HomeSchooler.org.uk

"Thank you for your letter of 3 August, on behalf of your constituent, Ms ******** of ******** about the Home Education Review.

First of all I should reiterate that the government supports the right of parents to home educate their children, and that the Badman report does nothing to change that position. It considers carefully the way that government should balance the rights of a child to receive a suitable education, and the subsidiary right of parents to educate children in accordance with their beliefs and philosophies. You will appreciate that this is a difficult balance to achieve, as local authorities have a duty to ensure that no child should miss out on education.

The Badman report has been misrepresented as being mainly about safeguarding. This is entirely wrong, as the main thrust is about ensuring all children receive a suitable education, and the report includes a number of recommendations which will bring about major improvements the way local authorities support home educators in accessing education services. Indeed, the main purpose of home visits is to ensure that children are receiving a suitable education in a suitable environment. There is no question of social workers makig routine visits: monitoring will be carried out by people whose role is primarily to check the provision of education. If child protection concerns were identified during the routine educational visits, things will proceed under child protection legislation as in any other case where there were child protection issues, irrespective of the education setting.

The report make it clear that all local authority officers and others engaged in the monitoring and support of elective home education must be suitably trained. This training must include awareness of safeguarding issues and a full understanding of the essential difference, variation and diversity in home education practice, as compared to schools.

"Dear xxx,

Thank you for your recent email about the important issue of the Badman
recommendations. I apologise for not replying sooner but it has been an
exceptionally busy period in my office. I would like to point out that
the Green Party does not have detailed policy on the proposals
contained within the Badman Report so the comments in this letter are
very much my own personal views, albeit within a policy context that is
very supportive of home education. We are aware that the DCSF is in the
middle of a consultation period which will end on 19 October.

The Green Party has a very comprehensive education policy which can be
found in the Education chapter in The Green Party of England &
Wales Policy and Manifesto for a Sustainable Society (on the Internet
on www.policy.greenparty.org.uk). Of particular relevance to home education are
Sections ED320-322, ED350-357 and ED390.

The Green Party fully supports the principle of home education and
flexi-schooling. Clearly, full-time school attendance is not
necessarily going to be appropriate for all children and we believe
that society should be flexible enough to allow suitable alternatives
such as home education. The benefits of autonomous learning, as you
say, are supported by both US and UK reports which show it is a very
efficient educational approach. I can see that freedom of choice to
decide the way in which your child is educated, especially where a key
factor is the child's involvement in the decision-making process, is an
important emotional and philosophical choice for a parent.

I am therefore very sympathetic to the general tenor of your remarks.
There may be some aspects of home education which need to be addressed,
such as this option being a response to eg bullying but there are a
huge number of positives and much to be gained by interaction between
both systems.

Before dealing with particular recommendations, there are some other

Dear...

Thank you for your letter via e-mail. I am pleased to inform you that I
have signed The Early Day Motion (EDM) mentioned in your letter as well
as another on the same matter.

Early Day Motions
EDM 1784
HOME EDUCATION
01.07.2009
Farron, Timothy
That this House recognises that an estimated 45,000 to 150,000 children
are educated at home; believes that parents should be allowed and
supported to home educate; notes with concern the proposals put forward
in the recent Badman Review; expresses particular concern at the lack of
consultation involved in conducting the review; considers it
unacceptable that local authorities are able to circumvent their
responsibilities to pupils who are being home educated; accepts the need
for a system of support to ensure that home educated children receive a
good quality of education without creating an excessive and damaging
degree of bureaucracy; and calls on the Government to strike the right
balance between allowing parents the freedom to give their children the
widest possible educational opportunities and ensuring that all children
receive a well-rounded education.
EDM 1785
HOME EDUCATION AND THE BADMAN REVIEW
01.07.2009
Field, Mark
That this House acknowledges and celebrates the hard work of the many
home educators in Britain who teach their children to an exceptionally
high standard; recognises the excellent value they represent to the
Government; notes with concern the conflation of welfare concerns with
education issues in Government statements on home education; further
notes with concern the recommendations of the Badman Review which
suggest closer monitoring of home educators, including a compulsory
annual registration scheme and right of access to people's homes for
local authority officials; and calls on the Government to focus on its
own ability to fulfil the Every Child Matters objectives rather than
undermine the independence and integrity of home educators by enforcing

Dear ...,

Thank you for your letter via email regarding the Badman Report on The Review of Elective Home Education in England.

The Review reported on 11 June 2009. The Government accepted the review's recommendations and has launched a public consultation which closes on the 19 October 2009. Following this, the proposals will come before Parliament. MP's from the opposition Parties in the House of Commons have already expressed concerns raised by home educators. On 9 June 2009, Conservative MP Mark Field introduced a Westminster Hall debate where he highlighted that there was a real rear that the Government, under the 'banner of child protection' would try to interfere with freedom of choice of home educators.

