HomeSchooler.org.uk

Some gems in there - Dr Paula Rothermel notes for example: "At our first interview Mr Badman was interested in what I had to say. His opening question was to ask me if home educating mothers suffered from Munchhausen's by Proxy. I thought this to be a curious starting point - that of questioning whether home education is a symptom of mental illness."

"The Home Educated Youth Council (HEYC) have been distressed to find that, in spite of being rejected by a government committee, Maggie Atkinson is to be appointed Children’s Commissioner for England.

Dr Atkinson has been viewed as the prime candidate for the prestigious post, and was reported by the Children, Schools, and Families committee, which monitors the goings on in the DCSF, as not being motivated enough to stand up to the Secretary of State."

Assorted commentary...

A Response to Graham Badman‟s Report to the Secretary of State on the Review of Elective Home Education in England
and reaction to the CSF Select Committee hearing
on Monday 12 October 2009

"Here are my tweets done live during the session, missed some names again but here it is!

Members introducing themselves. Lady from Chard first. Says their relationship with LA good, balance of power even
Jane from HEAS. Fiona from EO. Carol from Autism in Mind. Simon has a 16 year old."...

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=4735 start at
00:59:00

BS: Fed up that Colin Green did not come – discourteous.

Paul Ennals, National Children’s Bureau
Ellie Evans, CME and EHE, West Sussex County Council
Peter Traves, Association of Directors of Children’s Services
Philip Noyes, NSPCC

Please introduce yourself and your org’s position.

PE: Member of advisory group for Badman. Much more support than should be offered to EHE; significant safeguarding concerns for small minority of EHE children; area of public policy riven by disagreement – want to help make it more harmonious.

EE: Member of advisory group for Badman. Conflict between CME and EHE legislation. Difficult for LA to look after children when a legitimate group are under the radar.

PT: Interviewed as part of review. ADCS welcome review – think it is balanced and sensitive but the way it is presented is key. It is about relationships between LAs and EHEs – needs to be positive. LA must assume that most EHEs do good job but we cannot not be aware of a si minority of children (EHEs). Registration is nec but current visits are seen as heavy hand – need to change that relationship. Need supportive relationship.

PN: Most children grow up well and happy but a minority do not. We have no view on EHE but we want to be sure all grow up well. Also concerned about children under radar. Think Badman is good – well written. Need not to offend people who do good job but need to find children under radar.

BS: What about quality of Badman?

9:40 Barry Sheerman introduces meeting and welcomes witnesses. Intros

Zena: From Chard - good LA – review recommendations will undermine relationship with LA and make it unworkable – equal balance of power atm

BS: Good relationship – don’t want boat rocked?

Z: We were approached as cult minority and open dialogue; good things achieved

Jane Lowe (JL): HEAS, retired EHE, ex-teacher, fully involved with EHE. Concerned about review – hasty, ill-considered, won’t achieve what it sets out – independent study of costs

FN: EO GPG, EHE parent – good relationship with LA in Sheffield, meets many LA officials, broad experience – review

Carole Rutherford (CR): AiM – support parents with ASD children; report rushed and SEN was an add-on. Not enough time in committee

Simon Webb (SW): 16yo EHE

Graham Stuart (GS): Discrepancy between articulate representatives of EHE and LA’s experience with inarticulate majority

JL: freelance, 1-1 work; LA knows children with problems also known to other services. A number of such children in all LAs, but Badman recs are not going to address the issues – they are already known and are not EHE.

FN: agree but also danger of anecdotal evidence – everybody has diff experience of EHE in LA, need more research into community – look at 20K known EHEers – EO started to do research. Anecdotal evidence will skew policy

Z: take enquiries and support EHEers. Not all EHEers are vocal and articulate but they are in contact with the other EHE reps.

BS: CR, do you agree with FN on research?

CR: Absolutely – need research into SEN. Cannot say all SEN children OK in EHE but parents of SEN under too much pressure to comment directly

GS: More research? Do you all think Badman did not do enough research? Stats do not bear scrutiny?

All: Yes, agree.

FN: Yes – GB not robust or academic and work needs to be done. EO has sent Qs to LA

BS: Is it not strange we don’t know how many EHEs there are?

FN: Yes

"As I intimated early this morning, the Select Committee has not been helpful.

Here is today's blaring headline:

Children educated at home at severe disadvantage, study shows - Home pupils more likely to be known by social services and be out of work, education or training

And here is rest of the article from the Guardian, which leads like a Badman's dream:

Children educated at home are twice as likely to be known by social services and four times more likely as young adults to be out of work, education or training than those who go to school, MPs have been told."...

"If you should still happen to need another good reason why you should abandon even the broadsheets in favour of the evolving, critically-evaluated information that spills from the internet, you need go no further than this extraordinarily ill-informed, misleading and in places pure darn stupid piece in the Guardian."...

Right, which is it, Mr Badman? Are you or are you not interested in listening to the views of children?...