The last bit of the press note

I'll attempt to conclude my scrutiny of the NCSF press note about the Review into Elective Home Education.

After summing up the aims of the Elective Home Education Review the press note again cleverly connects "children missing education" and "home education".
It would have been really easy to construe a sentence with both the popular phrase "right to balanced education" and "home education" in it, but obviously that might have veered the minds of readers in a different direction. It's all about suggestion. Very clever.
And it works, as you can see in this scary example of misinformation (Thanks, Debs!).

The press note ends quoting Graham Badman, who will be leading the review. At this moment I'll give Mr Badman the benefit of the doubt. I've read quite a bit about the work he is and has been involved with, but I do not know enough about these cases to have an opinion about the quality of Mr Badman's work. I know enough of the workings of the media not to form an opinion based on the so-called 'public opinion'. To me Mr Badman is a kind of a judge in a court of justice, and without profound knowledge of the cases concerned, I couldn't possibly form an opinion about the quality of his work, purely based on his verdicts.

Mr Badman, too, acknowledges the right of parents to choose to home educate, and he promises to "discuss all the issues with home educating families, local authorities and other key stakeholders" - who would they be? - "[and] investigate whether the current system adequately supports these rights and responsibilities" - see, that's hopeful, he mentions both rights and responsibilities - "and if not, I will make recommendations for improvements."

So there it is. This to me sounds like an open invitation to elective home educators to provide Mr Badman not only with information about how seriously we take our responsibilities, but also about whether we feel the "current system adequately supports these rights and responsibilities".
The very fact that this review is necessary because (a lot of, not all!) local authorities and other agencies have not enough knowledge and/or understanding of the existing legislation and guidance to adequately remove the bee from the Baroness' bonnet should lead to a recommendation for improvement of the training and work methods of local authorities and agencies.

I know I am lucky to live in Cumbria, where we have some excellent LA people, who are positively supportive of EHE and who make an effort to communicate with our representatives. I have only had brief dealings with them when I was having problems trying to get my eldest into mainstream education - LOL to the irony of that! - and thanks to the interference of the - then - LEA my daughter got the place she wanted. I know many examples of positive cooperation between home educators and LA's in this county. It is possible. And all within the existing law and guidance.

The Editor's Notes of the press release again indicate that there is no intention to provide well-balanced information. There is no mention of Section 7 of the Education Act 1996. There is no mention of the organisations representing home educators in this country. And of course there is no mention of conclusive evidence or even probable grounds for the vile accusations about child abuse.

Of course not. Because there aren't any.

Going back to the beginning of the EHE Review

In an attempt to fully understand what has actually instigated this whole review I was re-reading not only the invaluable amount of information on Gill's blog, but also a lot of other articles on this subject.
And this time I made a point of reading that very first press notice word by word. I cannot but have great admiration for the person (spin doctor, I think you Brits call them) who wrote this. It's a clever bit of suggestive writing and I'd guess the author got paid extra for every time he managed to get the words "safe(ty), health(y) and education" in the same sentence. With an bonus for welfare.

Apart from all these clever little tricks - another one is mentioning "children missing education" and "home education" in the same, first sentence - I was amazed to read on what arguments the Baroness Delyth Morgan managed to get funding for this review, involving many - undoubtedly highly paid - experts.

First she confirms the parents' right to choose to home educate their children. She immediately adds that "a very small number do". Of this very small number, she says, "the vast majority do a good job". So, we may conclude that the vast majority of a very small number of people do a good job, in the eyes of the Baroness.
Then we come to the crux of the matter: "There are concerns" - unspecified and therefore subjective - "that some children are not receiving the education they need. And in some extreme cases, home education could be" - note: COULD BE - "used as a cover for abuse."

Well, I'll be the first to agree that we cannot allow this to happen and I will do everything I can to help ensure children are safe, wherever they are educated. Because I totally agree with the first sentence in the second paragraph, that "everything possible should be done to guarantee all children their right to a balanced education in a safe, healthy environment."

