can be found here.
Great stuff, Phil et al.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Pledge to Write
Next assignment: Go sign this pledge.
By doing so, you promise that you will show your support for AHEd (ahed.org.uk) and home educators in general by e-mailing Alan Johnson MP (Johnsona@parliament.uk), Secretary of State for Education, calling for the term “compulsory school age” to be replaced with “compulsory education age” in the Education and Inspections Act 2006. This will, of course, then reflect the truth that school is NOT compulsory.
Deadline to sign up by: 1st March 2007
Sample letter for Mr Johnson's email:
"Dear Mr Johnson,
I am writing to show my support for the charity Action for Home Education, www.AHEd.org.uk, by asking that you do everything within your powers to ensure that the wording of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 is changed, so that all references to "compulsory school age" are altered to "compulsory education age" in order that these sections may accurately reflect the legal position in England and Wales.
I look forward to your early reassurances that you will support my endeavour.
Yours sincerely"
By doing so, you promise that you will show your support for AHEd (ahed.org.uk) and home educators in general by e-mailing Alan Johnson MP (Johnsona@parliament.uk), Secretary of State for Education, calling for the term “compulsory school age” to be replaced with “compulsory education age” in the Education and Inspections Act 2006. This will, of course, then reflect the truth that school is NOT compulsory.
Deadline to sign up by: 1st March 2007
Sample letter for Mr Johnson's email:
"Dear Mr Johnson,
I am writing to show my support for the charity Action for Home Education, www.AHEd.org.uk, by asking that you do everything within your powers to ensure that the wording of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 is changed, so that all references to "compulsory school age" are altered to "compulsory education age" in order that these sections may accurately reflect the legal position in England and Wales.
I look forward to your early reassurances that you will support my endeavour.
Yours sincerely"
Home Education - Suitable for Both Genders.
Here's Boris on the matter of female ascendancy and the related issue of what to do about the education of boys.
Go tell him home educators!
Go tell him home educators!
AHEd Press Release
**MEDIA INFORMATION FROM ACTION FOR HOME EDUCATION (AHEd)
For immediate release, Friday 2nd February 2007
AHEd formal complaint: Government department ignores their own guidance. (Families threatened by DfES ignoring the Code of Practice on Consultations set out by the Cabinet Office.)
The recently launched national home education action group AHEd (1) has sent a formal complaint to the Cabinet Office following complaints by its members that the DfES has failed to consult adequately with relevant stakeholders in consultations and policy proposals relating to home education. (2)
Barbara Stark, Chair of AHEd, commented:
"Home educating families are being effectively marginalised by the DfES in what we believe to be a deliberate attempt to bypass proper public consultation on new policy proposals which will affect our members directly. We have discovered that the DfES is introducing bias into the process by using skewed research findings, and we are dismayed and disappointed that
representations by experienced home educators, whose lives may be crucially affected by this exercise, have been sidelined or completely ignored.
"We have been very patient during two years of exclusion, but enough is enough. We feel directly threatened by the prospect of a state sponsored attack on the fundamental right of parents to choose the type of education most suitable for their children and will vigorously resist attempts to impose a state inspectorate of families to dictate the how and what of
educational provision for our children regardless of the individual needs of each child.
"Once again, in the pursuit of the Every Child Matter agenda, the government is forgetting that each child is an individual with individual needs. Home educators are the experts in listening to their own children and meeting their own children's individual needs, and they quite rightly refuse to be marginalised in matters that are of fundamental importance to them. We
demand the right to be heard in any consultation which affects our children's lives and trust that the Cabinet Office will give due consideration to our formal complaint."
AHEd contends that current proposals by the DfES are a matter of serious concern for all parents and children and believes that the state must not be allowed to remove flexibility and individual choice in the education of children or further erode the right of parents to make appropriate decisions in the best interests of their children.
