home educate.
There allowing it to be brought into wales then say look we got to bring rest of UK in line! I not seen Graham Stuart say he does not agree with the wales ideas and that he will do everything he can to stop it?