rebecca.godar@adcs.org.uk
Dear Ms Godar,
I was interested to read this quote:
'However, the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) regards the introduction of more stringent measures as invaluable. Badman's proposals, it argues, will allow local authorities to help ensure home educated children get the same opportunities as those that attend school, which include being safe and achieving academically.' in CYPNow (http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/941902)
Are you claiming that the opportunities children get at school include being safe and achieving academically? Are you aware that 450,000 children are bullied in schools every week, at least 16 children in the UK commit suicide every year as a result of school bullying, 1 in 6 children leave school every year unable to read, write or add up (http://ahed.pbworks.com/Anomaly-Figures), and the government's own benchmark is for '30% of pupils getting 5 good GCSEs including English and Maths' (Ed Balls here: http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_live_events/820977?msgid=16729623 at 13:18:42) - hardly what one can trumpet as 'achieving academically'.
Home Educated children outperform schooled children statistically on both academic and well being measures. Please do your research before trotting out the usual smears.
Yours sincerely,
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3 comments:
emma- i have been following you (anonymously) on and off for years- first on the alfie kohn message board, when i had wee babes, and then on the frog pond, when i intermittently dropped by for TCS inspiration. now, as an unschooling/TCS mom to school-age children, i've been moved by your actions and arguments in response to the badman report. i don't have much assistance to offer, here on the other side of the atlantic, but i wanted to chime in with my encouragement, and say that you remain an inspiration. thanks for fighting the good fight for HErs worldwide.
best,
emily (connecticut, usa)
Oh thank you emily! What a lovely comment to start my day with :-D
Good to see the pressure being still applied, I agree that this is essential, whenever they pop up with ignorant prejudice and boastful but unsubstantiated claims we need to try and knock them down.
Look forward to hearing their reply.
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