This is a no-brainer for some local authorities.  How can we possibly ensure all children are safe if we can’t see them?  How can we possibly ensure the child’s voice is heard if we can’t talk to them? I think this point of view comes from a misunderstanding of legislation, a misunderstanding of children’s rights, [Continue]

Alternative title: Nanny knows best I have mentioned previously that the evidence base for Badman’s recommendations is missing. So what is the driving force behind the proposed legislation? There has been pressure from some LEAs on the government to give them extra powers so the can ensure all children meet the 5 Every Child Matters [Continue]

Some people may respond to home educators complaining about the proposed legislation with a question: “What’s wrong with it?”. That’s an understandable position, but I think it’s the wrong approach. When government proposes new legislation we should in fact be asking “What’s right with it?”. Government should not be about new [Continue]

I have been wondering how on earth to coherently blog about the Badman review and the proposed government legislation announced immediately it was accepted by government. The trouble is, it’s tricky to communicate the full enormity of the can of worms this opens, not just for home educators, but for education more broadly, and for [Continue]

I was once sat in a doctors surgery, rather bored, waiting for my turn to go and be poked and prodded. As I sat in the half empty room someone came in, picked up a chair and left. No-one batted an eyelid. No-one missed the chair. We were all still sitting comfortably. Then someone else [Continue]

Just finished Dan Kieran’s book “I Fought the Law” which I stumbled on in WHSmith at the Port of Dover, having realised I was short of holiday reading. Great book – worrying and liberating at the same time. Think it may be one of those which has an impact on life – not quite sure [Continue]

So often we here statements along the lines of “but if one less child dies…” or “if we can stop one child being abused…”. Indeed the government cliche of the moment is “Every Child Matters”. The trouble is, in a simplistic way I guess most of tend to agree with these sorts of statements. There [Continue]

I wonder just how much state control/surveillance the average Brit can stand? It appears the country will quite happily swallow almost anything as long as it is dressed up in terms of “protecting” the vulnerable – particularly children. The Government’s “Every Child Matters” strategy is a classic. Don’t [Continue]