Yeah right, the only people who read and understand this blog are home educators. What does that mean, I wonder!
Monday, January 19, 2009
If You've Read and Understood this Blog
...you must be a post grad, apparently.
Yeah right, the only people who read and understand this blog are home educators. What does that mean, I wonder!
Yeah right, the only people who read and understand this blog are home educators. What does that mean, I wonder!
DCSF Press Notice for Home Education Review 2009
The Government has published revised guidance on children missing education and launched a review of home education.This will ensure that everything possible is being done to guarantee all children their right to a balanced education in a safe, healthy environment.The guidance makes clear that local authorities have a duty to make arrangements to enable them to establish that every school-age child is receiving a suitable education, and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of parents and local authorities to provide a suitable education for children. A public consultation gathered a wide range of views – including many on home education. Some local authorities and children’s organisations expressed concerns about the current system’s ability to adequately support and monitor the education, safety and wellbeing of home educated children.
The review of home education will investigate the current system for supporting and monitoring home education. It will look at safeguarding and how any concerns about the safety, welfare or education of children are dealt with. There are no plans to change parents’ well established rights to educate their children at home.
It will assess the effectiveness of current arrangements for parents who home educate and of local authority systems for supporting children and families. It will also make recommendations for improvements, where necessary.Delyth Morgan said:“Making sure children are safe, well and receive a good education is our most serious responsibility. Parents are able, quite rightly, to choose whether they want to educate children at home, and a very small number do. I’m sure, the vast majority do a good job. However, there are concerns that some children are not receiving the education they need. And in some extreme cases, home education could be used as a cover for abuse. We cannot allow this to happen and are committed to doing all we can to help ensure children are safe, wherever they are educated.
“This review will look at whether the right systems are in place that allow local authorities and other agencies to ensure that any concerns about the safety, welfare or education of home educated children are addressed quickly and effectively. The review will of course talk to home educating families to ensure their views and experiences are heard.”Head of policy and public affairs at the NSPCC, Diana Sutton, said: “We welcome the Government’s decision to review the guidance on home education. We believe the existing legislation and guidance on elective home education is outdated. We support the view set out by the London (LA) Children’s Safeguarding Leads network that the government should review the legislation to balance the parents’ rights to home educate their children, the local authorities’ duty to safeguard children and the child’s right to protection. We welcome the fact that this review will look at where local authorities have concerns about the safety and welfare, or education, of a home educated child and what systems are in place to deal with those concerns.”A central part of the Government’s commitment for all children is that, no matter what their background or circumstances, they have the right to achieve the five ‘Every Child Matters outcomes’: Be healthy; Stay safe; Enjoy and achieve; Make a positive contribution; Achieve economic wellbeing. The Elective Home Education Review will investigate:• Whether local authorities and other public agencies are able to effectively discharge their duties and responsibilities for safeguarding and ensuring a suitable education for all children. • Whether home educating parents are receiving the support and advice they want to ensure they provide a good, balanced education for their children.• Consider what evidence there is to support claims that home education could be used as a ‘cover’ for child abuse such as neglect, forced marriage, sexual exploitation or domestic servitude
The guidance on children missing education is the first step in clarifying expectations in respect of the current system for supporting and monitoring home education. It also makes clear that parents’ right to home educate is not being altered and that suitable home education can take many forms.
Home education is just one area highlighted in the guidance, as it describes many circumstances which can lead to children missing education. The guidance describes how important it is for local authorities to tackle all problems around children missing education, in order to meet the vision set out in the Children’s Plan, particularly keeping all children safe from harm.
Graham Badman, former Director of Children’s Services at Kent County Council will lead the review, which is expected to conclude in May 2009. Graham Badman said:"I am delighted to have been asked to lead this important review. Legislation affords every parent the right to choose to educate their child at home but with those rights go responsibilities, not least being to secure a suitable education. By the same token, local authorities are charged with ensuring that all children are safe, well and receiving an education that is both enjoyable and allows for the expression of all aptitudes and abilities. By discussing all the issues with home educating families, local authorities and other key stakeholders I will investigate whether the current system adequately supports these rights and responsibilities and if not, I will make recommendations for improvements."
The review of home education will investigate the current system for supporting and monitoring home education. It will look at safeguarding and how any concerns about the safety, welfare or education of children are dealt with. There are no plans to change parents’ well established rights to educate their children at home.
