HomeSchooler.org.uk

Message 7471
Re: Children's organisations
We will not agree with the policies of all the childrens organisations however the point has been made that we cannotn AFFORD to exclude anyone and everyone has a right to home educate

Message 7472
Hi everyone, Just a quick message to confirm that three of us from HEAS (two trustees and one young person who had been home educated) met with Graham Badman ...

Message 7477
A note to remind folks that a bit more tolerance and sense of proportion may be helpful or we could find less sympathy being expressed for our cause

Message 7480
http://www.magentanews.com/cache.asp?n=6637608
Make a stand for the basic freedom to home educate
Congratulations on drawing attention to the serious issues raised in your double page spread on home Education

Message 7483
I was invited to meet with Graham Badman and Liz Green -back at the start of April 2009

to quote from the original contact- they said

"We'd be very interested in hearing your views on home education particularly with reference to the Muslim community"
Report follows on this meeting - well worth reading

Message 7500
Education Otherwise recently commissioned a series of videos about home education, and also about the Badman Report.
The first video in the series, entitled "School is Not Compulsory" has just gone live on the Education Otherwise YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/EducationOtherwise.

The direct link for the video is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeBb2eSvOnM

Message 7501
Please can we cross post the list of MPs not contacted to this site

7502
Merits of Lemon Curd and Marmite sandwiches discussed!

Message 7509
B mentioned he had been told of some 'extremist' home education groups."
>

*Liberty*
Some speculation that Liberty may have to get involved.
"I intend to press Liberty on this issue though - the civil liberties side to the HE debate is clear cut IMHO. It will get very interesting indeed if the HE community challenges Badman and any new legislation on human rights grounds without even an acknowledgement from Liberty." #4884
"Key points they would have to address (discussed yesterday) would be:
1. Presumption of innocence. It should not be for parents to prove anything to the state.
2. Warrantless searches. Even freed criminals are not subject to search of their homes without a warrant.
3. Discrimination. Preschooling families are not subject to warrantless searches etc. Why should HE families have to endure this?
4. Breach of right to family life?
5. Breach of right to education according to ones principles?"#4881
Apparently there are moves afoot to check parents at home with four year olds and under(#4886).

*Natural Learning Picnic in Oxfordshire*
This will be on the last weekend in September in a prominent park. Contact 'Sam Martell' off-list for further information. (#4885)

*Alternative Report*
Further discussion about the pros and cons of an alternative report.
Some posters think that an alternative report would be unlikely to have enough impact to deserve the necessary resources.
Others see it as another line of attack and a useful centralised resource for the evidence that Badman ignored or misrepresented.
Suggestion that we submit the alternative report as our response to the 'Consultation'. That way they cannot claim not to have the evidence contained in it. (#4907)
Should it include proposals, and if so then what? Concern that proposals will weaken our position that the status quo is adequate. Concern that lack of proposals will not help us to get neutral MP's onside.

We now have over 600 members, so welcome to all the newcomers and thanks to all
who have made such excellent contribution I know I've found it all very useful.
Anyway, down to business:

HOME ED FAIR in London 19th September 1-5pm(message 3107)
Normally operates as an intro to home ed, but being offered as a forum for
anti-review day. Also highlighting International Freedom in Education Week
http://jipli.free.fr/

LETTER TO LAs:

Survey now closed and once feedback received letter will be reposted, hopefully
by the end of the week. Query whether anything would need revising following
Improving Skills and Safeguarding Children Bill and whether to include funding
implications (see below)

Also suggestions of who else to send to e.g. local press. Offers of financial
support for p&p costs/volunteers to print and send 10 or so are needed (message
3122).

ED BALLS STATEMENT about 21st Century Schools White Paper:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/speeches/speech.cfm?SpeechID=930

IMPROVING SKILLS AND SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BILL:

http://www.commonsleader.gov.uk/output/Page2831.asp Please see message 3126 for
details of how to comment: "The Government is keen to receive your views"...

IN THE NEWS TODAY: (thanks Anne, message 3139)

http://tinyurl.com/m29jmc
http://tinyurl.com/nle96d
http://tinyurl.com/mwvpvy

FUNDING:

Lucas asked why an impact assesment has not been undertaken - apparently
because: "We do not expect them to place any significant additional burdens on
local authorities as most already monitor home education." Naturally many people
have queried how this conclusion has been reached! (message 3155)
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2009-06-29a.6.4&s=Home+education...

NORTHERN IRELAND:

Does anybody know if NI Education and Library
Board have already said they will impliment recommendations (message 3177) or
will have to be passed by NI Assembly?

PETITION TO No. 10:

PROPOSED LETTER TO BE SENT TO EVERY LA
A group have been working on producing a letter to send to EVERY LA (there are over 100 in the country). The purpose of this is to point out the problems with the report and how difficult their job is going to be if it is implemented as it stands. Then, hopefully, they will feed their concerns back into the consultation.

We are expecting the final draft to be posted tomorrow, so please try to find time to check you are happy with it and also if you are happy for it to be sent to your LA, or whether you would prefer to pen your own letter to your LA - in which case please post to let the team know.

