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So what can be negotiated with the LEA?

Anything that by common consent could be said to be wanted by at least a number of home educators, provided nothing in any such provision can impinge on the freedoms of other home educators not to avail themselves of such extra services the LEA may choose to provide. Milton Keynes LEA became irritated early on in our meetings by hearing only about what we didn’t want from them, and wanted to know what we did want from them. We responded to this, and asked our local group, and added in all the things that home educators say on the lists they would like from an LEA.

As a result of this we were able to obtain the services of two home education ‘contacts’ attached to a rather well resourced but under utilised Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in an old school. They are available for general or specific help without recommending any ‘right way’ to educate. They are particularly valued by new home educators, and take it upon themselves to be well-informed on available resources and ideas, including the local home education group. There are regular ‘Home Education Fayres’ held at this unit to which any prospective parent may attend and find out from the LEA and from members of our local group what their options are. No names and addresses are taken unless the visitor wants something to be sent to them, or desires contact, so this is no covert opportunity to get more names on the ‘register’. They by now understand our sensitivity about such issues.

Any AQA GCSEs can be arranged by the LEA to be taken, and the cost is £26. In neighbouring Bedford, where the DfES are piloting a project whereby home educators have to be registered pupils at one of its schools in order to obtain free GCSEs and tutoring, the real price of this apparently superior bargain has been bought specifically at the cost of legitimising monitoring through home visits. These it is stated will be waived for those signing up to the scheme! This is a prime example of illegitimate ‘negotiation’ with an LEA that gives away what no one is entitled to give away, even if for an agreed and welcome benefit by a majority. It is also completely unnecessary that such unacceptable prices are extracted for benefits which arguably should exist as of right if ‘Every Child really does Matter’.

At the time of writing, one home educator in Bedford of whom the LEA have already stated they found her written submission of information satisfactory, is under notice of being served with a School Attendance Order (SAO) for no other reason than her refusal to accept this ‘local agreement’ of home visits (so that the LEA can ‘see for themselves’). Where a majority consensus exists in which the nice smiling inspector is only nice if you obey his local tyranny, and those that don’t are threatened and bullied into compliance, their rights trampled on, you have an abusive relationship institutionalised, and it isn’t only the parents who are being abused under such circumstances, which illustrates why a proper foundation for relations with the LEA must be established on child protection grounds!

Conclusion

If the above seems unrealistic and idealistic, it isn’t. It is what worked in Milton Keynes, and how it is there. I argue that it is how it should be in a democracy where government is there to serve the legitimate needs of citizens. No one has the right to negotiate any existing freedoms away, regardless of any bribe to do so. So long as that core principle is respected, then everyone is respected.