It will assess the effectiveness of current arrangements for parents who home educate and of local authority systems for supporting children and families. It will also make recommendations for improvements, where necessary.Delyth Morgan said:“Making sure children are safe, well and receive a good education is our most serious responsibility. Parents are able, quite rightly, to choose whether they want to educate children at home, and a very small number do. I’m sure, the vast majority do a good job. However, there are concerns that some children are not receiving the education they need. And in some extreme cases, home education could be used as a cover for abuse. We cannot allow this to happen and are committed to doing all we can to help ensure children are safe, wherever they are educated.
“This review will look at whether the right systems are in place that allow local authorities and other agencies to ensure that any concerns about the safety, welfare or education of home educated children are addressed quickly and effectively. The review will of course talk to home educating families to ensure their views and experiences are heard.”Head of policy and public affairs at the NSPCC, Diana Sutton, said: “We welcome the Government’s decision to review the guidance on home education. We believe the existing legislation and guidance on elective home education is outdated. We support the view set out by the London (LA) Children’s Safeguarding Leads network that the government should review the legislation to balance the parents’ rights to home educate their children, the local authorities’ duty to safeguard children and the child’s right to protection. We welcome the fact that this review will look at where local authorities have concerns about the safety and welfare, or education, of a home educated child and what systems are in place to deal with those concerns.”A central part of the Government’s commitment for all children is that, no matter what their background or circumstances, they have the right to achieve the five ‘Every Child Matters outcomes’: Be healthy; Stay safe; Enjoy and achieve; Make a positive contribution; Achieve economic wellbeing. The Elective Home Education Review will investigate:• Whether local authorities and other public agencies are able to effectively discharge their duties and responsibilities for safeguarding and ensuring a suitable education for all children. • Whether home educating parents are receiving the support and advice they want to ensure they provide a good, balanced education for their children.• Consider what evidence there is to support claims that home education could be used as a ‘cover’ for child abuse such as neglect, forced marriage, sexual exploitation or domestic servitude
The guidance on children missing education is the first step in clarifying expectations in respect of the current system for supporting and monitoring home education. It also makes clear that parents’ right to home educate is not being altered and that suitable home education can take many forms.
Home education is just one area highlighted in the guidance, as it describes many circumstances which can lead to children missing education. The guidance describes how important it is for local authorities to tackle all problems around children missing education, in order to meet the vision set out in the Children’s Plan, particularly keeping all children safe from harm.
Graham Badman, former Director of Children’s Services at Kent County Council will lead the review, which is expected to conclude in May 2009. Graham Badman said:"I am delighted to have been asked to lead this important review. Legislation affords every parent the right to choose to educate their child at home but with those rights go responsibilities, not least being to secure a suitable education. By the same token, local authorities are charged with ensuring that all children are safe, well and receiving an education that is both enjoyable and allows for the expression of all aptitudes and abilities. By discussing all the issues with home educating families, local authorities and other key stakeholders I will investigate whether the current system adequately supports these rights and responsibilities and if not, I will make recommendations for improvements."
Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'
1. Revised guidance to Local Authorities on their duty to identify Children Not Receiving a Suitable Education, can be viewed here: Resources and practice - Every Child Matters.
Contact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
Press Notice 2009/0013
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Countries of Asia
How on earth does Master Samsonite manage it in just 49 seconds. Our PB: 1 minute, 48 secs.
Well Done, Matthew
This is the kind of story that always sets me wondering if the dyslexia was school-induced in the first place.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Terms of Reference for Review of Home Education
Review of Elective Home Education
Terms of Reference
Background and Rationale
The Department is committed to ensuring that systems for keeping children safe, and ensuring that they receive a suitable education, are as robust as possible. An independent review of home education is part of this continuing commitment.
Parents have a well established right to educate their children at home and Government respects that right. There are no plans to change that position.
However, where local authorities have concerns about the safety and welfare, or education, of a home educated child, effective systems must be in place to deal with those concerns. The review will assess the effectiveness of current arrangements and will, if necessary, make recommendations for improvements.
