I heard this news on the radio this week.  For those of us equidistant between libraries and perhaps also counties, this could be a real blessing! 

Readers can now borrow books from any public library regardless of where they live. The Society of Chief Librarians has announced that 4,000 libraries across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are open for use by any member of the public.

Under the old system, readers could only take out books from their local collection. All they now need to do is show their library card, or proof of address, to access the library they are visiting. Some regions, such as the North West, have already stopped asking for forms of ID for membership. A plan to have a single library card for the whole of the country is also being considered.

Ministers are planning a home delivery system similar to the online DVD rental website Lovefilm.co.uk. Under the scheme, readers would order books online, have them delivered by post, and then return them in a prepaid envelope when they are finished. Users could also be allowed to drop books at libraries other than the one from which they borrowed them under plans to be published by Margaret Hodge, the arts and culture minister, next month.

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There is an article from the Telegraph here. 

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Sarah

Here's a link to a home education article in the Times yesterday.  It makes for interesting reading, some of it even made me laugh out loud.

http://www.timesonl ine.co.uk/ tol/life_ and_style/ education/ article6834367. ece

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Sarah

As expected I ruffled a few feathers with my last post! LOL!  I will answer some of my commenters as well, since they all posted anonymously and without leaving links so I can't reply to them individually!

I DID post that last post up before reading the document since it wasn't actually out yet! I did it on the basis of the articles that I listed in that post. I will say though, that I HAVE since read the report (yes! The entire 80 pages!) and I still stand by my post! 

My thanks to Conrad for being polite in his comments even if he didn't agree with me. And I would ask that others would refrain from calling names and nasty comments in future! This is a blog that I write on and I'm entitled to my opinion just as you are entitled to yours! I haven't gone to anyone elses blogs or websites and called them names for thier views and I would ask the same courtesy here. Thank you. 

I wanted to post some further information that might be of interest to some of you.   

Here is the link to the PDF of the entire document, and the letter reply from Ed Ball. Make a cuppa first. It is 80 pages long! Or you can just skip to the recommendations at the end as they are summarised.

Graham Badman's report  http://tinyurl.com/mxcdul

and Ed Ball's letter to Graham Badman http://tinyurl.com/l7yx4y

Here is a copy of the entire statement that the CofE actually made to the review. They were quoted just on some of the points they said rather than the whole picture - however, I still think what they said about education and children in this country is shocking!

   Now this is what I call a result!! The news is in that the Badman report is recommending mandatory registration but no restrictions on the way we home educate. Whoo Hoo!!!!

   Here is the report on the BBC website.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8093796.stm

Another article on the BBC yesterday with long quotes from Ann Newstead from EO.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8017036.stm

Here is one from the Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5496798/Home-education-crackdown-over-abuse-fear.html

Here is an article in the Guardian this morning regarding the report.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jun/11/home-education-parents-register

The following quotes are from the Guardian's article.

'The schools secretary, Ed Balls, is expected to accept in full recommendations made in a review of home education for mandatory registration to ensure that families are not using home tuition as a cover for abuse.'

and

'Balls told a private meeting of chiefs of local safeguarding children boards yesterday: "His [Badman's] review is based on the need to strike the right balance between two important principles: giving parents the right to decide how and where their children should be educated – because I am clear that parents bring up their children, not government – and ensuring that every child gets the education they need to help them fulfil their potential.'

I find it encouraging that the schools secretary is being clear that we as parents raise our children NOT the government!  I think this is a real result for home education in this country. For starters it validates home education as a viable option for all parents! Yeah!!!

I believe the important thing now is that we don't fight this ruling. First of all fighting so little 'interference' only makes us look like we have something to hide - which we don't! Also, if we are reasonable about registering we will have more leverage to fight them if they try to add unreasonable regulations in future. 'We worked with you this far but now you are pushing it!'

The fact that there are no recommendations to restrict the content of our home education settings is the biggest victory here! We can still do things the way we want. We only have to let someone know we are doing it. Makes sense to me!

-Deedee

***EDIT*** For those of you being directed over here from other blogs please read the following post as well before you comment and please keep it polite. We are all entitled to our own views. Thank you. - Deedee

Get tough on home tuition to weed out abuse, says review

(Home) school's out forever?

Home education case study – the Crawsham family

The Home Education Review - Possible Outcomes

Home education review sparks battle over lack of regulation

   I have made no secret of my views on this issue over the past years. I would love to see mandatory registration so that they know where the children are and so we are all held accountable to do the job set before us.

