Well, what a month!
We seem to have attracted more than our fair share of bureaucratic bullying and harassment this month.
Now that Education and Child Welfare are merged together under the DCSF, it really gives Local Authorities a huge multi-pronged persecution weapon.
Attack 1
Three weeks ago we received a letter from the local Social Services office, telling us they had received a referral from the Police about one of our children and that they considered the matter to be so serious that it required them to come out and do an “Initial Assessment” of our family.
That term frightened me enormously, as, in my view that is official-speak for “we are taking the first steps to breaking up your family and taking your family away from you”.
My anger and suspicions were immediately raised, especially as we have just finished objecting to the latest review into home education and to the government’s determination to prove that home education is merely a cover up for child abuse, neglect, domestic servitude and forced marriages.
The allegations were that my daughter had sent a letter with personal information about herself including MSN details to an adult man, who was very concerned and had taken the letter to the police.
At the point of insisting on an “initial assessment”, neither Social Services nor the local Police had actually seen this letter, so the matter had a lot of hearsay and rumours attached to it.
Through our own personal research, we got to the bottom of the matter. The whole thing can only be described as a huge misunderstanding and a massive OTT (Over the Top) Reaction – or a conspired effort to force us into allowing people access to our home and our children.
It turns out that my daughter had responded to a pen pal/pet pal advert in a home education magazine and sent off her standard typed introductory letter (in a hand-written envelope).
It appears the parent of the child who had placed the advert had requested that all correspondence to his child be addressed to him.
Apparently he had forgotten that they had placed an advert and on receiving a letter from a female child, got concerned and went to the police with it.
When we got to the bottom of the matter, both the police office and social services lady seemed to be shaking their heads in disbelief that this matter had landed on their desks at all.
Health Services
The next interesting thing was that we suddenly got an appointment card from our dentist- out of the blue- with an appointment for the same child.
Then we got a letter from our local Health Authority advising us that they were missing certain information off their records- i.e. the School my children attend!
Contact Point in full force!
It would seem that, despite huge objections, the Contact Point Children’s database is well under way and that information from every source is being merged into one.
A few weeks ago I wrote to the Elective Home Education department in our area, withdrawing my permission for my children’s details to be on it. I clearly stated that, if their details were included, then I wanted them to be shielded.
I got a very vague, evasive response telling me that they realised that Contact Point could not work if registration was voluntary or that consent could be withdrawn, so this was why it was compulsary.
Attack 2
Having got over the huge stress and anxiety that Attack 1 had caused, we then get a letter from the Elective Home Education department itself, claiming that they have tried to make informal enquires as to whether the girls are receiving a suitable education.
We started home education in 2007 and apart from the initial information pack, we have had no contact from therm since. I told them at the beginning that I did not wish to have any visits and there has been nothing since.
Anyway, their alleged enquiries and purported attempts to arrange a visit, have resulted in them deciding that our children are NOT receiving a suitable education.
They have now contacted the Education Welfare Service to consider School Attendance Orders and we have been placed on the CME (Children Missing Education) Register.
FOI Request for LA’s 60 Question Response Fobbed Off
What is also very odd to me is that I made a request to the LA for a copy of their response to the 60 questions about home education in their area, that they were asked to complete by 6th February 2009.
The first response (about 3 weeks ago) was that they were trying to establish the availability of this document. On asking, I have been told that they have had several requests for this information and basically they are trying to work out which bits they can give me and which they can leave out!
In my view, if they filled in information about home education in their area, then I, as a home educating parent, have a right to know what they wrote because it affects our family.
So, what are they afraid of?
What have they written, thinking that home educating parents didn’t know about this 60 question review (which we were not supposed to) that they don’t want us to see?
School Attendance Orders
If my children have to go back into school at the insistence of the Local authority, then I suppose I would be quite within my rights to demand that they receive at least an equivalent education to that which they are receiving now.
My eldest (14) is preparing for IGCSE’s in Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Physics (taking in November 2009) and English, ICT, German and Spanish (taking May 2010), so we would need a school that provides continuity in those subjects.
The youngest (12) is working towards IGCSE English and Maths. She has done the Biology course and is working on Year 9 Level Maths.
The girls have just done their latest LAMDA Speech and Drama exams. Jacqueline is on Grade 4 and Stephanie is just completing Grade 5, which means she starts the medal levels soon. Those count towards UCAS points.
So any school they have to attend would have to offer continuity in those subjects and disciples.
Jacqueline writes a lot of stories, so we would need a school that encourages creativity and writing, as well as which corrects errors in grammar and punctuation.
As part of IGCSE English, there is a requirement for a solid grounding in English Grammar, so any school would need to continue with that subject.
As all children have a right to an education that is “suitable to their age and abilities”, then I suppose the classes for my children would have to be taught by a native English speaker, in an environment where the first language of the class is English.
Our children have a broadly Christian background, so I would require assurance that they would not be persecuted in the school for daring to mention the word “God.”
So, if we are the subject of a School Attendance Order, and a suitable school exists in our locality, I take it that I can expect the Local Authority to pay for the girls’ ongoing education?????? !!!!!
Hmm, I look at our local schools and I am not overly impressed.
The County as a whole has just under 50% of children gaining the basic 5 GCSEs at A* – C. In our town, there is one school that has over 50% pass rate and the rest are in the 20% range.
That means that nearly 80% of children FAIL to obtain what is considered to be a basic standard of Education.
Perhaps our Local Education Authority would be better spending its time sorting out its own house, rather than persecuting home educating families.
If the events that have happened to us are repeated across the country, I think we will start to see a widespread withdrawal of co-operation from Home Educating families towards Local Education Authorities.
They certainly have not endeared themselves to our family!
Having got all that off my chest, I wish you a wonderful day.
Amanda Goldston
Tags: children, home education, igcse by Amanda
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