HomeSchooler.org.uk

Barry Sheerman, Chair of the Committee:

" "What I would suspect, and what my colleagues suspect, is that you will
never be able to eradicate them, you will not."

Even in Denmark, which the committee visited to learn from its well-regarded
child protection and care system, there was still a "fairly serious"
problem.

He said it was important not to have a knee-jerk reaction following a case
like Baby P.

Mr Sheerman told MPs: "There is sometimes a danger that all the resources,
after a tragic death, are rushed into child protection and can actually
starve the resources for the support of families and good quality social
work."

" http://news.independentminds.livejournal.com/3311882.html

" Children should not start formal schooling until the age of seven,
bringing the UK in line with many EU countries including Norway, an
influential Labour MP (Sheerman) has claimed."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/yourview/1525380/Should-formal-schooling...
delayed-until-age-seven.html

Dear Mrs Bodycote

Thank you for your e-mail of 15th June and I absolutely agree with your position that "the Government casts aside another liberty" to use Mark Field's comments. It seems to me that home education can be just as good if not better than education in a school.

I understand that the findings of the Badman Report have been accepted by the Government. There appears to have been very little public debate about this and I share your concerns. Therefore, on your behalf, I have written to the Government to express your unhappiness.

I have also written to the Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for Education to ask whether the Conservative Party have a fixed position on this. You will understand that, not being in Government, we do not have a view on everything, but I suspect and hope that we will take a view on this that we should not interfere in reasonable arrangements made by individual parents to educate their children at home.

I was very interested in your e-mail and, candidly, I agree with almost everything that you have said. I would have thought that this Government should concentrate on getting our schools up to a better standard so that all children can enjoy a decent education in our schools, rather than trying to control and dictate to parents who believe that they can give their children a better education at home.

with best wishes,

yours sincerely,

Andrew Robathan

"After the uncertainty of the past few weeks, the new ministerial line-up at the Department for Children, Schools and Families is now complete. Lauren Higgs investigates what it means for future policy.
First Beverley Hughes goes. Next, against all the odds, Ed Balls stays put. Then Dawn Primarolo becomes the new children's minister.

As if that wasn't enough drama for one week, Gordon Brown appointed three other new faces to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), boosting the ministerial crew from five to seven."...more...

Ramping up for the extra work..?

Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

Balls is responsible for all policy in the Department for Children, Schools and Families

Vernon Coaker, Minister of State for Schools and Learners

Responsible for school standards, the national curriculum, 14-19 education and diplomas, schools funding, the schools workforce and Building Schools for the Future

Dawn Primarolo, Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families

Responsible for the teenage pregnancy strategy, family policy, parenting support, Sure Start, childcare, early education, extended schools, youth justice and Every Child Matters

Kevin Brennan, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs, jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)

Responsible for further education, apprenticeships, engaging employers in skills and sector skills councils

Diana Johnson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools

Main areas of responsibility are school admissions, special educational needs and the national curriculum

Baroness Delyth Morgan, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families

Main policy areas are safeguarding and child protection, drugs and alcohol, sport and healthy eating

Iain Wright, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for 14-19 Reform and Apprenticeships

Will lead on apprenticeships, 14-19 qualifications, 16-19 funding, work-based learning, Neet young people, the Young People's Learning Agency and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Other relevant figures

Peter Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills

Responsible for all Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) policies

David Lammy, Minister for Higher Education and Intellectual Property, BIS

Responsible for building relationships with the higher education sector, higher education teaching quality, higher education strategy, student support policy and student grants and loans

Gillian Merron, Minister of State for Public Health Department of Health (DH)

Responsible for children's public health, health inequalities and health improvement programmes covering smoking, alcohol, drugs, diet and nutrition, physical activity, obesity, sexual health and abortion

Phil Hope, Minister of State for Care Services, DH

Responsible for social care, local government and care partnership, learning and physical disabilities, disabled children, child and adolescent mental health services and prison and young offender health

Ann Keen, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health Services, DH

Responsible for healthcare quality, including children's health services and maternity services. Also leads on DH workforce issues

Helen Goodman, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Work and Pensions

Responsible for the government's child poverty unit

Ministry of Justice

Maria Eagle