   I have personally met too many 'home educators' who hide behind the 'autonomous' or 'unschooling' titles to do absolutely nothing all day! I am all for younger children especially having plenty of time to learn through play and exploration, however there needs to be some sort of structure to the activities. There needs to be some sort of guidance and input from parents.

   I feel that being registered would also give a validation! We would be considered a viable option for parents to consider when looking at where to send their child to school. Hooray!

   However, I strongly oppose any move to impose the national curriculum on us, or force the use of any particular curriculum of the government's choosing. As long as we have children who can read, write, calculate and who know about history and the world around them - we should be allowed to choose just what books and materials we use to accomplish that.

   To be perfectly honest, the material used in the schools is simply a joke anyway! We can do far better at home ourselves. We have a foster daughter who has improved her handwriting more in just 8 weeks of working through one of my home education handwriting books than she did all year in her classroom! Her teacher was scratching her head till I revealed what I had been doing with her at home. She couldn't figure out what had caused the improvement!

   She is at the bottom of her class and the help available to her is non-exsistant! We are getting more accomplished at home with her after school and on weekends.

   So in my opinion, forcing the national curriculum on us would be a case of lowering the standards of those home educators who take their children's education seriously! We are simply doing a better job at home.

   Then again........maybe that is the problem here! Maybe they are simply afraid that we will put the schools to shame like the home schoolers in America do! They regularly win national educational competitions like spelling bees and outscore their counterparts in all standardized tests every single year. Maybe the problem here is that we are doing too good a job! We might make the schools look bad - and they can't have that can they?

   I'll post up again when we find out what the final report says later this week. Thanks for putting up with an editorial this time if you have read this far! LOL! My fear is simply that if we fight everything we are in danger of loosing everything! If we are reasonable and agree to at least be registered (which is the minimum requirement in all 50 states of America) then we might win the right to do the job the way we feel is best!

   I know there are those who claim that if we give them an inch they will take a mile. But there is also a case for meeting them somewhere in the middle. People like to think their children are invisible to the government if they aren't in a school or if they keep them from the medical professionals, however if your child has a birth certificate then they are known to exsist! So I dont' think we loose much by saying 'We are home educating this child'. They can tick their box that 'this' child is getting some sort of education and worry about the children who are really missing in our country!

   I laugh to think what would happen if we all registered 'en masse' on particular Monday morning! LOL! Most LA's would take a year to just process the information - let alone have any time to hassle home educators! And there would be no budget for hiring the thousands of 'inspectors' that would be needed to do just one annual visit to each family!

   At the same time we would show them just how strong of a community we can be. Hhhhmmmmm......maybe something to think about. Then we would be the ones pulling the strings if we registered when we wanted to - all in one day! (I just want to be a fly on the wall in the local LA office that day! LOL!) - Deedee

   I'm going to type this post in Brown because to my knowledge there is no political party in the UK with brown as their party colour and I'm trying to be non-partison here! LOL!

   I don't often post political statements and I'm not trying to tell anyone who they should vote for. The truth is that I've never heard of any party publishing an 'official statement' regarding home education before!

   Here is the link to a statement by the 'UK Independant party' regarding where they stand on Home Education. I hope you find it informative! - Deedee

   Yes, you read that right! The county of Essex is paying some parents to home educate thier children!!  And no, these are not trouble makers who have been excluded either.

   These parents can't find a decent secondary in their catchment area and the county agrees - so they are footing the bill!!

   While I welcome this 'backing' of home education as a viable option, I would however personally decline any money's that the government offered me to do the job. We have seen this happen in Canada where they paid home educating parents the money that would have  been spent on that child in school. However, a few years down the line and they started imposing what you MUST teach and what you MUST NOT teach in your own home!!! (ie-NO religious education or religiously produced textbooks)

    Still, this is a huge boost for home ed in the UK. Head over here to the Telegraph's website to read the article for yourselves. It is positive and encouraging! - Deedee

   Sorry to bombard you with posts today, but this was well worth a read! It isn't very often that you have a head teacher defend home education to thier colleages now is it?

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/31/home-schooling

Why point the finger at home-educators?

* Bernard Trafford
* The Guardian, Tuesday 31 March 2009

It is commonplace now to talk about the surveillance society. One agency
after another becomes part of the mechanism, so we should not be surprised
that schools are the latest instrument for checking up on families.

Bowing to pressure after the succession of child abuse cases that has the
media screaming for action, and policymakers devising ever more layers of
safeguarding procedures, the government has asked Graham Badman - chair of
Haringey's safeguarding children board, replacing Sharon Shoesmith, sacked
after the Baby P inquiry - to review the safeguarding and support of
home-educated children. A recent article in the Independent quoted the
children's minister, Delyth Morgan: "If there are problems, we have to look
at the evidence. Home-education is a small but important part of keeping
children properly safe."

