It’s with frustration that I write this blog post. I hadn’t planned to address unschooling again, just yet, I instead had ideas about the Winter Solstice, conscious consumerism as we approach Christmas and traditions old and new, but with the recent devastating news about the Portsmouth Home-Educators Judicial Review I have come to my computer, (rather triggered, I must say) and hope to find some peace as I release my thoughts and feelings down into words, that can travel and end up on your screen, where hopefully you will read with compassion and understanding (and a little rage yourself).
Now I must admit, I was completely oblivious to the whole situation until my sister-in-law messaged me saying ‘have you heard the news about Portsmouth Home-Educators?’ I intentionally shelter myself from most news outlets so was blissfully unaware of what was unfolding. But since that message I’ve had my research hat on and am furious at what I’m uncovering. In a nutshell, a bunch of home-educating families in Portsmouth took legal action on Portsmouth council as they were, in their opinion, being put under unnecessary pressure to provide proof that their child is learning. If they were deemed unable to provide proof, they were being issued with a school attendance notice, demanding a return to a mainstream classroom within two weeks.
In Portsmouth the percentage of these notices was over a whopping 40% as opposed to the national average of 2.27%, which is what led to the legal action being taken. Sadly, the parents behind this campaign lost in court this week. This now means that the Local Authorities (LA) ‘can effectively demand to see whatever evidence they seem necessary, including meeting home educated children and examining their work’. This will sadly set a precedent that will have an impact across the country.
In section 7 of the Education Act 1996, it is stated that;
Duty of parents to secure education of children of compulsory school age.
The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him to receive efficient full-time education suitable—
(a)to his age, ability and aptitude, and
(b)to any special educational needs he may have,
either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.
Despite what people think, school isn’t compulsory, but education is, and it is up to the parent to go about that as they please, usually with an annual statement to their LA as explained below:
‘’Local authorities have had the right to make informal enquiries about the provision you have in place for your child. Legally you do not have to respond to contact from LA, but it is advised you do or else your child can be classed as missing in education and can be seen as evidence of unsuitable provision according to LA guidance given in 2019’. ‘You can request all communication be done in writing and ideally you will only be required to provide an annual report. Many local authorities are now demanding evidence of marked and dated work. Many LA also want to meet with HE children to check for safeguarding concerns- with many families being referred to social services if they refuse to do so.’’ (taken from @intersectionalmotherhood)
Portsmouth council have now put themselves in a powerful position where they have the right to demand dated and marked work and to see a child in person, if they feel it necessary. This is a very scary reality for families like ours, who do not align with the current education system.
Let’s explore that word, education. The LA in Portsmouth feared the children weren’t getting a ‘suitable education’. From my point of view, they are limiting and restricting education to the confines of four walls and an outdated curriculum and to something that can be quantified on paper or in charts. They are limiting each and every child to fit into a mould, not designed for them and if they don’t fit, they then get penalised and marginalised. You cannot date and mark work or progress in our house, unless I had a video camera constantly attached to my hand for you to watch a replay of (maybe I need my own reality tv series?!). There is no beginning and no end to the learning that takes place with my children. How can I mark the puppet show that they spontaneously write, direct and star in? How to I grade their enthusiasm for the food we grow, buy and cook? How do I categorise and separate maths from P.E when they have been counting how many hops they can do forward compared to backwards? How to I grade their intuition? How do I document that they used their voice confidently and convincingly in a family debate? How do I tell the LA that when my child was having a poo, she asked why our washing machine has LG written on it, (when I didn’t know she knew those letters, but it turns out she does, without the use of repetitive flashcards) and how that conversation led onto what branding means and where it was made and by whom and why?
* Deep breaths, Nic *
So, as it stands, I literally cannot keep a written or recorded document of what my children are learning, I cannot mark it or date it. The closest I’d get is a daily journal, and wouldn’t that be dreamy if I had the time to, but alas I’m busy, WITH MY CHILDREN.
Another concern that seems to be a hot topic is socialisation. Again, I’m a little confused how being in a classroom with 20+ other children your child’s age (whether they like each other or not) is considered social. My children ‘socialise’ everyday with people from all walks of life and varying ages; from newborns, to toddlers, to their own age, to ‘big-age’ kids (as Willow calls them), teenagers, young adults, middle age adults and elders, all of which they’d consider their friends and would be dumbfounded if I explained to them that they can only be friends with people their own age!
I want to make this post a little more balanced and *try * to understand where the LA are coming from, but I’ll admit its HARD. The only thing I resonate slightly with is their angle of safe-guarding, where they want to check a child’s wellbeing, and that’s great, but if no sign of neglect or abuse is present, then back off and let each parent choose what is best for their child and their family. We have gotten ourselves in such a vulnerable position where we are disempowered at every angle. We need doctors and midwifes to tell us how to be pregnant and how to birth, we need teachers to educate us, supermarkets to feed us. We are losing the ability to have intuition, belief, and sovereignty over our own bodies and lives.
In Germany it is illegal to not send your child to school, it is also very tough in France and many states in the U.S. (and many other countries too I imagine). Families in these areas adapt and find ways around it, by either creating a document that’s required to take the state off their back, create their own ‘schools’ as many have done in Germany or if needs be, move country! I wouldn’t hesitate in having a whole life change; leaving our businesses and community if this country continued to restrict and survey us. If the countries children are allowed to sit on zoom calls for close to a year and that be classed as educational, then my kids are allowed to learn by living, by breathing in fresh air all day, by exploring their bodies and their land, by following passions and interests instead of a dusty old workbook or a ZOOM CALL.
I am going to be following this story as it develops more, and staying a part of this movement because it directly affects me and I can’t be oblivious to it any longer. If you’ve considered ‘unschooling’, then let’s join forces and re-write what it means to be educated. The planet needs a different definition of it, because there’s a lot of highly educated people in power that don’t know enough about this precious world and how to protect it.
thelivingfamily.blog 