Home Education e-petition
I know this has nothing to do with multilingualism. However, it is relevant to the fact that it is ok to be different. Variety is no threat, it is healthy to think individually while respecting other people's points of views and feelings. Nobody should be ill-judged just because they are or think different.
The UK Government is trying to rush through a new Bill which would fundamentally change the role of the state in family life. It would be contrary to European Human Rights Law and UK Law, and would put a huge foot in the door to having compulsory CRB checks and monitoring of parents.
This bill (if it goes through) may change the balance of power between state and parents and also change English law from its current premise of Innocent Until Proved Guilty.
If it goes through, the state will be in charge of home educated children and may have a greater say than their parents as to how they are educated. Local Authorities will have the right to enter the home. They also will be speaking to the child alone as part of this assessment.
This is all with no evidence of wrongdoing either by the individual family or the home educating community in general.
Logically, once this is through and Local Authorities have the right to enter one set of innocent people's homes and take their children aside to speak to them without their parents or other trusted adult present, then they might extend this to anyone whose parenting they want to assess - single parents, benefit claimants, the disabled, religious people, excessive breastfeeders, foreigners etc.
I know this has nothing to do with multilingualism. However, it is relevant to the fact that it is ok to be different. Variety is no threat, it is healthy to think individually while respecting other people's points of views and feelings. Nobody should be ill-judged just because they are or think different.
The UK Government is trying to rush through a new Bill which would fundamentally change the role of the state in family life. It would be contrary to European Human Rights Law and UK Law, and would put a huge foot in the door to having compulsory CRB checks and monitoring of parents.
This bill (if it goes through) may change the balance of power between state and parents and also change English law from its current premise of Innocent Until Proved Guilty.
If it goes through, the state will be in charge of home educated children and may have a greater say than their parents as to how they are educated. Local Authorities will have the right to enter the home. They also will be speaking to the child alone as part of this assessment.
This is all with no evidence of wrongdoing either by the individual family or the home educating community in general.
Logically, once this is through and Local Authorities have the right to enter one set of innocent people's homes and take their children aside to speak to them without their parents or other trusted adult present, then they might extend this to anyone whose parenting they want to assess - single parents, benefit claimants, the disabled, religious people, excessive breastfeeders, foreigners etc.
My eldest daughter goes to state school. However, I seriously considered home-education, and I would not rule it out if I felt it is the best option for my children and my family. I feel this Bill goes beyond the type of education you provide your children with. It goes against the Presumption of Innocence principle. This worries me.
This e-petition will send a clear message to the government. Please, everyone who is eligible to sign, please do. And let me still believe that this country is the great, free, respectful and non-judgemental country that I think it is.
Posts
Thanks for this - did you know that children can sign too?
ReplyDeletehttp://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Home-ed-families/