In the storm of outrage that followed the tragedy of Baby P, fingers were
bound to be pointed. Inexplicably, they are now being pointed at
home-educators. The estimated 20,000 parents who choose to educate their
children themselves currently stand accused of motives that are suspect at
best and abusive at worst.

Why they are suddenly a target is unclear. Outrageous allegations are made,
and apparently accepted, without proper examination. The Independent
described authorities' fears that parents home-educate to mask truancy, or
to hide forced marriages or children babysitting younger siblings. An NSPCC
spokesperson observed: "We have no view about home-education, but we do know
that to find out about abuse someone has to know about the child." The
inference is made. Mud sticks.

The suggestion is that only if children are in schools can we be sure that
their parents are not abusing them, but the smug moralising is unjust and
inaccurate. Victoria Climbié was not in school at the time of her death, but
she was not being home-educated. Eunice Spry was jailed after abusing her
foster children for 19 years: no one noticed the children's bruises because,
it is said, they were home-educated. But they werefostered. Where were the
social workers?

Home-educators deserve better treatment. I know, because I've been one.
Between 1991 and 1996, when I was a newly appointed secondary school head,
my wife taught our two daughters at home. Those five years were some of the
happiest we have known, full of the joy of discovery and learning. The girls
went back into the system for the secondary phase (their choice) and are now
happy, self-confident, well-qualified young adults with jobs.

It worked for us, but we were regarded as odd. Some friends and colleagues
were profoundly uncomfortable with our decision. People are wary of
difference, but parents often turn to home-education precisely because their
children are different and are bullied in school as a result. Others do it
on principle or, as we did, because they reckon they can offer something
better. For us, the issue was the national curriculum, which we felt had
blitzed primary education.

The image often painted of a secretive approach is misleading: most
home-educators do it openly and network widely. "

Read more here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/31/home-schooling

Don't forget the clocks change this weekend!

Whilst I won't appreciate getting an hour less in bed (as we are 'springing forward'), I love the longer evenings it brings.

Hope you are enjoying spring time!

Sarah

   We have received the following email with the link back to this website. We felt it was important to pass on this information to other home educating families, to keep them informed.

   If you are leaving or have left EO or are looking for another Home Ed organization for any reason, you will find a link to HEAS (Home Education Advisory Service) and another to Home Service (The UK's Christian Home Ed organization) in the right hand column under 'links'.

   Please bear in mind that this is one woman's personal story and her first hand experience of the situation. We know there is more than one side to every story, but this does raise some questions that we feel should be answered by someone.

   We are posting this simply in an effort to make other Home educators aware of what is going on across the UK regarding Home Education. - Deedee

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   If you don't want to read my email below, then just go here...
http://www.takebackyourfreedom.co.uk/section1116.htm

I have kept quiet about EO for some time now, but their latest actions lead me to believe that they are harming the position of home educators in this country. I am sharing my story and a little bit about the current situation in order to warn unsuspecting EO members, what their charity is doing. Feel free to cross post this to other local lists, as people are not allowed to discuss these things on the EO list or the EO forums.

Many of you will know that after 12 years of volunteering for EO, I found myself suspended for stating that I thought the charity had elected certain persons to the council (trustess) who did not have the welfare of the charity uppermost in their minds.  I stated that their position as a trustee would harm EO's reputation at a time  when the onslaught against home education was beginning based on child protection concerns and EO needed its reputation more than ever. I was publicly insulted on this list by a trustee - called a whitchunter and a liar.  I was suspended by trustees at a closed meeting, which I was not allowed to attend. The person who wrote to me to inform me of my suspension as a local contact, did not know anything about it, but was only doing what she was told. I wrote several letters to trustees, asking why I had been suspended, and asking for an apology from the trustee who had insulted me. They did not answer, except to say that they were taking legal advice.

10 months later, I was told why I had been suspended and was offerred an ultimatum - to attend mediation or be sacked. I was told what I would be allowed to discuss at the mediation, and when I said that was not acceptable, I was sacked. Shortly after that, my membership lapsed and I was hoping to leave the whole thing behind me. I had thought that those trustees who were angry with me, and several other former volunteers, would get back to working for their members once they sacked a few of us. Unfortunately, I have spent the past couple of years hearing snippets of news about the behaviour of EO's trustees that leaves me with mouth agape,  wondering what in the hell they think they are doing.

