HomeSchooler.org.uk

Meeting with Des Turner, Labour MP for Brighton, Kemptown

Saturday 20th June

I went along with all my key points on a small card – so as not to miss anything. Not that I needed to refer to it – I knew why I was there! But did say at the end that I wanted to check that I had covered everything I wanted to. Mr Turner was just about aware of Graham Badman's Review, but only because others in our local group had visited him yesterday. There were 4 people before me, who were each given between 5-10 minutes, before being ushered out. Mr Turner was courteous, but did try to end the conversation several times and I caught him "watching the clock". I was not about to go before I got ALL of my points across and the meeting ended up being almost half an hour.

I did put on "smart" clothes and tried not to be contentious, or militant whilst being forthright!

The issues that I flagged:

• I reject the ALL recommendations made in the Badman Review, in its entirety
• The Review was ill-conceived, ill-informed personal opinion, based on assumption and badly researched facts. Full of "I believe"

• Why is the government conducting yet another review on elective home education? Doesn't it have better things to spend its time and money on?
• The home educators are being used as scapegoats for the government's inadequacy in tackling child abuse

• The Review was not conducted by an "independent" person. A professor of education is by definition not "independent"

• The reference to Germany in the Review is an insult. Do this government really want to use that as a measure of good practice!?

• The recommendations contained in the Review, were they to become law would be an invasion of civil liberties and privacy, which would impact on every family in the land

• There is no correlation between home education and child abuse
• Children in the state system are abused – cited the recent "Little Ted's" case

• Making it a criminal offence not to "conform" will not alleviate child abuse. It will still happen, people with an ulterior and darker motive for keeping their children at home, will go further underground and make the problem worse

• Children do not "belong" to the state, it is the parents' responsibility to educate their children

• We will be proactive in opposing the Review

• Ed Ball's response was disappointing and almost worse than the Review itself

• The term "home education" is a misnomer "education otherwise" is more appropriate.

• Our children are not hidden. Ed Balls and or local MPs should go along to some of our activities and see for themselves

• You cannot measure children, who learn autonomously, against a state ruler

• Many home educators will become "single issue voters"

• Where is the funding going to come from with all these extra children in the "system"?

• We need his support in opposing the recommendations as set out in the Review

• Any committee set up to look at making the recommendations of the Review into legislation, MUST include at least three Home Educating parents

Home educators are diverse – there are many ways of learning, but most of us are "united" on this issue

Des Turner's response, was typical "party line" really. He has not yet managed to read the Review, but said that he would. Also:

• He is going to speak with "Ed"

• He did not take any notes – I did

• Home educated children cannot be seen and need to be registered

• It is doubtful that any bill will get through during this next parliamentary session

• Let's see what happens with the legislation

I discussed each point that he brought up and told him why I did not agree with him. It was bit worrying that Des Turner did not take notes, but hey ho ..... others parents will go and he may get the message eventually. At the end of the meeting I told him that I would be writing to him and also sending another letter to Ed Balls along with a copy to the Prime Minister.