AHEd members are angry that the DfES has completely disregarded the Code of Practice on Consultations set out by the Cabinet Office (3) and has conveniently chosen to consult with selected local authorities who have already demonstrated hostility towards elective home education and who are seeking new and invasive powers which home educating families believe will be harmful to their children. Since the current legal framework will not support the new 'big brother' regime that is being demanded by some local authorities, they are pressing for legislative changes, which AHEd has described as "anti-children, anti-democratic and highly likely to be abused".
Ms Stark concluded: "The current consultation exercise is fundamentally flawed due to the failure of the DfES to follow proper procedures and we believe it should be abandoned forthwith. As the primary stakeholders in any discussions relating to home education, we demand that the DfES include our expert voices in any consultation that affects us. Nothing less will do."
ENDS
For further information, contact Barbara Stark at enquiries@ahed.org.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
(1) See www.ahed.org.uk
(2) http://ahed.pbwiki.com/Complaint-to-Cabinet-Office
(3) http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/consultation/.
For immediate release, Friday 2nd February 2007
AHEd formal complaint: Government department ignores their own guidance. (Families threatened by DfES ignoring the Code of Practice on Consultations set out by the Cabinet Office.)
The recently launched national home education action group AHEd (1) has sent a formal complaint to the Cabinet Office following complaints by its members that the DfES has failed to consult adequately with relevant stakeholders in consultations and policy proposals relating to home education. (2)
Barbara Stark, Chair of AHEd, commented:
"Home educating families are being effectively marginalised by the DfES in what we believe to be a deliberate attempt to bypass proper public consultation on new policy proposals which will affect our members directly. We have discovered that the DfES is introducing bias into the process by using skewed research findings, and we are dismayed and disappointed that
representations by experienced home educators, whose lives may be crucially affected by this exercise, have been sidelined or completely ignored.
"We have been very patient during two years of exclusion, but enough is enough. We feel directly threatened by the prospect of a state sponsored attack on the fundamental right of parents to choose the type of education most suitable for their children and will vigorously resist attempts to impose a state inspectorate of families to dictate the how and what of
educational provision for our children regardless of the individual needs of each child.
"Once again, in the pursuit of the Every Child Matter agenda, the government is forgetting that each child is an individual with individual needs. Home educators are the experts in listening to their own children and meeting their own children's individual needs, and they quite rightly refuse to be marginalised in matters that are of fundamental importance to them. We
demand the right to be heard in any consultation which affects our children's lives and trust that the Cabinet Office will give due consideration to our formal complaint."
AHEd contends that current proposals by the DfES are a matter of serious concern for all parents and children and believes that the state must not be allowed to remove flexibility and individual choice in the education of children or further erode the right of parents to make appropriate decisions in the best interests of their children.
AHEd members are angry that the DfES has completely disregarded the Code of Practice on Consultations set out by the Cabinet Office (3) and has conveniently chosen to consult with selected local authorities who have already demonstrated hostility towards elective home education and who are seeking new and invasive powers which home educating families believe will be harmful to their children. Since the current legal framework will not support the new 'big brother' regime that is being demanded by some local authorities, they are pressing for legislative changes, which AHEd has described as "anti-children, anti-democratic and highly likely to be abused".
Ms Stark concluded: "The current consultation exercise is fundamentally flawed due to the failure of the DfES to follow proper procedures and we believe it should be abandoned forthwith. As the primary stakeholders in any discussions relating to home education, we demand that the DfES include our expert voices in any consultation that affects us. Nothing less will do."
ENDS
For further information, contact Barbara Stark at enquiries@ahed.org.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
(1) See www.ahed.org.uk
(2) http://ahed.pbwiki.com/Complaint-to-Cabinet-Office
(3) http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/consultation/.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Free Speech and Criticism
Oliver Kamm is saying such fundamental and important things right now, that it would be negligent not to link to him.
Schools and Legislation Failing Children with SENs
ARCH, once again, has the story, at the end of which they conclude:
"No wonder Ruth Kelly jumped off the roundabout".