They have now taken two members to court over the release of information about those members with voting rights. There was a bit of an upset over Christmas as the trustees called a last minute EGM in order to vote on changes to the Articles and Memorandum which would reduce the number of trustees, allow them to get rid of anybody they wanted, (which they do anyway) and allow them to be paid by the charity for services. Two members, Kevin Denton and Lizelle Van Den Bergh, asked to be put in touch with other voting members, (signed-up members) in order to discuss the issues. EO refused to give them that information, citing data protection concerns. Mr Denton and Ms VanDen Bergh made a formal request for this information based on the legalities of the Companies Act. You can read all about this on the above website. EO has contested the requirement to release the information and has taken these two members to court.

EO has now stated that personal data of signed up members is sensitive data that they should not have to release because a significant number of home educators are abuse victims, and this is why we choose to home educate. This is an excerpt of their statement to the court. (the claimant is EO)
"8. The Claimant is prepared to indicate to the Defendant which individuals on this list are members of the Company.  Nevertheless, the Claimant believes it would be inappropriate to provide the Defendants with copies of information beyond this.  As can be seen, a significant proportion of the members of the Company are concerned to keep their contact details confidential.  I understand that one reason for this is that individuals who home educate their children comprise a significant proportion of individuals who were abused as children, this often being the motivating factor in that individual deciding to home educate their child.  I also understand that another reason for seeking confidentiality is because in some cases individuals are hiding from a former abusive partner, hence their desire to home educate their children.

So, at a time when home educators are being associated with Child protection concerns in the media, at a time when there is a review of home education ongoing which is related to child protection concerns (concerns which have no basis in fact), the leading charity supporting home educators in the UK has now stated in a court of law, that a significant proportion of us choose to home educate because we were abused as children.

Many of us will be aware of the link between abusers and victims, ie, most abusers were themselves abused as children. I really don't want home educators to be known as potential abusers. We should be known as nothing less than responsible parents doing something exceptional for our children in the face of a failing education system, and government
bullying. Now we have to deal with EO bullying.

The issues about what is happening in EO are no longer about the charity and its workings. It is affecting home educators everywhere. It has been ongoing for a few years now, and while there are still several people who are trying very hard to save EO and get back to working for the promotion of home education and the support of EO's members, I think it
time that members be encouraged to vote with their feet.
If you are a member of Education Otherwise, you should know what your charity is doing in your name. I do make the assumption that several people will feel as I do, that EO is harming the position of home educators in this country. Cancel your memberships- let them lapse- EO is doing nothing for you.

Julie Ridley

Home education in Lancashire has hit the headlines again. 

"LANCASHIRE County Council watchdogs have launched an investigation into the increasing number of children schooled at home", so said a press release from Lancashire County Council.  You can read it all here.   They are appealing to members of the public with experience of Elective Home Education to contact them with their views.   There have been articles in several local papers and a lady called Alison was approached for a piece on BBC North West Tonight.  That was aired last night, Monday, 12th Jan.  You can watch it here. 

She commented,  "Well just done the piece - all very personal with no chance to talk about welfare issues or autonomy I'm afraid but I think (hope?) we came across as fairly normal.

The guy let me brief him though for his spiel and he started with education being the reponsibility of parents, some of whom choose to provide it at home woo hoo!    Alison"

-

Sarah

   First of all I want to thank everyone for the tremendous outpouring of love to the Murphy family at this time. Rob has been quite overwhelmed with the love that has been poured out on their family. He promised to read all the comments and tributes as soon as he is able. At the moment they are just so wonderful it is hard to read them through the tears!

   Secondly I thought I'd draw your attention to the fact that Chrissy was actually named 'Blogger of the week' at the 'Company porch' for HSB! You can go here to read the post and all the links to Chrissy's blog and various fun and wonderful posts she wrote over the years. Be sure to have a hanky handy, especially when you get to the letter she wrote to Deiniol.  What a wonderful gift for him to have all these wonderful things his mother wrote to treasure forever!

   Thirdly I wanted to let you all know the arrangements for the funeral. Rob wrote me this following in an email, so I'll copy and paste it here.

   This is such a hard post to write! I've been sat at the computer for an hour fiddling with other things to avoid having to write this.

   This morning I had a phone call from Papasmurf. He rang to tell me that our dear Mamasmurf, aka Chrissy, went home to be with the Lord last night at 10:50pm.

   She was still in the hospital since it was determined that she was far too poorly to be moved to the hospice as planned. She actually went into pneumonia since I last updated you all. Papasmurf was with her all day yesterday and by her side last night to say 'Goodnight' at the end.