They will send one to your LA unless you ask them not to. If you don't want it to go to your LA, please post your LA name, since we won't know where you are!

The thread concerning this starts at #2726.

ADMIN
Please could two more nice people volunteer to Linda to help with daily summaries? That means it will be a once a week job. It isn't so hard now as there is less traffic.

WIKIPEDIA ENTRY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badman_Review
This entry has been set up to provide a source of reference for the general public. It is not a forum for debate and what we write has to be properly backed up by evidence or it will get one of those rude Wikipedia comments on it!

If you are one of our many scribes, you are encouraged to go along and hit the edit button and add more information or correct anything that is wrong.

NEW PAGE ON EO WEBSITE - A GOOD SUMMARY WITH LOTS OF USEFUL INFORMATION + NEWS ABOUT WHAT EO ARE DOING + WHAT WE CAN DO
has been posted on the EO website here http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/heconsult.htm

OFF-ROLLING

Some adminy things first!

.If you post a message with a Link please add it to the relevant Folder in the
Links or Files section so others can find it later.

.We still desperatly need some help with these daily digests, there are 4 of us
at the moment but its not enough!
If you do this please contact me off-list, if you can do any other admin stuff
please add details to the Database! I really would like someone (anyone!) to
tidy up the Links and Files section please and put info in the right Folders,
you all have access to these so please feel free and go ahead if you have time!

.Please check that the Subject: line is relevant to the message you are posting!
If its is not please start a new Post.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
.More replies are coming in from MPs but many are using a standard 'party line'
letter

.Jo has drafted a letter to human rights specialists law firm.

.More suggestions about famous folk we could get on board, please add any you
can think of to the Folder, Tania is tryng to get in touch with Richard Branson

.Many members are contacting the DSCF for an FOI re the figures used for the
Badman report regading the 'higher proportion known' comment. you can do this
by going to
the whatdotheyknow website

e.g. I request that you supply the local authority evidence used to support the
statement "the number of children known to children's social care in some local
authorities is disproportionately high relative to the size of their home
educating population" in paragraph 8.12 of The Report To The Secretary of State
on The Review Of Elective Home Education in England, by Graham Badman.

.Kent Online published an article -
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2009/june/24/home-ed-plans-c...

which created so many responses they wrote a follow up!

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2009/june/25/home_ed_plans_-...

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE REVIEW

A very complex but important analysis of the legal issues of BADman's report is discussed by Ian Dowty and Tania starting in messages 2634 & 2635, this could be very important in future months so worth a read through.

NSPCC COMMENT - BASIS FOR BADMAN REVIEW - BUT IT WAS WITHDRAWN!

(message 2627) As the review was supposedly sparked/fueled by the comments from the NSPCC - which were subsequently withdrawn, should this 'invalidate' the review?

'know the NSPCC has already apologised to all Home Educators recently but:

"(2) If the Badman consultation was based on previous NSPCC comment in a daily newspaper which has since been withdrawn, (why was this not commented upon at all in the Badman review)". ref: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/head-of-nspcc-apologises-for-...

So I complained to the NSPCC about the above apology - which failed to be included in the Badman review, here is the reply:

Thank you for your email.

The NSPCC would like to make it clear that we are not against elective home education. We believe that parents should have the right to decide what education is in the best interests of their children. Following correspondence from parents who educate their children at home, and our meetings with home educating families, we recognise the anger that some parents feel, and that for some educating their children at home was not their first choice, but has come about by their children being let down in some ways by the education system.

The NSPCC is concerned about the safeguarding of all children whether they are educated at home or at school and that is the basis of our involvement with the Government review. We wish to make no inference about any connection between home education and abuse.

You can read our full response to the Government consultation, on the NSPCC website, which is accessible through this link:

DISCUSSIONS
We have been discussing the qualifications and work experience of the proposed
inspectors, how interviewing children without parents would work in practice and
how Ed Balls' letter had a slightly different meaning from the report. (Report
and letter are in the files section.)

There has also been a discussion about the importance of us appearing "above
reproach" so that we don't lose credibility with MPs or the general public. It
was suggested we be careful about grammar and spelling and make sure that we
don't do what Mr Badman himself seems to have done, i.e. selectively choose bits
of the report and take them out of context. Otherwise when our letters lead to
further investigation we might not be taken seriously.

We're still discussing letters to LAs. A draft letter has been produced. Check
out message 2462 to find this thread.

There is also an ongoing discussion about contacting the union(s) of the LA
inspectors.

WRITE TO AND/OR VISIT YOUR MP

107 letters or emails have been sent to MPs and quite a few positive replies are
being received.
Some of these MPs are taking action on our behalf.
There are 562 of us altogether!
If you haven't done this yet, PLEASE do it if you can – you CAN make a
difference.
One MP said that she knows this is a "hot issue", so we are getting through.

We need to get our message to them well before the summer recess. (They are not
in parliament from 26th July to 12th October)
After you've done it, enter your MPs details in the database section and update
with any reply you receive.

