Important Petition on the responsibilities of parents in the UK

[Guest Lorna]

This is a petition against the gazillionth review by the UK government of the parental right to home-educate in recent years. It seeks to keep the responsibilty of a child's education in parent's rather than the state's court.

 

Here is a quote from the petition creator:

 

We ask him to remind ministers that recent DCSF consultations have concluded that current law, when applied correctly, is sufficient to the task of protecting home educated children should parents fail in their duties, and that the law represents a satisfactory balance between protecting children and the need for privacy and autonomy in family life.

We also ask him to call a halt to the review of home education, begun in Jan 2009. Home educators have already taken part in four consultations in just over three years. New guidelines for LAs regarding Home Education resulted from one of these consultations as recently as Nov 2007 and yet we are now faced with yet another review which appears to seek to erode parental responsibilities. We ask him to remind ministers that repeated consultations infringe the BRE's Code of Practice on Consultations, Criterion 5.

We also ask him to alert the DCSF that relations between home educators and LAs are likely to deteriorate should the state elect to intrude further upon family life.

 

Only those living in the UK can sign.

 

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Homeedreview/

 

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to to remind his government that parents must remain responsible in law for ensuring the welfare and education of their children and that the state should not seek to appropriate these responsibilities

[Laura Corin]

Thanks Lorna - I'm all signed up. It says that UK citizens overseas can also sign, so that might include a few more people here.

 

Laura

[Twinmom]

Oh, wish I could sign! How frustrating. Good luck to you all!

[Guest Lorna]

Thanks Lorna - I'm all signed up. It says that UK citizens overseas can also sign, so that might include a few more people here.

 

Laura

 

 

Good point Laura, and 'bump'.

[Sarah CB]

I do hope the petition makes a difference and that they figure out a consistent way to deal with home educators in the UK. When we lived there it seemed like every Local Education Authority interpreted the law differently. We actually had the LEA show up unannounced at our doorstep wanting to come in and "inspect" our homeschool. Thankfully, I knew my rights and turned them away - our French tutor showed up at that point so I let the LEA know that they were disrupting our homeschool and that French class was about to begin :)

 

The UK homeschoolers are a vocal and intelligent group - I have no doubt they'll be able to rally and protect their right to home educate.

 

Sarah