Threat to Welsh homeschoolers: They would love our help

In the last 20 years some powers previously held by the parliament in London have been devolved to Scotland and Wales who now have separate assemblies. These powers enable the assemblies to pass laws about some aspects of government including the government of education.

The Welsh Assembly Government are proposing to introduce legislation to register and monitor home education families. We believe that this legislation is wrong in principle and unworkable in practice, and would welcome your active help in countering these proposals.

Our main concerns are:

a. The parent has to apply for permission to home educate, which can be refused.

b. Upon making the application, the parent and child will be interviewed at “the main location where the education is being provided” (which will generally be the home).

c. The parent has to satisfy the Local Authority that the education provided is “suitable”.

d. “Suitable education” is to be the subject of a later consultation, but may be broadened beyond ‘age, aptitude and ability’.

e. Unspecified “welfare or safeguarding issues” will allow an LA to refuse permission to continue to home educate.

f. Monitoring will take place annually, with the parent and child being assessed, progress achieved being described, and demonstrated in work.

Please pray about this and especially for the home educators in Wales who are at present organising their opposition to the legislation and lobbying the members of the Welsh Assembly.

Details of the proposals may be found at

http://wales.gov.uk/docs/dcells/consultation/120902registeringmonitoringen.pdf

Please note: The web page linked to above solicits responses to this proposal.

It would be great if several families and Support Groups send in responses to this proposal.

Responses from both individuals and organizations are accepted.

The deadline is November 23, 2012.

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From the Smiths:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-smith-26-january-1951-to-30-september-2011/

Updated 5 October 2012:  One year on (Craig Smith’s Health) page 7 click here

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Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

And

Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:

https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational:
https://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

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