Ann Newstead has done some brilliant work listing every MP so that we can see
"at a glance" how we are doing with reaching them.
Thanks Ann! This can be found here http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/mps.
This page also has useful information on contacting your MP.

Some people have expressed concern about giving their address to MPs but they

ACTIONS:
**Contact the DSCF - "If you are directly affected by our policies, we need your practical suggestions for further improvement. Is there a particular piece of bureaucracy that you consider is unnecessary? Do you have a practical suggestion for improvement? We would like to hear from you!"
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/betterregulation/
**Complain to the Press (address in Links or Files) re the article in the Independant where they say Badman stated that "twice as many HE children are know to SS for abuse", where on the review he stated that "twice as many known", he did not say 'for abuse'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/children-educ...

**Contact Dawn Primarolo, the new Children's Minister has asked people to post here
http://community.cypnow.co.uk/forums/p/1272/3309.aspx#3309?DCMP=EMC-Dail...
about issues that concern you regarding her new department. It is very rare that you get a chance to write directly to a government minister with the guarantee of a public reply. Make the most of it!
**get together with other Home Edders and produce a paper petition, a 100 firmly pledged votes either for or against a candidate will help to focus the mind of any MP, especially one in a marginal.
e.g. The Badman Report is an attack on Civil Liberties and Family Life. Here follows a list of your constituents who feel so disturbed by Badman's recommendations that they will vote solely on this issue at the next election.
**email your MP, samples letters are available on site for you so it's not hard and doesn't take long, then please add a record in the Database (Database, contacting local MPs) we have 555 members on here and only 105 have confirmed they have done this, the more of us who do this the more the message will get across,
one local MP getting one email from one constituent peobably won't make a diddlysquat impression, 5 emails might!!
INFORMATION:

NEWS:

*There've been several meetings with MPs and more replies to emails and letters.
Both Mark Field and Tim Farron have expressed intent to table Early Day Motions
expressing concern about the proposals. Many thanks to them and to everyone who
has been in contact with them.

*Roland Meighan has made public his response to the review. This can be found on
the Freedom for Children to Grow campaign site http://tinyurl.com/ldkuqc

EVENTS:

*Jo is willing to help co-ordinate a London event and is looking for other
people to help, ideally in the London area.

*Ann posted to say that the fourth Annual South East Home Educators Beach Day at
Joss Bay in Kent will take place on July 20th, and suggested that someone could
make a "We're not hidden, we're home educating" banner and this event could be
added to those publicising the cause.

REQUESTS FOR HELP & INFORMATION:

*Janet asked whether there were any paper petitons and also if there were any
leaflets summarising the problems with the report that could be printed and
handed out.

*A reminder from Ann that any children who haven't filled in the children's
rights survey do so, as it closes on 30th June.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7FN02SW4ktRkEvwLtk0BWg_3d_3d

*Sarah has joined the team of those writing the daily summary (thanks, Sarah!)
but Linda would welcome more volunteers, so let us know if you can help with
that.

*For those who haven't contacted their MPs yet, try to get this organised before
Summer recess. Remember that MPs will usually require your postal address so
they can check if you're a constituent.

OTHER DISCUSSIONS:

*We're still discussing letters to LAs and who best to send them to. Cintha has
kindly volunteered to help me with that.

*Someone suggested finding quotes from famous people about school, HE and
different styles of learning; a few quotes were posted onlist.

Reminders for today;

*Please add details to the Database if you contact an MP or get a reply.
*Please add details to Admin Database if you can help out.
*Please add suggestions to the Idea's File.
*Please sign the Petition - rejecting the Badman Report

http://petitions.number10.gov.ukEHEreview/

Suggestions of people to contact;

* Unison / Unions.
* Dr Bernard Trafford
* Private Eye
* Radical media publications.
* Liberty

Ideas that have been discussed;

* Using posters in cars, on Community Centre notice boards, talking to PTA
members, postmen, milkmen, church leaders to spread our concerns to parents in
general.

* Chloe is organising her 'HE-ART' project, which was suggested earlier to
collect art work from HE families showing why they love HE. Plan to set up
Exhibition or deliver to No. 10. ( HELP NEEDED )

* Anna is linking with people who can help design some Postcards we can use.

* dawniy is asking people to send their 'home-ed hands' as .jpeg or .gif files
to her at

http://handsup4homeed.blogspot.com/

(they will be sent to Badman & Balls)

* Adele has volunteered to work on a draft letter we can send to LA's - Home Ed
Dept's outlining the problems from our perspective and THEIRS - Higher costs,
increased workload, increased liability, etc.

Topics of Discussion Today

- Badman's references to German/Nazi Laws and links to NU-Labour's plans.

- the response of the USA's 'Home School Legal Defense Association' who are very
concerned about the UK's response to The Badman Report and it's wider
implications.

- will Private School pupils have to register if it is made compulsory?
Are they counted in the figures of 'unknown children'?

- That awful Daily Mail article - comments still being added, complaints made to
PCC, People are researching the story in the article about Mary & Daniel due to
suspicions that A. it isn't true and B. They were NOT home educators (if it is a