It leaves me wondering (yet again) how on earth the DfES dare to propose impose their systems upon home educators when home educators so clearly effectively solve the problem of providing an appropriate education to all different kinds of children and they so clearly don't.
"No wonder Ruth Kelly jumped off the roundabout".
It leaves me wondering (yet again) how on earth the DfES dare to propose impose their systems upon home educators when home educators so clearly effectively solve the problem of providing an appropriate education to all different kinds of children and they so clearly don't.
Young Home Educating Voices?
The Young Voices Project is currently recruiting for a panel of young people, between the ages of 11 - 21 to create a youth website.
"They'll be able to share their views on the issues that fire them up, discuss and debate freely and generally put the world to rights. It will offer them a forum with the advantages of an online networking site, but most importantly this will occur in a safe and secure environment."
Any HEKs interested? (Ann, Charlotte, Beth?)
"They'll be able to share their views on the issues that fire them up, discuss and debate freely and generally put the world to rights. It will offer them a forum with the advantages of an online networking site, but most importantly this will occur in a safe and secure environment."
Any HEKs interested? (Ann, Charlotte, Beth?)
Ages of Imperial Empires
If your child has ever played the Microsoft version and got a tad confused as a result, this site may be the answer.
HT: Apollos Academy
HT: Apollos Academy
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Carnival of HomeSchooling
to be found here. I found the introduction particularly relevant as I have myself quite recently become very aware of just how extensive, how meaningful and how hugely enabling all those home educating connections really are - and that to include people we have never even met!
In which last regard, thanks to the good folk at The Scratching Post who might just have saved us the trouble of making our own electro-magnet.
In which last regard, thanks to the good folk at The Scratching Post who might just have saved us the trouble of making our own electro-magnet.
The Whole History
..leading up to the proposed consultation on possible changes to the statutory framework for home education can be found here. Thanks EO.
What About Wales?
Given that Education is devolved in Wales and the Welsh Assembly therefore have the last call over this, how much of what is going on in England will affect the situation for Welsh Home Educators? Welsh Home Educators are gearing up. They too are getting ready for action. They just want to know how ready they should be, so the good people at EO are trying to find out from the DfES, but it rather looks as if the DfES aren't too sure either.
For example, with regard to the Education and Inspection Act 2006, which contains, amongst other gems, Section 4 - Children Missing from Education, the DfES have said: "so far as exercisable in relation to Wales, is to be taken to have been transferred to the Assembly by an Order in Council under section 22 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 (c. 38)."
Welsh groups are eager to know more. (Thanks EO.)
For example, with regard to the Education and Inspection Act 2006, which contains, amongst other gems, Section 4 - Children Missing from Education, the DfES have said: "so far as exercisable in relation to Wales, is to be taken to have been transferred to the Assembly by an Order in Council under section 22 of the Government of Wales Act 1998 (c. 38)."
Welsh groups are eager to know more. (Thanks EO.)
Schoolhouse Press Release
From Scotland:
SCHOOLHOUSE SLAMS COUNCIL IGNORANCE OF THE LAW ON HOME EDUCATION
The national home education support organisation Schoolhouse has reacted angrily to comments made by Highland councillors who have inferred a direct link between home-based educators and 'dysfunctional families'. In the wake of representations from its members and the wider home education community, Schoolhouse is now considering making a formal complaint to the
Standards Commission, the body which investigates alleged breaches of the code of conduct for elected members.
Schoolhouse spokesperson, Alison Preuss, said:
"Schoolhouse invites Highland councillors to withdraw the comments they have made about home-based education being a cause for concern and would remind them of their duty to respect and uphold the law at all times. According to Scottish Executive guidance (1), home-based education is a key aspect of parental choice and parents do not require the local authority's permission to educate their children outside the school system. The only consent that parents in Scotland currently require is for the withdrawal of their child from a state school, and this may not be unreasonably withheld by the council.
