In February 2007 home educators took part in the AHEd Anomaly Campaign. AHEd members wrote:

"Home Education may be an "anomaly" in the eyes of the DfES, and indeed we agree it is incongruent but it would be a very shortsighted government indeed that chose to bring it "into line" with state and independent schools and we will vehemently resist any such action.

Besides being a perfectly suitable education choice, proven to be efficacious on many levels, sometimes Home Education is the only safety valve families have available to them when school harms or fails their children."

see also: Children at Risk in Schools

We sent postcards to our MPs and to the minister stating:

More than 360,000 children injured in schools each year

450,000 children bullied in school last year

At least 16 children commit suicide each year as a result of school bullying

An estimated 1 million children truant every year

Treasury statistics show more than 1 in 6 children leave school each year unable to read, write or add up

Every Child Matters?

These figures were never challenged by the department in their responses to our campaign.

1.) More than 360,000 children injured in schools each year:

CAPT, (Child Accident Prevention Trust) report, 2007 states, "more than 360,000 children were injured in school"

Child Accident FAQ

2.) 450,000 children bullied in school last year:

We were saddened and shocked by this number. But we misread it while constructing our campaign. The actual number stated was 450,000 children bullied in school each WEEK! Perhaps this was just too much to take in on first reading. 450,000 children every week.

"Each week 450,000 children are bullied in school. Another 500,000 are taunted by their peer group in the community. And more than one in five children will turn to suicide as a way out of being severely bullied, writes Debbie Andalo."

It is an image that MPs highlight in their report into bullying in school published in March 2007. The report by the Commons education and skills committee claims up to 20% of young people experience some kind of general bullying. But this can be as high as 50% among pupils in secondary schools who are attracted to the same sex and find themselves at the receiving end of homophobic taunts. The incidence of bulling is also substantiated by figures from the child support charity ChildLine, which said it received 37,000 calls from young people who were bullied between 2005 and 2006 - a 12% rise compared with the previous year.

3.) At least 16 children commit suicide each year as a result of school bullying:

Neil Marr and Tim Field's book Bullycide: death at playtime, reveals the hidden epidemic of suicide caused by bullying and harassment.

For information and help about bullying at school see School Bully online

4.) An estimated 1 million children truant every year

Government figures, reported, eg: in the guardian.

5.) DfES statistics show more than 1 in 6 children leave school each year unable to read, write or add up

A subject of frequent news reports and even Treasury statistics: "Mr Cameron said statistics from the Treasury showed more than one in six children were leaving school unable to read, write or add up."

This figure was publicised when David Cameron used it to attack Tony Blair. "Treasury statistics" refers to the Leitch Review of Skills, Prosperity for all in the global economy - world class skills. Leitch references the DFES Skills for Life survey, 2003.

Every Child Matters?

Corrected figures:

Every Child Matters?