According to the House of Commons the proposals for change to home education relates to England only. As education is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland any proposals to introduce the aforementioned Review's recommendations here, would have to command the support of Members of the Northern Assembly.

Yours sincerely,

Gregory Campbell MP MLA

"Just back from seeing my MP, William Hague, can't believe how quickly 10 minutes went. He apologised for his lack of knowledge on education policy but had printed off a copy of the recommendation which he felt were trying to squash diversity.
Passed on a list of concerns in the first place about the independence of the review, how I feel that the results are predetermined after Mr Balls comments in May about access visits, the impartiality of Graham Badman, Chloe being told by the DCSF that registration and access weren't negotiable. Particularly drew attention to recommendation 12 that proves that Graham Badman/Stephen Heppell stand to gain financially. The amount of children known to SS could be disproportionate because of SENs and malicious referrals etc"...

"Dear xxxxx,

Thank you for contacting me about the review on Home Education. I find it incredible that the Government held yet another consultation on the issue of home education. This is now the fourth consultation in as many years; with the latest guidelines, prior to the Badman Report, having only been issued in 2007.

My colleagues in the education team raised a number of concerns about the latest consultation, most notably that the Department for Children, Schools and Families tried to imply that home education was being used as a cover for child abuse. I find this offensive to those parents who often have to make a very difficult decision about withdrawing their child from school. I also find it inconceivable that the Department has not provided any evidence for linking home education and child abuse, other than saying it is yet "another unknown".

I believe it is essential that every child in this country receives a first-class education and one that is suitable to their needs; to achieve that, parents should have the right to choose the education system that best serves their child and home schooling should be included in this choice. Parents, who make that choice, should be entitled to the same presumption of innocence and competence that school going children's parents receive, unless evidence dictates otherwise.

The proposals made in the Badman Review are now being put to a consultation by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which will close on 19 October. Given the strength of feeling that you have about this issue, I would recommend responding to the consultation which can be found at www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations. I will also be sure to bear your comments in mind during future debates about this issue. Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Fraser MP"

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

I just came back from seeing David Laws- he is the Lib-Dems Education minister - Shadow Secretary of State for children, schools and families.

The point of my letter was to point out my objection and I did hand him all the relevant documents which backed up all my concerns

However, knowing full well that what was contained in the letter could never be covered in a half hour session I simply asked him to read it and reference my points back to the Badman review, the 2007 review, current law and statements made by Balls et al.

The actual discussion focused mainly on the right to come into all houses and the differing educational philosophies including autonomy.

He has a good understanding of south Somerset’s LEA and home education as he has visited the home ed centre in Chard. He is already familiar with the issues and opposes any form of dictating what is 'suitable' as long as there is a plan in place. He also said that training is needed to make sure that the councils department in charge and the advisors / inspectors understand autonomy. The important point about whether home ed is included under the Diversity and Equality department and budget as opposed to Education social work/ truancy was very valid.

He also said he would like to see implemented the parts of the review which enables parents who choose to utilise the services offered by schools extended hours, trips, work experience, GCSE etc.

He did however say that seeing as all schools are inspected, so too should educators whose children are not in school but again emphasised he disagrees with changing a parent’s right to choose their philosophy of education.

His main point was that it was possible that out of the unknown 60,000, which he had to agree was a figure not backed by research or evidence, that maybe there were parents who simply never sent their kids to school and who sat them in front of a tv every day and did no education.

The Lib Dems believe that parents should be allowed and supported to home educate. Home education can provide a fantastic opportunity for many young people. However, the right balance must be achieved between allowing the freedoms which many parents are able to use to give their children the widest possible opportunities in life, and making sure that all children are safe and receiving a well rounded education.

It is also vital that we should be able to ensure that home educated children receive a good quality of education. While this is generally the case, it is important that it should be the case for all home educated pupils-without creating an excessive and damaging degree of bureaucracy and unnecessary interference.

It is not acceptable that the LA almost totally washes its hands of pupils who are being home educated. Many home educators will not want or require support, but, if wanted, assistance should be available, for example to help arrange examinations. We also believe that parents should notify a new local authority if they movce to a new area-there is no such requirement at present.

There are a host of reasons why parents choose to home educate their children and we would want to ensure that the childs safety and interests are put first, and that the childs education is given the priority it deserves.

Don Foster

"Dear T----
I completely and totally support you on this and will oppose any legislation on this-- I cannot believe that any Government would try to bring this in.
I will write to Ed Balls with a copy of your letter and also my own views to see what he says.- then when I get the response if you give me your telephone number I will call you and see what more needs to be done. i have a number of home educated young people in my constituency and I am sure they will feel equally angry. I do not think it so necessary for you to come to surgery on Monday- it is always very busy with immigration and housing cases and I have only a few minutes with anyone. We can always make a separate arrangement later Hope that is Ok with you
Best wishes Kate"

Wow - a Labour MP onside!