Terms of reference
The review of home education will investigate:
• The barriers to local authorities and other public agencies in carrying out their responsibilities for safeguarding home educated children and advise on improvements to ensure that the five Every Child Matters outcomes are being met for home educated children;
• The extent to which claims of home education could be used as a ‘cover’ for child abuse such as neglect, forced marriage, sexual exploitation or domestic servitude and advise on measures to prevent this;
• Whether local authorities are providing the right type, level and balance of support to home educating families to ensure they are undertaking their duties to provide a suitable full time education to their children;
• Whether any changes to the current regime for monitoring the standard of home education are needed to support the work of parents, local authorities and other partners in ensuring all children achieve the Every Child Matters outcomes.
Timing
The review will be conducted over 4 months, starting in January 2009 and concluding in April 2009 with a published report in May 2009. Ministers will then consider whether any further work is required on any aspect of home education, on the basis of the findings contained in the review report.
Scope
The Review will focus on practice in England but may consider relevant material from the devolved administrations within the UK and elsewhere.
Review methodology
The review will be led by Graham Badman, former Managing Director, Children, Families and Education in Kent. It will:
• Map existing practice and consider the effectiveness of different practice – including identifying best practice - in England and elsewhere in monitoring home education from an Every Child Matters perspective;
• Identify what evidence there is that claims of home education are, or could be, used as a ‘cover’ for child abuse under current monitoring practice;
• Consider evidence of the effectiveness of current monitoring practice contained in Serious Case Reviews, Joint Area Reviews and other relevant inspections and reviews;
• Seek evidence on how the systems operate in practice from key stakeholders including home education groups, home educating families, local authorities and children’s charities;
• Identify areas for improvement and make recommendations for any changes to strengthen current arrangements.
The review will gather views and evidence through a literature review, a review of the law and guidance and a series of interviews with key stakeholders representing the range of interests. It will consider how effectively arrangements are currently operating, focusing on the operation of systems and procedures and not on individual cases. The review team will contact key stakeholders and invite submissions. Other stakeholders who wish to contribute can do so via a questionnaire available at www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations.
The review will also consider the views of stakeholders gathered as part of the recent public consultation on the statutory guidance on children not receiving a suitable education.
Terms of Reference
Background and Rationale
The Department is committed to ensuring that systems for keeping children safe, and ensuring that they receive a suitable education, are as robust as possible. An independent review of home education is part of this continuing commitment.
Parents have a well established right to educate their children at home and Government respects that right. There are no plans to change that position.
However, where local authorities have concerns about the safety and welfare, or education, of a home educated child, effective systems must be in place to deal with those concerns. The review will assess the effectiveness of current arrangements and will, if necessary, make recommendations for improvements.
Terms of reference
The review of home education will investigate:
• The barriers to local authorities and other public agencies in carrying out their responsibilities for safeguarding home educated children and advise on improvements to ensure that the five Every Child Matters outcomes are being met for home educated children;
• The extent to which claims of home education could be used as a ‘cover’ for child abuse such as neglect, forced marriage, sexual exploitation or domestic servitude and advise on measures to prevent this;
• Whether local authorities are providing the right type, level and balance of support to home educating families to ensure they are undertaking their duties to provide a suitable full time education to their children;
• Whether any changes to the current regime for monitoring the standard of home education are needed to support the work of parents, local authorities and other partners in ensuring all children achieve the Every Child Matters outcomes.
Timing
The review will be conducted over 4 months, starting in January 2009 and concluding in April 2009 with a published report in May 2009. Ministers will then consider whether any further work is required on any aspect of home education, on the basis of the findings contained in the review report.
Scope
The Review will focus on practice in England but may consider relevant material from the devolved administrations within the UK and elsewhere.
Review methodology
The review will be led by Graham Badman, former Managing Director, Children, Families and Education in Kent. It will:
• Map existing practice and consider the effectiveness of different practice – including identifying best practice - in England and elsewhere in monitoring home education from an Every Child Matters perspective;
• Identify what evidence there is that claims of home education are, or could be, used as a ‘cover’ for child abuse under current monitoring practice;
• Consider evidence of the effectiveness of current monitoring practice contained in Serious Case Reviews, Joint Area Reviews and other relevant inspections and reviews;
• Seek evidence on how the systems operate in practice from key stakeholders including home education groups, home educating families, local authorities and children’s charities;
• Identify areas for improvement and make recommendations for any changes to strengthen current arrangements.
