2022-05-27
Once again, the government appears to be acting under the delusion that good outcomes depend upon government laws and regulation and that issues of freedom are of little import in comparison.
The Schools Bill was announced in the Queen's Speech, is now wending its way through the House of Lords, and as might be expected these days is long on powers and registrations and authorities, all in the very best interests of the child, obviously.
The problem as ever is the always unspoken but ever underlying assumption that authorities (whether local or national) always know best and should be entrusted with the obligation to police those whose idea of "best" doesn't comply with their own.
In this case, the child's parents.
Controls and supervision (download) of independent schools is to be tightened up (download).
Likewise home schooling is to be controlled.
So it is that local education authorities are to be given powers to compel home-schooling parents to send their children to school if the LEA considers in its wisdom that their home-schooling isn't up to scratch.
It doesn't take much imagination to predict some very bitter confrontations over the adequacy of a home-schooled child's education in matters of LGBTQ+ (apologies if I have left any of your favourite letters out). Or even in matters arithmetical.
Read the Policy Statements here.
Download the policy on Children Not in School.
Read the viewpoint of a home educator Mum who is concerned about government overreach, as published by the Daily Sceptic.
Does anybody really believe that this will improve matters educational to any nationally significant extent?
Read the views of the Local Government Association here.
Does anybody think that parents should also have the right to remove their children from school if they believe that their school is falling short of the standards that the parents expect?
Yes, they do already have that right, so we can now expect some almighty battles between resolute parents and authoritarian LEAs which will be bound to end in the courts.
Which courts?
Family Courts, Magistrates Courts? What kind of legal minefield is being opened up here?
At what cost to the children affected?
And to what overall benefit?