"Highland councillors have evidently expressed grave concern at the number of children in the area who are being home educated, describing it as 'scary'. But it should come as no surprise that parents are bypassing a school system which is no longer fit for purpose and is widely held to be failing countless youngsters.
"Highland councillors also seem to believe that parents need a reason to remove their children from the school system when, legally, the provision of education is a parental function. Schools are there to serve families and should of course be subject to a rigorous inspection regime so that parents can have confidence in those to whom they entrust their children's education.
"Our own grave concern is that some elected members are misrepresenting the legal position, deliberately or otherwise, and inferring that parents are generally not to be trusted with their own children's education. In reality councils already have adequate powers to intervene if they have evidence that suggests a failure on the part of parents, and claiming that the law is
about to be changed to suit their Big Brother agenda is disingenuous. We are now considering whether to make a formal complaint to the Standards Commission about a possible breach of the councillors' code of conduct as it is unacceptable for elected members to seek to mislead the
public in this way.
"Home educating families in Highland have been asked to speak to the media about their experiences, but none we have contacted is prepared to do so in the light of such irresponsible comments by people who should know better. Research evidence is stacking up that home educated children are more socially adept than their schooled peers and that they consistently
outperform them in standard academic tests. The bad news about home-based education is very hard to find, and a deliberate smear campaign against law abiding home-based educators will not be tolerated."
Schoolhouse met with representatives from the Scottish Executive last week to discuss aspects of the statutory guidance on home education which is currently being reviewed. There are no plans to amend the primary legislation in which "education by other means" is enshrined as an equal choice to state schooling. (2)
ENDS
For further information please contact media@schoolhouse.org.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS
(1) See http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/gcech.pdf (PDF)
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/gcech-00.asp (Online)
(2) Education (Scotland) Act 1980, s30
SCHOOLHOUSE SLAMS COUNCIL IGNORANCE OF THE LAW ON HOME EDUCATION
The national home education support organisation Schoolhouse has reacted angrily to comments made by Highland councillors who have inferred a direct link between home-based educators and 'dysfunctional families'. In the wake of representations from its members and the wider home education community, Schoolhouse is now considering making a formal complaint to the
Standards Commission, the body which investigates alleged breaches of the code of conduct for elected members.
Schoolhouse spokesperson, Alison Preuss, said:
"Schoolhouse invites Highland councillors to withdraw the comments they have made about home-based education being a cause for concern and would remind them of their duty to respect and uphold the law at all times. According to Scottish Executive guidance (1), home-based education is a key aspect of parental choice and parents do not require the local authority's permission to educate their children outside the school system. The only consent that parents in Scotland currently require is for the withdrawal of their child from a state school, and this may not be unreasonably withheld by the council.
"Highland councillors have evidently expressed grave concern at the number of children in the area who are being home educated, describing it as 'scary'. But it should come as no surprise that parents are bypassing a school system which is no longer fit for purpose and is widely held to be failing countless youngsters.
"Highland councillors also seem to believe that parents need a reason to remove their children from the school system when, legally, the provision of education is a parental function. Schools are there to serve families and should of course be subject to a rigorous inspection regime so that parents can have confidence in those to whom they entrust their children's education.
"Our own grave concern is that some elected members are misrepresenting the legal position, deliberately or otherwise, and inferring that parents are generally not to be trusted with their own children's education. In reality councils already have adequate powers to intervene if they have evidence that suggests a failure on the part of parents, and claiming that the law is
about to be changed to suit their Big Brother agenda is disingenuous. We are now considering whether to make a formal complaint to the Standards Commission about a possible breach of the councillors' code of conduct as it is unacceptable for elected members to seek to mislead the
public in this way.
"Home educating families in Highland have been asked to speak to the media about their experiences, but none we have contacted is prepared to do so in the light of such irresponsible comments by people who should know better. Research evidence is stacking up that home educated children are more socially adept than their schooled peers and that they consistently
outperform them in standard academic tests. The bad news about home-based education is very hard to find, and a deliberate smear campaign against law abiding home-based educators will not be tolerated."