The review will gather views and evidence through a literature review, a review of the law and guidance and a series of interviews with key stakeholders representing the range of interests. It will consider how effectively arrangements are currently operating, focusing on the operation of systems and procedures and not on individual cases. The review team will contact key stakeholders and invite submissions. Other stakeholders who wish to contribute can do so via a questionnaire available at www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations.
The review will also consider the views of stakeholders gathered as part of the recent public consultation on the statutory guidance on children not receiving a suitable education.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
A Sense of Scale
We liked this.
And then from the same site, a programme about the some of the most recent research on various flu viruses.
And then from the same site, a programme about the some of the most recent research on various flu viruses.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Home Education in the Wye Valley News
...an article containing some choice quotes, some of which demonstrate very neatly how some people (who were presumably schooled) can appear quite incapable of shifting entrenched views, despite clear evidence that they should do so.
"What worries Liz most about home education is the issue of socialisation. All the home educators I spoke to insist that their children are not stuck at home on their own all day; they attend after school clubs and activities and meet up with other home-educated children. Liz remains unconvinced. "I'd have thought it was my human right to go to school and socialise with other kids. I'm not really a mainstream person myself, I'm quite happy to break a few rules and live outside the box but I'm glad I had the chance to be socialised. If you're being taken to see your mates when they come out of school, will they not have been developing their own social culture? Whatever game is the latest game; whatever craze is the latest craze, you'll be out of that."
Head desk head desk head desk. but that is not all. Liz ploughs on:
"Liz remarks on the contrast between this (the monitoring of home education) and the in-depth school inspections performed by Oftsed and Estyn."
Yep, right. Only last night on Channel 4's Dispatches we heard how teachers ask parents to keep disruptive children out of school on days that Ofsted visit. Just how rigorous is that, one would like to know? And this is no mean problem. Apparently millions of teaching hours are lost in dealing with this disruptive contingent. 97% of primary school teachers say they have such children in their classes. 75% of them report that they have to deal with physical aggression, and of course other pupils are paying the price.
Thank goodness for the option to home educate. One of the children in the Wye Valley article was utterly miserable in school. He is now thriving on home education.
His parents Tom and Sarah made some great points:
"The fact remains, however, that many home-educated children do go on to universities and further education colleges. "They have a good reputation, " says Tom, pointing out that they have learnt self-motivation and researching skills that stand them in good stead later on."
and:
"Whatever one's point of view, Tom neatly sums up the debate, saying this: "As an artist, I am used to people asking, but is it art? The more we find out the more I find myself asking, but is it education? I find this question as complex to answer as the first, and would be interested to hear it asked as often. I expect it would bring a bit more rigour to the whole area of education, at home and at schools."
Tom is a superb artist, self-critical and truth-seeking. He is as scrupulous in his appraisal of home education. The fact that he does it seems like a great endorsement.
"What worries Liz most about home education is the issue of socialisation. All the home educators I spoke to insist that their children are not stuck at home on their own all day; they attend after school clubs and activities and meet up with other home-educated children. Liz remains unconvinced. "I'd have thought it was my human right to go to school and socialise with other kids. I'm not really a mainstream person myself, I'm quite happy to break a few rules and live outside the box but I'm glad I had the chance to be socialised. If you're being taken to see your mates when they come out of school, will they not have been developing their own social culture? Whatever game is the latest game; whatever craze is the latest craze, you'll be out of that."
Head desk head desk head desk. but that is not all. Liz ploughs on:
"Liz remarks on the contrast between this (the monitoring of home education) and the in-depth school inspections performed by Oftsed and Estyn."
Yep, right. Only last night on Channel 4's Dispatches we heard how teachers ask parents to keep disruptive children out of school on days that Ofsted visit. Just how rigorous is that, one would like to know? And this is no mean problem. Apparently millions of teaching hours are lost in dealing with this disruptive contingent. 97% of primary school teachers say they have such children in their classes. 75% of them report that they have to deal with physical aggression, and of course other pupils are paying the price.
Thank goodness for the option to home educate. One of the children in the Wye Valley article was utterly miserable in school. He is now thriving on home education.
