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Category Archives: political stuff
All the old chestnuts again – home education is not a safeguarding issue.
There’s a letter floating around Facebook and creeping on to blogs, from a Kent county council employee, referencing new intentions from the secretary of state for education to link HE children to schools and include them in school attainment targets. … Continue reading
Posted in Stealing your freedom, political stuff
13 Comments
Tax, benefits, morality and #spartacusreport
I’ve been arguing with the HMRC website this afternoon. It’s coming up to the deadline for SA returns, and even though I’m fairly sure I don’t owe anything, I have to submit on time or I get a £100 fine. … Continue reading
Posted in Stealing your freedom, political stuff, ranting or raving
Tagged campaigning, disability, spartacusreport, welfare reform bill, wrb
2 Comments
I have been accused of neglect.
Again. Oh no, it’s not the first time. No, it’s not me personally. It’s worse than that in a way. It’s yet another invidious slight against the home education community. This time at the hands of the TES (times educational … Continue reading
Won’t you think of the children?
There’s a journalist on twitter this afternoon rehashing old ground and proposing that home ed families should submit to monthly visits to ensure that their children are safe and not being abused. Leaving aside the issue of how a quick … Continue reading
Posted in Stealing your freedom, political stuff, ranting or raving
Tagged child abuse, home ed visits, safety
8 Comments
School, huh, yeah, what is it good for?
Despite appearances to the contrary, given that we home educate, I’m not actually anti school per se. I’m just not sure I can see the point of it. And I think that there are an awful lot of ppl with … Continue reading
Heads up
Home education mentioned in new consultation document. Home educated pupils 80. The Government also proposes to introduce a scheme allowing local authorities to claim for funding for pupils educated at home where services are provided to these pupils. This might … Continue reading
Posted in political stuff
Tagged Badman, econsultation, home education consultation, pupil premium
1 Comment
A Bit About PR
I have never been much of a fan of PR. For one thing, I would like to see truly local MPs, for another, in the past I had fallen for the “you will never get strong government” line. However, looking … Continue reading
Posted in Tim's Posts, political stuff
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The Right of A True-Born Englishman
MP calls for burkas to be banned in Britain An MP has called for ministers to ban the wearing of burkas, branding it ”offensive” and ”against the British way of life”. Dear Mr Holloborne, how I dress is my business. … Continue reading
Posted in Tim's Posts, political stuff
2 Comments
A quick rant.
I’ve been inspired by an article in a newspaper to have a quick end of year rant. Toby Young is displaying his educational ignorance in the Independent. As the father of three boys under five, I share the Government’s concerns. … Continue reading
Posted in how we do it, political stuff, ranting or raving
Tagged EYFS, nappy curriculum, toby young
5 Comments
Politics – Wish List – Electoral Reform
Proportional Representation I must admit I am not convinced by proportional representation, amongst other things I cannot quite see how it could be achieved without breaking the link between MPs and the localities they represent. At the moment, we vote … Continue reading
I thought I’d seen it all.
This week the submissions to the select committee inquiry have been made public. Many ppl have blogged their shock about some of the contents, or their pleasure in reading some of the reasoned arguments against the Badman review. Ppl have … Continue reading
The difference between community and state.
“It takes a village to raise a child.” – An African proverb, brought into every day western language by Hillary Clinton. I’ve never read her book (despite it sitting on a bookcase in old house for some years!) so I … Continue reading
What’s in a word?
School v education. Homeschool v home education. Different images aren’t they? To me anyway, although mainstream media and politicians in this country for some reason do not seem to see this. Setting aside the implied discourtesy in using a term … Continue reading
People like us.
A very short while ago I rejoined an email group that I was last a member of over 10 years ago. It’s the list that I met Tim on (awww…) and hence Big is known to them as listbabe After … Continue reading
Consultation response.
The consultation is available for responses online. My response follows. I was submission 2042, my understanding is that the usual type of number responding to these things is around 300. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get ten times … Continue reading
Dear Mr Ed Balls and the DCSF- No thank you
Inspired by Helen’s letter to Ed Balls from her blog. Dear Mr Balls I will not give up this fight. These are my children, not yours, not the state’s. I will choose with them what they learn, and we will … Continue reading
It’s hard to know where to start
with the flood of press releases today. We’ve had the government’s full response to the Graham Badman review. We’ve had the announcement of a forthcoming review into the definition of suitable education for home educated children. We’ve seen Graham Badman’s … Continue reading
Posted in It's where it is, Stealing your freedom, home education review, political stuff
Tagged Badman, Graham Badman
5 Comments
Select Committee witnesses
If you haven’t seen the list of witnesses for the select committee the phrase read it and weep comes to mind. From Home Education Forums The Children, Schools and Families Committee will be taking formal oral evidence as follows: Monday … Continue reading
As safe as necessary, not as safe as possible.
Recently, when I was looking for statistics for my post unwarranted government intrusion into family life I came across the RoSPA website, with the slogan “As safe as necessary, not as safe as possible.” This seemed to me to be … Continue reading
Pondering that statement of intent from the home education review.
We all have plans for the future and hopes for our children. It’s kind of what parents do. And it is our responsibility to equip our children for a life in the community that they are part of – sounds … Continue reading
Posted in home education review, how we do it, political stuff
Tagged Graham Badman, hereview, home education review, Paula Rothermel
3 Comments
