Voices from Blair's Britain

We are supposed to be a 'free country' yet it's always like we have to answer to 'Big Brother' I'm really sick of it! I'm sick of being petrified of my postman, sick of being 'scared' to answer my phone! Sick of being answerable to anyone and everyone about what I choose is best for my own child! When will people realise that when you have a child, you have the right, as the parent, to choose what is best for your child, and your decisions should not be questionable?!

A home educator, writing on a private online forum.

There are now apparently between 100,000 and 200,000 home educating families in the UK, most of whom have a healthy scepticism of the good intentions of the state, and particularly of the current incumbents. That could easily be 100,000 votes for any political party which says it will make it easier to home educate and will prevent local authorities from oppressing those who choose to educate "otherwise".

Why don't you stick that in your manifesto DK? 

Comments

[Carlotta]

Good points Bishop, the only quibble being that I think the number of HEors is more likely to be around 50,000, though the government and media are quite happy to make up their own figures without any apparent basis other than hearsay.

Home educator Mike Fortune Wood has done by far the most extensive research on this to date and concluded that a 50 - 55k number seemed the most likely. I think his conclusions can be found on his website: http://home-education.org.uk/

[Bishop Hill]

As far as I can tell, the 50,000 figure is a few years old - I've found it quoted in an article from 2001, so 100,000 is credible. But at the end of the day it's anyone's guess.