How Changes to U.K. Homeschooling Laws Affect You
By Sun Kyu Bae |
Published June 13, 2009 |
Articles |
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Learn how some recent changes to U.K. homeschooling laws affect you!
Hi everyone.
There's another threat in the air about recent proposals to change the homeschooling laws that caused a huge shock for homeschooling families in the U.K.
This article explains how it may affect us all.
So I'm giving everyone fair warning - there are about to be some heavy words thrown down all up in here.
A Curious Article
You see, it all started last week. I was having my morning coffee, browsing the news on the 'Net about home schooling, when I came across an article that basically said U.K. homeschoolers will be required to show their local authorities that their children are in fact, being properly homeschooled. In return, the government plans to offer programs that weren't available in the past for the homeschool community - some programs include "swimming lessons, cycle tests, work experience, special needs help and access to proper examinations for their children".
Hmm. Doesn't sound like an equitable exchange, does it?
I mean, the special needs help may be valid (these needs were not defined in the article), but if parents have taken the enormous responsibility to homeschool their children, wouldn't you assume that routine extra-curricular activities such as swimming lessons or giving their children the opportunity to take the national college entrance exam are things that parents can manage on their own, without local authorities helping out? If parents can't even do that, then you gotta wonder whether homeschooling is right for them at all.
So now I got all curious and started doing more snooping around, finding more articles on this subject. And after digging around, I managed to come up with this loose list of proposed requirements for homeschoolers (there's more, but these are the big ones):
Parents will have to register with the local authorities each year they homeschool,
Parents will have to "provide a clear statement of their educational approach, intent and desired outcomes for the child over the following twelve months" (sounds like a curriculum plan along with expected milestones),
Parents will be judged by the local authorities on whether parents are making progress against the curriculum plan and expected milestones mentioned in #2 above,
Local authorities will have the right to refuse homeschool registration if there is clear evidence of "safe guarding concerns", and
Trained local authorities will have the right, with two weeks notice, to speak to the children WITHOUT parents present, to assess whether they are "safe" and being taught properly per #2 above.
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