Memorandum submitted by Penelope Stanbridge

 

I am intending to begin home educating my children this year and am concerned at the intended changes to the current laws surrounding home educating families.

 

I think that the current laws are quite sufficient to protect home educated children.

 

I am most concerned by proposals for my children to be interviewed without an adult or lawyer present.

 

I am very unhappy that you are considering checking my private home, just because I am homeschooling. Social services at least require that someone has witnessed suspicious behaviour before they would consider such action. Unless to home school is suspicious in itself.

 

Nor do I need Ofsted to inspect how I am doing. I do not intend to follow the National Curriculum, and so an inspector would be required to understand the whole ethos of home schooling. The law as it stands says that it is the parent's responsibility to ensure that their children are educated appropriately. But these actions would imply otherwise.

 

October 2009