Dipatches: Skipping School

a deregistration letter

One of the most worrying aspects about last night's Dispatches on Channel 4 was the time scale given to those families from leaving school to being filmed for a documentary. Received wisdom regarding home education is that there is a period of deschooling required before children will flourish in home education. The whole experience of changing your educational outlook is difficult for children and parents alike. Some of those kids had only been out for school for weeks!

It is probably apparent that experienced home educators would not touch a documentary such as this with a barge pole. We know how the media will portray the slightest things to demonize a family or style of education. Therefore a lot of the families shown DO NOT WANT TO HOME EDUCATE.

So what is the sense in changing home education law because of people who DO NOT WANT TO HOME EDUCATE?

Should the people who DO NOT WANT TO HOME EDUCATE perhaps be supported, I dunno, IN SCHOOLS?

Reform schools, get your own house in order.