Commenting here a couple of weeks ago, somebody expressed the view that it would be a fine thing if I were to leave the planet and never again be heard from. The implication seemed to be that I am the only fly in the ointment and that if it were not for me and my unwelcome opinions, then everything would be united and happy in the world of British home education. Alas, it appears now that I am not the only schismatic in Homeeducationville. An exceedingly well know home educator has recently divided home educating parents into the following categories:
"Pleasantly mad but thinking and competent;
The Real Loonies aka two short planks;
The God squad (very strict religious and we barely ever talk to them or hear of them);
Fluffy (very autonomous but a little vague);
Yes sir no sir (UK homeschoolers their ilk who do everything they are told by the LA and live in a bubble);
The government listen to this woman on the subject of home education, so perhaps we should do so as well. There is a little more about this here:
http://sometimesitspeaceful.blogspot.co.uk/
I am interested also in what I have heard lately about the idea that local authorities should operate a ‘traffic light’ system. This means that they should ignore the right sort of home educator, that is to say those from well educated, articulate and middle class backgrounds, and focus all their attentions upon those awful parents living on council estates. This sounds a grand idea and I can well see why another well known and high profile home educator has suggested such a scheme to her local authority. The day before yesterday Barbara Stark, a familiar name to many readers, wrote to Nottingham County Council about this idea, asking,
Dear XXXXX
Regarding the policy for Education (EHE) department dealings with
families where children are being educated at home by their
parents:
1. Do professionals working with home educating families within NCC
use the traffic light system of Red, Amber, Green
a) in relation to safeguarding and promoting welfare
b) in relation to the standard/suitability of educational
provisions?
Yours faithfully,
Mrs B Stark
I have an idea that we are going to be hearing more about this ‘traffic light’ scheme in the future.
"Pleasantly mad but thinking and competent;
The Real Loonies aka two short planks;
The God squad (very strict religious and we barely ever talk to them or hear of them);
Fluffy (very autonomous but a little vague);
Yes sir no sir (UK homeschoolers their ilk who do everything they are told by the LA and live in a bubble);
The government listen to this woman on the subject of home education, so perhaps we should do so as well. There is a little more about this here:
http://sometimesitspeaceful.blogspot.co.uk/
I am interested also in what I have heard lately about the idea that local authorities should operate a ‘traffic light’ system. This means that they should ignore the right sort of home educator, that is to say those from well educated, articulate and middle class backgrounds, and focus all their attentions upon those awful parents living on council estates. This sounds a grand idea and I can well see why another well known and high profile home educator has suggested such a scheme to her local authority. The day before yesterday Barbara Stark, a familiar name to many readers, wrote to Nottingham County Council about this idea, asking,
Dear XXXXX
Regarding the policy for Education (EHE) department dealings with
families where children are being educated at home by their
parents:
1. Do professionals working with home educating families within NCC
use the traffic light system of Red, Amber, Green
a) in relation to safeguarding and promoting welfare
b) in relation to the standard/suitability of educational
provisions?
Yours faithfully,
Mrs B Stark
I have an idea that we are going to be hearing more about this ‘traffic light’ scheme in the future.