   Thankfully she regained a bit of consciousness yesterday afternoon. Enough for the family to speak to her and for her to respond and let them know she heard them. We are praising the Lord for that small answer to our prayers!

   At this time we have no idea of the arrangements. If it is appropriate and the family wish me to, I'll post and let you know the funeral details. I'm sure they would appreciate your prayers and cards at this time, so if you haven't already contacted me for the postal address and you wish to have it, please email me off list and I'll be sure to email it to you.

   Please remember Littlesmurf in all of this too, as it is hard on him loosing his dear Mum. It might be nice if people popped over to his blog to leave him a comment too.

   I'm thinking that it would be nice to do some kind of tribute to Chrissy here on the UK blog, but I'm not quite sure of what form it will take exactly.

   If you want to write something about Chrissy or you post about her on your blog, could you please send the piece or the link to me so that I can compile them for the family to read? I just thought it would be nice for them to be able to easily read all the things that Chrissy's friends write about her. Sometimes reading what a blessing a loved was to others can be a real joy and comfort in these difficult days ahead.

   Most of all right now, please lift Rob and Deiniol up before the Lord in prayer. They need our Heavenly Father to be especially close to them at this time. And we send our love and prayers to them as well.

   We know that 'we don't mourn as those that have no hope' as the scripture reminds us. Chrissy is in a far better place, out of pain, whole and well again for the first time in many years! She is rejoicing in the presence of her Lord and Saviour! And she is waiting for the day she will be reunited with her family. We actually rejoice for her, but our sorrow if for her precious family who will miss her so, and for us her friends. Our lives have been blessed by knowing Chrissy and we will feel the hole she leaves in our lives. HSB and blogland won't be the same without her. - Deedee

   Sorry for it being so long since an update, but I only managed to catch up with Papasmurf this afternoon after a long game of telephone tag.

   The news isn't looking good I'm afraid. Chrissy devoloped another infection last week in hospital, apparently due to a lack of sufficient care on the ward. The family has made a formal complaint against the hospital today in fact.

   This infection has taken Chrissy on a downward turn rather swiftly. The hospital actually phoned Rob this morning telling him that he had better come in quickly because Chrissy was REALLY poorly! The family has made the decision to move Chrissy as soon as possible to hospice now, in the hopes that she will receive better care there for the time that she has left.

   Papasmurf promised to email me late tonight after visiting Mamasmurf again this evening, so if there is any further news, I'll pass it on tomorrow. Please pray for Papasmurf and Littlesmurf at this time as it is very difficult. They are feeling very helpless to do anything to help her as she is beyond their care now. She hasn't even been conscious for some time now. Please pray that she regains some consciousness so they get a chance to even say 'Goodnight' to her.

   I promise to update as soon as there is any news. I know that your prayers are really appriciated by the family, and they sent their thanks and love to all.   -  Deedee

   Hiya folks! I'm back off my holiday. Thanks to Franbles for doing such a great job on the UK blog while I was gone!! Wow! I think we might keep her on blogging part time with us, she did such a stellar job!

   I thought many of you might be interested in an update on Chrissy, loving known to us as Mamasmurf. I spoke to her husband Rob today. This morning he told me that Chrissy is back in hospital because she was having some symptoms that suggested a possible heart attack coming. So they rushed her in and ruled out a heart attack and ran some other tests.

   She was doing well and he was on his way to see her in hospital shortly after. He promised to give her our love and to keep me informed of any changes so that I could update all of you too. Then the phone rang again this evening and it was Rob again. When he went to see Chrissy she wasn't doing too well.

   She had alot of pain in the night and this morning and they had to put her on morphine to control the pain, but the dose isn't quite right because it was knocking her out! She is very frail, in pain, and not doing too well at all. He thought we would like to know.

   Please remember Chrissy, Rob and Deiniol in your prayers. This is a hard time for them all. We are hoping that she will still gather her strength and be able to come home to them again, but there is a very real chance that won't happen this time.

   I suggested earlier today that some of us might like to send Chrissy cards to cheer her up and brighten her day, and Rob thought it was a great idea! In an email to me later he said that "... if anyone wants to send cards etc to Chrissy they are quite welcome. I'm sure Chrissy will be so pleased to hear from the many friends that she has on the blogs and lists."

   He said it would be OK to share their address with you all, so if anyone wants the address please email me off blog and I'll send it to you. We just feel that is a bit safer for their sakes than writing it out here.

   I promise to keep you all updated as I get any more news from the family. Please spread the word to others who you know are friends with Chrissy. Thanks everybody!