His parents Tom and Sarah made some great points:
"The fact remains, however, that many home-educated children do go on to universities and further education colleges. "They have a good reputation, " says Tom, pointing out that they have learnt self-motivation and researching skills that stand them in good stead later on."
and:
"Whatever one's point of view, Tom neatly sums up the debate, saying this: "As an artist, I am used to people asking, but is it art? The more we find out the more I find myself asking, but is it education? I find this question as complex to answer as the first, and would be interested to hear it asked as often. I expect it would bring a bit more rigour to the whole area of education, at home and at schools."
Tom is a superb artist, self-critical and truth-seeking. He is as scrupulous in his appraisal of home education. The fact that he does it seems like a great endorsement.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
More from The School Gate
Well I'm impressed. Sarah Ebner (only recently a strong critic of Home Education), gives HEing author Ross Mountney space to explain what it's really like.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Transgenic Flies
Certain things have the capacity to make both me and my daughter apparently disproportionately happy. Making simulated transgenic flies is one of these.
I mean really, why go to school?
I mean really, why go to school?
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
IKEA Now Home Education Friendly
....thanks to Shoshana. We hear that IKEA are even arranging some fun sessions for the HEks. From the Milton Keynes Citizen.
Other companies might think of following suit. This could be a good money-spinner in these hard times. Home educating families can get to you off-peak when your services are idling. Other companies have done it before and we've had a great time eg: Pizza Express have done some great pizza making sessions for HEks in off-peak hours.
Other companies might think of following suit. This could be a good money-spinner in these hard times. Home educating families can get to you off-peak when your services are idling. Other companies have done it before and we've had a great time eg: Pizza Express have done some great pizza making sessions for HEks in off-peak hours.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
What Home Educators Can Add
From Howard Gardner (HT: DD).
"The time has come to broaden our notion of the spectrum of talents. The single most important contribution education can make to a child's development is to help him toward a field where his talents best suit him, where he will be satisfied and competent. We've completely lost sight of that. Instead we subject everyone to an education where, if you succeed, you will be best suited to a college professor. And we evaluate everything along the way according to whether they meet that narrow standard of success. We should spend less time ranking children and more time helping them identify their natural competencies and gifts, and cultivate those. There are hundreds and hundreds of ways to succeed, and many different abilities that will get you there."
Autonomous home educators can add to this. They know that you don't have to HELP SO MUCH. You don't have to peddle stuff all the time. You don't have to run about creating a schoolie curriculum that could appeal to any one of seven intelligences. You just have to lay the world open to your child and listen to what grabs their interest. If the child can't access their area of interest for themselves, you help them get at it somehow. Your work then is usually done and you are only likely to know more about the subject than you child after a couple of months if it happens to be your own area of interest.
"The time has come to broaden our notion of the spectrum of talents. The single most important contribution education can make to a child's development is to help him toward a field where his talents best suit him, where he will be satisfied and competent. We've completely lost sight of that. Instead we subject everyone to an education where, if you succeed, you will be best suited to a college professor. And we evaluate everything along the way according to whether they meet that narrow standard of success. We should spend less time ranking children and more time helping them identify their natural competencies and gifts, and cultivate those. There are hundreds and hundreds of ways to succeed, and many different abilities that will get you there."
Autonomous home educators can add to this. They know that you don't have to HELP SO MUCH. You don't have to peddle stuff all the time. You don't have to run about creating a schoolie curriculum that could appeal to any one of seven intelligences. You just have to lay the world open to your child and listen to what grabs their interest. If the child can't access their area of interest for themselves, you help them get at it somehow. Your work then is usually done and you are only likely to know more about the subject than you child after a couple of months if it happens to be your own area of interest.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Lord Brougham and Vaux on Compulsory Education
In 1834 the Lord Chancellor, Lord Brougham and Vaux, was asked "Do you consider that a compulsory education would be justified, either on principles of public utility or expediency?" to which he replied "I am decidedly of opinion that it is justifiable on neither; but, above all, I should regard anything of the kind as utterly destructive of the end it has in view. Suppose the people of England were taught to bear it, and to be forced to educate their children by means of penalties, education would be made absolutely hateful in their eyes, and would speedily cease to be endured. They who have argued in favour of such a scheme from the example of a military government like that of Prussia have betrayed, in my opinion, great ignorance of the nature of Englishmen."
(Report of the Parliamentary Committee on the State of Education. 1834)
(Report of the Parliamentary Committee on the State of Education. 1834)
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
100% Positive
Wow...thank you for the link, Ruth! No ifs or buts - an article that's 100% positive for once.
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