Schoolhouse met with representatives from the Scottish Executive last week to discuss aspects of the statutory guidance on home education which is currently being reviewed. There are no plans to amend the primary legislation in which "education by other means" is enshrined as an equal choice to state schooling. (2)
ENDS
For further information please contact media@schoolhouse.org.uk
NOTES FOR EDITORS
(1) See http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/gcech.pdf (PDF)
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/education/gcech-00.asp (Online)
(2) Education (Scotland) Act 1980, s30
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Essential Reading (For Me Anyhow).
Oliver Kamm on Ken Livingstone, Multiculturalism of the Right and Left and the real meaning of Civil Society.
Reason to Be Cheerful
Rather than suffering the slings and arrows of what seems like ill-informed central government diktat, we see this sort of local initiative as the better way forward towards establishing satisfactory relationships between local authorities and home educators.
If second link still doesn't work (for reason I can't work out), try downloading file from here. Wait for first download to complete, then right click on the download button and choose "save target as". You should get there! - Thanks Dani.
If second link still doesn't work (for reason I can't work out), try downloading file from here. Wait for first download to complete, then right click on the download button and choose "save target as". You should get there! - Thanks Dani.
One Very Big Reason to be Cross
If we thought we could sit back and relax for a bit, what with the consultation on "light touch changes to the monitoring of home educators" aka "an Examination of the Statutory Framework for Home Education" being delayed, I suspect we should think again. The reason? Well, some of us had, before yesterday, allowed ourselves to hope that the delay may have had at least something to do with the wide response from individual home educators detailing their objections to the possible proposals in the consultation, but it seems, (OK predictably, but nonetheless still SHAMEFULLY), that the DfES are not going to take such responses seriously.
This because we heard yesterday from Adrian Thompson of the DfES, that the DfES regard local authorities, Home Education Advisory Service, Education Otherwise and another organisation that isn't even a home ed org at all, ie: the Family Education Trust as the stakeholders in this affair. Nothing about the real stakeholders here at all, ie: home educating families.
Complaints about failure to observe Cabinet Office Guidelines on how to conduct consultations are being sent from at least one organisation. Might not hurt to write your own and cc it to the Cabinet Office, the DfES, their legal department, your MP, you name it.
This because we heard yesterday from Adrian Thompson of the DfES, that the DfES regard local authorities, Home Education Advisory Service, Education Otherwise and another organisation that isn't even a home ed org at all, ie: the Family Education Trust as the stakeholders in this affair. Nothing about the real stakeholders here at all, ie: home educating families.
Complaints about failure to observe Cabinet Office Guidelines on how to conduct consultations are being sent from at least one organisation. Might not hurt to write your own and cc it to the Cabinet Office, the DfES, their legal department, your MP, you name it.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Home Education in Dorset
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Links of the Week
*New Sisyphus on Hitchens and Steyn, and Hitchen's improved version of a ten-point plan.
*Norm on the Guardian's disgraceful treatment of the Jewish predicament.
*Little Green Footballs on BBC censorship and the importance of the blogosphere.
*Norm on the Guardian's disgraceful treatment of the Jewish predicament.
*Little Green Footballs on BBC censorship and the importance of the blogosphere.
Why I'm an Unschooling Mom
..from Natural Living.
The first bit of the story is remarkably similar to my own progression from working-outside-the-home mum through to a working mum of an entirely different sort ie: someone who would be on hand to provide resources, answer questions and offer suggestions to my children, whilst they learnt according to their ability and aptitudes.
The first bit of the story is remarkably similar to my own progression from working-outside-the-home mum through to a working mum of an entirely different sort ie: someone who would be on hand to provide resources, answer questions and offer suggestions to my children, whilst they learnt according to their ability and aptitudes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)