Memorandum submitted by Dr Gavin Jordan

 

· No evidence for some recommendations

· Failure to fulfil Terms of Reference

· Highly biased attempt at developing an ex-poste evidence base

 

1.0 As you are aware, there are serious problems with the Badman Report in its failure to address its Terms of Reference. I am a professional evaluator for UK Government departments and Non-Departmental Public Bodies, and can ensure you that in no way did the Badman report develop an evidence base to 'identify what evidence there is that claims of home education are, or could be, used as a 'cover' for child abuse under current monitoring practice'. The report was notable in its complete lack of evidence (see para 8.12 of Badman 2009). Therefore the comments below appear to be unsupported:

1.1 By EdBalls Wed 09-Sep-09 13:40:14
....There have been high profile cases of 'home educated' children who have been very badly neglected. Graham makes clear that this is a small minority, though disproportionately larger among home educated children. Every child has a right to have a happy and safe childhood.

1.2 Possibly as a direct result of the above comments, Graham Badman has made an ex-poste request for evidence on which to base his findings! This is, to say the least, unusual. It is also the most impartial request for information I have seen in my entire professional career, and it is made clear that this is no longer an attempt to understand the situation and to collect an evidence base to inform policy, but is an attempt to shore up recommendations that were made without an evidence base.

1.3 I am formally asking for a written response as to A) How a report was accepted by you that had failed to deliver its ToRs: B) The justification for requesting an Ex-poste evidence base to support pre-determined conclusions.

September 2009