As a dedicated elective home educator (EHE) with enough experience within the school system I do not even need to see the statistics to know that the amount of children within the school system who do NOT enjoy a "balanced education in a safe, healthy environment" vastly exceeds the "very small number of children in elective home education", of whom the vast majority is without a doubt receiving "balanced education in a safe, healthy environment", let alone the number of children the Baroness has - up to now unfounded - concerns about.

I wish I was given the job to "look at whether the right systems are in place that allow local authorities and other agencies to ensure that any concerns about the safety [and] welfare of home educated children are addressed quickly and effectively". In the six years I've now lived in this country I've personally met at least ten people, in my county alone, who'd be able to answer that adequately. I think I'd need a day or two - including long tea and lunch breaks - to gather enough information to write a nice and absolutely solid report. And I could without too much trouble put together a team of people who are not only experts on elective home education and the laws and legislation that relate to it, but who could also train local authorities and other agencies to know what they need to know on EHE, as well as on the existing and efficient legal tools to make sure the mentioned concerns are addressed quickly and effectively.

But never for all the money in the world would I want to have to do a similar job when it wasn't only about home educated children. Not only would I just not know where to start, I think it would break my heart. I can just about manage to deal with my own memories and the stories of people around me about unhappy children, unfulfilled needs, abuse, bullying and inadequate education in schools.
Hmm, maybe that's why the Baroness chose to go for home educators...

Back to the DCSF's press note, now.
At the end of the third paragraph it says: "There are no plans to change parents' well established rights to educate their children at home."
Yet, two paragraphs further along DCSF finds it necessary to include a comment of Diana Sutton, Head of policy and public affairs at the NSPCC:
".... We believe the existing legislation and guidance on elective home education is outdated. We support the view set out by the London (LA) Children's Safeguarding Leads network that the government should review the legislation to balance the parents' right to home educate their children, the local authorities' duty to safeguard children and the child's right to protection."
Why include this comment if "there are no plans to change parents' well established rights to educate their children at home"?

I will not go deeply into the Five Outcomes of the ECM here, apart from saying that I find that whole document an appalling bit of propaganda, that aims to appeal to people's good intentions. Who in their right mind would want to say they do NOT want these five outcomes for their children? Shockingly missing from the whole ECM programme is the word "happiness".

Upon reading the task set for the EHE Review I become slightly more optimistic. If the Reviewer takes this literally there might be hope for EHE after all. And maybe even for children in a school age in general.

The first thing to be investigated is:

"Whether local authorities and other public agencies are able to effectively discharge their duties and responsibilities for safeguarding and ensuring a suitable education for ALL CHILDREN."

Ah! Not only children in EHE! But... but... but... Why is the consultation not aimed at parents of all children then? Why is EHE singled out? Do I misread what it says there, or are they really going to investigate all children?

The second:

"Whether home educating parents are receiving the support and advice they want to ensure they provide a good, balanced education for their children."

Well, that might be good news for us! We can either just say: No thank you, we're doing fine! Or maybe we can ask them to suggest making EHE parents exempt from this new everybody has to have a paid job-mania. Or exams and educational material available at no cost. Or... or... Well, my panel of experts could undoubtedly come up with a good long list of suggestions!

As to the third one:
"Consider what evidence there is to support claims that home education could be used as a 'cover' for child abuse such as neglect, forced marriage, sexual exploitation or domestic servitude"

The Reviewing Committee would be wise to first find out where these claims come from and what they are based on. But how on earth can you find hard evidence for something that COULD happen? Uh? Or is that my lack of understanding of the English language?

Anyway, I'll leave the rest of the press note for what it is, for now, as it is way past my bedtime and I must admit that this whole ruddy business has taken away a lot of energy that I usually apply to ensure that my children enjoy a balanced education in a safe, healthy environment.
So may the most important recommendation of the Reviewing Committee be that to ensure that children in EHE receive a balanced education in a safe, healthy environment, their parents should be allowed to get on with it instead of being bothered and bullied by yet another consultation.

