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Honesty
11-11-2008, 11:00 AM
Does anyone have any links to research on home education/learning/schooling ?

We are currently involved in a campaign to prevent all lone parents, including home educators (who have been specifically mentioned that they are not to be exempted) from being forced to look for paid work when their child reaches seven years of age (if the parent is on so-called Income Support benefit). At present, ALL lone parents are entitled to IS until their child reaches 16. The govt doesn't like this and has issued a Statutory Instrument (can effectively bypass parliament) to change this. It even goes so far as to make the comment that home educating lone parents should find it easier to find work outside the home as they can schedule their lessons to fit around work and "childcare".
Honestly it is like being witness to some dark age oppression.

Obviously they know NOTHING about h/e.

We could really do with some good research to back us up on this matter. ANy ideas where to look?
I've been busy, very busy with letter writing to numerous people on the matter of late, am taking a break for a couple of days to spend time with my children. However, we do have a fairly urgent deadline. It is expected to be in place countrywide by 24th November.

A committee looked at the regulation 10 days ago, it got passed as the minister had a sore throat and couldn't continue with the debate. The commons passed it as there were only about 5 people attending, including bigots. Now it is to go to the Lords who have a 15 MINUTE slot to aye or nay it on Weds 12th here.

Any input, including wishes and prayers, gratefully received.

ThirdArmBabySlingProject
11-11-2008, 03:23 PM
Are you UK based?

If so, Education Otherwise and The Mother magazine would be good starting points.

Alan Thomas is UK based and was lecturing throughout Australia last year about his research at the Home Education Conference ~ he's written at least one (if not two...?) books on the topic...

If you are in the UK, I know for a fact (from being in the arena for years there and having a father-in-law who was HM inspector of schools) it's not that they don't know/understand, it's purely a control issue :-(

ThirdArmBabySlingProject
11-11-2008, 03:25 PM
And, if you're not UK based, then the above still applies but throw in a heap of John Holt, John Taylor Gatto, Grace Lllewellyn, Eleanor Sparkes, John Peacock, Dr Eptein, Beverley Paine...

Honesty
11-11-2008, 06:52 PM
Thanks for the pointers. Part of the problem is that the major campaign group/s are not quite doing enough.

The ministers responsible for schoold do actually appear to be pretty ignorant of h/e from having heard them speak/read the proceedings. Not saying ther isn't a deeper ulterior motive with the departments though :bah

I think I need to write a short essay with significant extracts of the major writers. Actually EO have requested a copy of AT's most recent book for one of the Lords. That doesn't address th eimmediate welfare issue though, not sure that anything can bar positive vibes now.

ThirdArmBabySlingProject
11-11-2008, 08:01 PM
Sending LOADS of those X

Aurora
12-11-2008, 12:02 PM
Sorry, I really wish I could offer you some links to research, but I am currently looking for some myself to add to our website and keep coming up trumps. Because I am relative to home education, I am not very knowledgable on factual resources out there. If I find anything useful, I'll post it here too.

There are plenty of compelling articles out there though. I would keep googling as much as I could. You could write a letter and quote some well-known authors and writers, such as Beverley Paine, Sandra Dodd, John Taylor Gatto, John Holt, Grace Llewellyn and Mary Griffith.

This potential new law does seem about control, but still, the more evidence you can provide to back your case the better. I truly can't believe they are trying to wipe out home education! They could simply do what do here in Australia, make home educators exempt. Good luck, and good on you for fighting it.

Honesty
13-11-2008, 10:26 AM
I am waiting eagerly to find out how it went today (yesterday, by now), can't find a darn thing about it!
whatever the outcome, there is still much work for us to do to try to stop our freedoms being eroded.

Honesty
13-11-2008, 10:29 AM
just to add that although i haven't yet found strong "standard" research, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence from people who have been doing it for a time (TABSP being one of those!). It has also started me on a journey to discover all kinds of other amazing things about the world, so it is all good in that respect.

cgull
04-02-2009, 09:36 PM
quote from Tas state library:
/

http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/covers/small/030/9780304701803.jpg (http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/item/?q=home+education&i=10&id=THOECAH98000)[/URL][URL="http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/bag/placehold.aspx?key=THOECAH98000&prev=%2ffind%2f%3fq%3dhome%2beducation&title=Educating+children+at+home"] (http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/item/?q=home+education&i=10&id=THOECAH98000) Educating children at home (http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/item/?q=home+education&i=10&id=THOECAH98000) Book

Author: Thomas, Alan (Alan James) (http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/find/?author=Thomas%2c+Alan+%28Alan+James%29)
Date: 1998
Series: Cassell education (http://catalogue.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/find/?series=Cassell+education)

With increasing numbers of parents choosing to educate their children at home, an opportunity now exists to explore education outside the school environment. Focusing on informal learning, this text examines in depth how children can acquire an education simply through everyday experiences.
/quote

This book is fantastic, based on 'real' research. And fascinating

cgull
04-02-2009, 09:42 PM
beverly paine's enormous list of hs research:

http://homeschoolaustralia.com/articles/research.html

~*heket*~
04-02-2009, 09:43 PM
Wanna write something about your campaign for JOY magazine? That might help spread the word.