Welsh concerns following the Badman report

Welsh Grand Committee in Parliament yesterday

Mark Williams: Before the hon. Gentleman moves on from education, he will be aware of the concerns expressed by many of our constituents about the implications of the Badman report. The Bill to which he alluded gives the National Assembly, quite rightly, the power to undertake an inquiry and to take action as it sees fit. Does he share the concerns of many of us in Wales about the knock-on effects of the Badman report on home education throughout Wales?

Mr. Llwyd: Like the hon. Gentleman, I have been lobbied extensively about the Badman report, and I presented a petition on it to Parliament last week. Currently, it is an England-only matter, and, to be honest, I have considerable faith that the National Assembly will be able to deal with things differently, as it did very early on in abolishing the rather strange tests that popped up all the time. We do things slightly differently in Wales, and sometimes we do them better. I believe that this is a case in point, and that we can and will be able to deal with the matter in a more acceptable way.

Lembit Öpik: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Mr. Llwyd: I do not want to take too many interventions, as I am keeping others from speaking.

Lembit Öpik: I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s generosity. A Mrs. McBride came to see me on this very matter. Is he aware of any serious impact assessment that accompanies the Badman report? As far as I can see, it is a completely disproportionate response to a theoretical concern.

Mr. Llwyd: The hon. Gentleman is right. As I said, I am confident in our colleagues across the political spectrum in the National Assembly. I am sure that they will do the right thing. It is a draconian report, and it is troubling for those who have always home educated their children, so I am hopeful that we will take a different view in Wales.

Mrs. Gillan: I have taken some interest in the Badman report because I, too, think that adopting its proposals would amount to undue interference by the state in the personal lives of all our constituents. Under the framework powers in the legislation, it is proposed that home education powers pass down to the Assembly, and as the hon. Gentleman’s party is in government, I would like his guarantee that the Badman report will not be implemented in Wales.

Mr. Llwyd: When I questioned the hon. Lady earlier, she said, “It is not for me to decide—it is for my colleagues”, so I think that the French word is touchÃ(c). I am not going to guarantee anything at this stage.

Mrs. Gillan: But you are in government.

Mr. Llwyd: Yes, we are in government, but I thought that the hon. Lady was hoping to be in government. Perhaps she is not really, but there we are. Let me put it this way: I sincerely hope that our colleagues in the National Assembly will take a different view of the Badman report. I am fairly sure that they will, but for obvious reasons I can offer no guarantees.

From here (scroll down to middle of column number 34).

Still on the news...

Miss Anne McIntosh, MP for the Vale of York and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Thirsk, Malton and Filey, presented Vale of York Petition on Home Education:

“The Government's response to the Badman review unfortunately places many admirable home educators under an unwarranted cloud of suspicion. The need for monitoring must not become a barrier for parents who wish to home educate their children.” Read more...

Also: House of Commons Report Concludes That Flawed Govt. Proposals On Home Education Must Be Rectified

What were the costs of the EHE Review?

Education: Home Schooling
Question asked by Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the costs of the Review of Elective Home Education in England by Graham Badman; and what were the costs of the information-gathering exercises which have followed it. [HL430]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness Morgan of Drefelin): Following careful consideration Ministers have decided that this information will remain confidential because of the potential impact on those involved in the review. There have been a large number of postings on various websites and blogs harassing Mr Badman and the apparent campaign is continuing. The department will review the position again in the new year.

The information-gathering exercise that followed the review did not incur any external costs as it was conducted by departmental officials.

From here.

Schools Minister's response to the CSF select committee report on EHE

Schools Minister Diana Johnson said:

We’re disappointed the Select Committee’s press release has a negative headline, but...

Read the rest here.

Select committee criticises plans to monitor home-education

The Select Committee Report is now available here. Pdf version here.

Balls's plans for home education should be scaled back, Sheerman says. Select committee criticises plans to monitor home-educating families as 'too aggressive'. Read it here.

Change urged for home-school plan - Parents who choose to home-school their child should not be forced to register with their local council, a cross-party group of MPs has said. More here...

More parents 'educating children at home' - Growing numbers of parents are shunning state schools to educate their children at home, according to MPs. Here.

The Big Question: Should the parents of home-schooled children be forced to register? - Why are we asking this now? A report by the House of Commons Select Committee covering education, published this morning, is highly critical of the Government's plan to tighten up on regulations governing home education. Read it here.

Badman review blasted by MPs' inquiry - A cross-party inquiry into Graham Badman's controversial review of home education has labelled the government's handling of the issue as an unfortunate episode. More here.

LOCAL NEWS

Home truths for city MP - Parents who choose to teach their children at home say meddling officials need to be taught a lesson. Read more...

Home schooling petition launched - PRO-HOME schooling campaigners have submitted a Parliamentary petition aiming to block legislation designed to give education bosses ‘stronger powers than the police’. Read more...

Parents fury at plan for lessons in home - Mother Jo Coulter, who educates her nine-year-old daughter Stella at home, said:

“I am absolutely horrified at the thought that in the name of child protection, thousands of children would be subjected to this degree of exposure to strangers within their own homes. We are automatically being treated as if we have done something wrong. It is deeply offensive that families like mine should be subjected to this degrading treatment. Why stop at home-educating families? Why not extend these measures throughout the land to cover all homes? After all, schoolchildren only spend around seven hours a day in school. Why are they spending all this money to police home education? There are already systems in place through social services to protect vulnerable children. They are knocking on the wrong door.”
Read more...

Despite all the opposition, some MPs criticise absence of home-school regulation: Parents who teach their children at home should be more closely monitored by local authorities, a group of MPs have said. Read more...

Interventionalist and far too invasive

Dozens of Croydon mums and dads who teach their children from home have signed a petition to stop the Government interfering with how they educate their kids. This borough's petition is one of more than 150 compiled nationwide to stop home educators needing a licence.

Ann Newstead, a spokeswoman for Education Otherwise, said:

"Families take their children out of school to avoid the stress of exams, and to tailor education to suit that particular child's needs. GCSEs and SATs are not legally binding, and some parents feel they are a hindrance to their child's development. What is really concerning about the Badman report is that it is forcing parents to have a licence to teach their own children. If you fail to comply with any inspection then your right to teach is revoked."

Croydon Central MP Andrew Pelling said:

"The Badman report is interventionalist and far too invasive. If we abide by it we will end up with a situation where parents can't educate their children without a licence. Parents cannot be put under the same regulatory regime as schools. It is a different type of education and should be recognised as such."

Read it here.

New EDM 409 Home Ed & the Badman Review

That this House acknowledges and celebrates the hard work of the many home educators in Britain who teach their children to an exceptionally high standard;

recognises the excellent value they represent to the Government;

notes with concern the conflation of welfare concerns with education issues in Government statements on home education;

further notes with concern the recommendations of the Badman Review which suggest closer monitoring of home educators, including a compulsory annual registration scheme and right of access to people's homes for local authority officials;

and calls on the Government to focus on its own ability to fulfil the Every Child Matters objectives rather than undermine the independence and integrity of home educators by enforcing the Badman recommendations.

See here.