'The parenting police' - you hit out at home education plans
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by Patrick Gearey
Parents are hitting back at plans for what they believe are Big
Brother-style powers to inspect home schooling.
The plan forms part of
a wide-ranging shake-up in the way parents who choose to teach
their children at home are monitored - but a number of contributors
to KentOnline have criticised the plans for being too invasive. One
contributor - 'Firebird' - believes it is a step too far, aruging:
"What [Graham] Badman recommends policing is not simply home
education but parenting.
"Under this government parents are considered unfit unless
checked and approved by an ever growing list of
'professionals'."
Others echoed the view that councils already had enough powers
to regulate home education.
Tessa Protheroe wrote: "Local authorities already have powers to
monitor - parents can have a visit or submit a report. The
authorities can issue a School Attendance Order if the educational
provision is not satisfactory."
A reader called ‘Alanna1’ commented: "So what has happened to
the basic right of every citizen in this country to be assumed
innocent of a crime unless proven otherwise? Under these new
proposals home educating parents and their children will be
forcibly inspected, even if there is no evidence or cause to
believe that abuse is taking place."
Tania agreed, writing: "Rights to inspect work places are one
thing...the home is another. School inspections are warranted by
the necessity of proving to parents that their delegated legal
responsibility to provide education is being fulfilled."
Rachel, an early years teacher, points out that parents already
look after children for much of the time without the need for
inspection.
"I think the review has missed one vital point - what about the
13 weeks a year that school children are not seen? Shouldn’t all
children be checked regularly during the holidays as well as all
under-fives not in nursery or pre-school, if children educated at
home or not seen regularly are at such perceived risk?"
But there was some support for the proposal. Martin Frey
sympathised with angry home-educating parents but thought it was
necessary to have controls.
He said: "School is often the first place where problems with a
child's home environment are noticed. Children who don't go to
school must be inspected - or all kinds of terrible things may go
on unseen."
Thursday, June 25 2009
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