Computers and Peace

The other day we were discussing freedom and world peace. You know, as you do over dinner.
And I remembered a passage from this book I translated from English into Dutch in 2000, when life was in more of a turmoil than usual for us, because we'd taken the children out of school and were just starting on the path of 'unschooling', at the time totally illegal in Holland. The only reason I managed to do this translation is because the book gripped me right from the beginning. It became a lifeline to me and each chapter brought me a new and very valuable insight.
The book was 'Zen Computer' by Philip Toshio Sudo.

Here's the bit I read out to my dearest and nearest:

"For as much as technology transforms our lives and society, Zen Computer says true transformation - the kind that's authentic and profound - will not come through technology alone, but through the transformation of people's souls, one by one by one. It says salvation arises from self-awareness, not better tools and faster communications; that world peace stems from inner peace; that freedom for all people demands first the self-discipline of each individual. To cultivate self-awareness through the use of tools and communications - this is the hard work Zen Computer seeks to support. Only then will we elevate our humanity."

It was and still is food for thought and contemplation.

Learning from Life

Our eldest daughter has a new job.
A job that - in my opinion - really suits her.
A job that she holds no paper qualifications for.
I am so happy for her, because I know this is the kind of work she really wants to do. And in my mind, it's the kind of work she's cut out to do.
She's going to be a support worker with MenCap, working with adults and children with learning disabilities.
Ever since she started to think about what she wanted to do she's said she wanted to work with horses and with special needs people.
She did the Horse Management Course in college, but it wasn't satisfactory for her. Too much aimed at 'the industry', while her interest lies in the connection, the bond between horses and people.

For her work experience she went back to Holland, to the riding school she used to go to when we lived there. They are specialized in working with children with special needs.
By the time she came back to England - not entirely by her own choice - all she wanted to do was earn money and have a good time. Go shopping. Party. Make friends.
She got herself a job in Tesco, which gave her the money and the time and opportunity to do what she wanted to do. But soon she started to realize that working without job satisfaction was only okay up to a certain level. And she didn't want to do it for the rest of her life.
Then we saw this job in the paper. And we talked about it. I could see the sparkle in her eye, I could sense her intention when she went to fill in the application forms. And I prayed that she would get the chance to go for an interview, because I was sure her intention would be clear to other people, too.

The invitation for an interview came. She was really nervous to start with. But then she started to prepare herself. Reading more about MenCap on the internet and in the leaflet they'd sent out. Buying the same perfume her clan-sister uses and wearing it to the interview, so she felt her much loved and supportive clan-sister was with her.
I drove her there and it literally felt as if the car was filled with purpose. I dropped her off and an hour later picked her up again.
She was all smiles and totally relaxed and said that, even if she wouldn't get the job, she was really happy with how the interview went and she was proud of herself. Big thing for someone who's suffered from a fear to fail and insecurity for a long time.
There had been three people and at first she'd felt slightly overwhelmed. But once she got the chance to talk she came into her comfort zone. She'd told them how it had been growing up with a brother with Asperger Syndrome and what she'd learned from that. She spoke of her work with horses and special needs children - and I know how she radiates enthusiasm when she talks about that. They'd asked her if she'd be prepared to do the necessary training and she'd said she'd love to and explained she learned best when it was coupled to 'real life'.
They said they'd let her know within the next couple of weeks whether she'd got the job, but we'd only been home ten minutes when they were on the phone to offer her the job!

It'll be part time to start with and they'll fit it around her hours in Tesco. That's good, because she wants to get her drivers' license and she wants to move out. So she'll need the cash. Once she's completed the training they'll be able to offer her fulltime employment. That's an excellent incentive for her and I'm sure she'll do what it takes.

For me it's hugely satisfying to once again see that autonomous education does work.
It's funny, actually.
As is custom in Holland, we sent birth announcement cards to friends and family when she was born. At that time totally unaware of home education, let alone autonomous education or child-led learning, I'd asked a friend of ours to make this drawing of a man and woman asleep in bed, with a balloon above their heads showing the dreams and expectations they were having of their child.

