so said Oscar Wilde apparently...
Since we started to look into the possibility of Home Education I've become far more aware of the truthfulness and accuracy of that statement.
I never considered myself 'political' my views were political with a very small p.
However recently I can't believe the things which show up on the BBC website( so pretty mainstream!), mostly negative, many leave me gasping.... all connected with the current government or the alternative- the tories and children or "education."
Several stories a week about the system we removed the children from and its failings, inadequacy abounds, failing schools, bullying, smaller schools which care and nurture more successfully but 'fail' academically( I wonder whether then they do really fail?)
The toxicity of childhood denied by Ed Balls while the same site carries a story where he says 'tweenagers' need more care at a difficult time to stop them turning to drink and drugs!( where are the parents Mrs Balls?;-)).... cars blighting children's play....testing and its own toxicity. The tories have the solution, they will make it easier for parents to set up schools like in Sweden, free to decide how children are taught, except it wont happen will it Mr Cameron? You want ALL children, aged 6 without a serious disability to read! Never mind that dyslexia cant be diagnosed until 7 reliably! Id say dyslexia IS a serious disability given how much of the curriculum in schools relies on reading and writing( so wheres the inclusion now Mr Balls?). I'm certain my children's experience was that they HAD to read by the end of year 1. Not doing so was where the problems started.By year 3 both my youngest and oldest were seriously despondent.
Its madness.
Today its announced all parents in England will have access to parenting classes, so not only are the govt happy to force us to choose only one type of school unless we are rich they will tell parents how they must parent. I can see the benefit for some families but how long before "go to a parenting class, go again..." becomes the stock answer for any family who has a child suffering in school through the present regime which forces them all to read and labels them as failures if they don't make the grade... never mind any other misunderstood condition where the teachers recieve no training but employ cod diagnosis under pressure to 'do something' with this failing child where they can't possibly say "Houston, we have a problem... HELP!"Because that would admit a school couldnt cope( and inclusion says they must)
Its enough to make your head spin and wonder, how different are they REALLY? and all the while the relentless agenda of 'bludgeoning' of our rights goes on and on and extends into society in the public questioning by strangers which children experience when not in school( for whatever reason) That's just the tip of the iceberg... god forbid any child or their parent admit be not 'making the grade, not being where they should be academically etc"
When did our children stop being our children? When did they become the possessions of the state to impose upon , control and do as they please with? IF they can keep some children in schools its an achievement... thats not achievement, its not educating those school has failed since they were small. Its keeping bums on seats. Is anyone going to encourage, inspire or spend time educating children who cant read when they get to senior school? In this LEA our experience proves they wont!
We CHOOSE to send children to state schools?? I did..... I was happy to begin with (its what you do isnt it??)
BUT there is no alternative to the current situation if you want school unless you are rich and can pay for a choice of educational styles or philosophies such as steiner, montessori etc.
Or you can free your child or choose for them not to go there to start with...... so wheres the ability to be financially ok there Mr Brown? In this society you have created where people have little real choice without huge sacrifice for most?Were keeping our children safe, educating them and saving you money!
How sad that comes at a cost.. whoever you are.
and yet theres no problem says Ed Balls... childhood isnt toxic, its a fallacy
Were supposed to trust you? Your government has managed to expose almost every family in the country to identity theft today.... You lot 'Lost' our details!
Where are our rights I wonder?
To end with another quote..
"Politics is the art of choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable." John Galbraith.
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I'm with John Galbraith, I have become increasingly cynical about the type of 'democracy' offered in this country in recent years,since home edding my cynicism has increased tenfold. Nobody in this current govt or the so called alternative will get my vote, indeed it's almost impossible to distinguish between the two - politics is a pissing contest, the policies are indistinguishable, it's down to whoever can get in with the 'soundbite' first. The fact is both parties are to blame for the woeful state of both the British education system and the breakdown of family, and I don't mean divorce, single parents and all that stuff, focussing continually on scapegoats like single parents detracts from the fact that in a long work hours, consumerist society, things like family and education for it's own sake are not seen to be valued. Successive govts are too busy passing us all through factory schools so we can be good worker bees for their cronys in big business and make them rich. We're continally bombarded with marketing and encouraged to buy stuff we don't need and can't afford in order to maintain this dependance. Anyone who tries to get outside this system is penalised as 'subversive' because we wouldn't want these ideas to spread would we? Not surprisingly home educators are one such group, hence imho the govt's current attempts to try and control home education in the same disasterous way as schools.
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