On opening the card there's this baby, peacefully asleep, and a text above her head:

Isn't it amazing how true this has turned out to be!

Creating confusion and pigeon holes

I can't believe it! I thought I'd posted on here not so long ago, but it's been almost two months!!
I really need to keep this up. For myself. Because my memory seems to be less adequate than when I was younger - haarrrumphh - and blogging was supposed to be a substitute for diary writing.

I just wanted to sum up a few short conversations I've been having in the past couple of months, about home education. You know when you're somewhere and people start bragging about how well their children do at school and all that, and then they ask you: "What school do yours go to?"
If the children are with me, this is the point where they disappear. They've heard it all, said it all. Been there, done it, got the T-shirt.

So, I answer: "They don't go to one particular school, we home educate."
One of the often heard responses to that is:
"Ow, I could never teach my own children!"
To which I always reply:
"No, I couldn't either."
And then I take a deep breath and get ready to explain about autonomous learning, the Natural Curriculum, and so forth, and so forth. If people are really interested, that is. There used to be a time when I'd find myself explaining all this to someone who looked more and more bored and confused by the minute. They just wanted to 'socialize', you see. Not get involved into any deep discussions...

Socializing is of course a big issue with people who have their doubts about home ed.
One of my favourite responses when people ask if there's not a problem with socializing, is:
"I don't know, they've been too busy recently to discuss it."

The other big Q is obviously about qualifications.
"But how will she get her GCSE's?"
"Natural Curriculum does not do GCSE's."
"But surely she'll need qualifications to get on in life."
"Then she'll get the ones she needs to do what she wants to do."
I very often end up explaining that, when a home educated (young) person really wants to do something, s/he'll either talk their way into it with a portfolio or some other testimonial of their qualities, or actually goes and does the exams.

At a wedding reception I got talking to this teacher woman, who, when she found out we were home educators, had disapproval written all over her face. After the usual above questions, she asked me if I didn't find it difficult to be a mother and a teacher at the same time.
I smiled and said: "Why? Do you find it difficult, then?"
"Well, I wouldn't like to teach my own children."
"Oh? Why not?"
"Because you need a completely different set of tools to be a teacher, compared to a mother."
"I see. That's interesting! So, what's the difference?"

It would take too long to copy the whole conversation here, but I quite enjoyed myself by just asking questions, really. She was talking about discipline, how you needed that as a teacher more than a mother, and obviously, in the end she couldn't deny that as a teacher you need to exercise more discipline because there are too many children to allow individuals to - for instance - ask questions to which the answers wouldn't fit in the time assigned to that particular lesson... and you need discipline because there just isn't time to try and find out why certain children are restless, upset, anxious, happy, or whatever... you need discipline because you can't have them talking and 'socialising' with each other while you're trying to teach... you need discipline in the school yard because their 'socialising' often gets out of hand, because they have to cramp all that energy and wanting to get to know each other in those fifteen or twenty minutes...

It was fun, because it wasn't really me saying all these things, it was her answering my questions. I don't know if she now hates home edders even more, or maybe maybe realises there might be another angle to home ed, that up to now she hasn't seen.

We are in the process of becoming foster parents and one of the Placement Consultants came the other day, to fill in all kinds of forms and have a first informal chat. Myrna is very keen about fostering and wants to be involved with the whole procedure. So she sat in on the chat. Obviously, the subject of home education was raised. And would we not find it difficult to have a foster child who'd have to go to school. No, we wouldn't. And obviously, the woman wanted to know what Myrna felt about being home educated, did she not feel lonely at times? (Maybe she thought that was the reason Myrna was so keen on having a foster child?)

But never mind, because Myrna set her straight with a very convincing and fiery plea for home education, starting by saying that she felt a lot of children in school were very, very lonely indeed, because quite often nobody had time to listen to them, talk to them. Hurray for Myrna, she brought a smile on the woman's face.

Check it out!

To keep you in the picture I've created a blog on which I post only photo's with short comments. You'll find it here!.