Strange times

Oh what strange times we live in.

Today we have an emergency budget. Let's face it, as a country we're now looking for the change we dropped down the side of the sofa. Mixed feelings - yes, "something" needs to be done, but it would be better if the "something" affects other people and not me. The NIMBY attitude?

And watch the hypocrisy. People who were in government not so long ago and spending money wildly (eg: on the really pointless Badman review?) now saying that they would do things differently and the sums are wrong. Can't help wondering who got the country into this mess - or at least, who was supposed to be in charge when all the financial disasters happened? If GB was saving the world, what went wrong?

It's reassuring, isn't it, to find that normal life is still there? Last Thursday the Independent reported how Ofsted said that home educators should be forced to register. Not again ... has the season for hounding home educators restarted so soon? And why does every article about home education seem to have a photo of parent and child sitting at a table writing or looking at books? Haven't journalists heard of socialisation? Why not have a picture of children playing or running round, exploring castles or just building sand castles or playing with Lego to develop their interest in construction?

No, hang on - this isn't normal life. Look what happened next .... Graham Stuart MP, the chair of the Education select committee sent a press release which put Ofsted in its place! It's reported here and just read what he says:

'It is astonishing that the Chief Inspector of Schools should stray onto home education and get it so wrong. In Ofsted’s official press release she says that “it is extremely challenging for local authorities to meet their statutory duty to ensure children have a suitable education”, when they have no such duty. Parents, not the state, have the statutory duty to ensure that their children have a suitable education.'

Although CYPNow didn't include all of Graham's quotes, he went on to say “I find it deeply concerning that, after months of work, the Chief Inspector should make such a basic mistake and so utterly confuse the duties of local authorities and parents. Parents who home educate deserve our respect and awe at their dedication and achievements, not the relentless suspicion of an over mighty state.”

Have I strayed into an alternative reality? Ofsted's chief inspector getting her knuckles rapped and home educators praised by an MP?

Graham Stuart rocks! How can someone who isn't a home educator be so in touch with the realities of home education? This is rare! THANK YOU, Mr Stuart. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

Never mind, it's not all good news. Yesterday there was clarification about Local Authorities funding college courses for home educators - or not, as the case may be: "It is for the LA to decide whether to fund the provision: they have the discretion to do so but are not required to do so".

Well, I think we all know the answer to that one - the money may be there, tucked away down the back of a Local Authority black hole sofa bought in a DFS half price sale, but the will to actually provide the money to fund a course for those misguided home educators certainly isn't. Not a chance. Though they've made the right noises, it's called passing the buck (but not the pound, certainly not to fund home educators).

Oh, and as for Christine Gilbert, the Ofsted boss who got it so wrong about whose responsibility it is to ensure a child receives a suitable education - well, it seems she's digging in her heels and refusing to go according to the Telegraph.

Strange times indeed. At least there's Wimbledon - if a Brit does win I'll know that it really is an alternative reality.

Election nerves

So, Election day is here.

A lot of people have been undecided how to vote - me included.

I live in a marginal constituency, one which was traditionally Conservative but fell to Labour under Tony Blair and has remained in their hands, though with a dwindling majority.

So, how to vote - I've used a process of elimination because I have quite a choice.

First, I can discount any party whose policies I fundamentally disagree with.

My current MP has been (in my opinion) pretty useless whenever I've contacted him about anything, though he does have a knack for finding photo opportunities. He also manages to somehow get himself associated with anything "successful", even if he's had nothing to do with the success other than maybe giving an opinion or turning up to an unveiling. Just my humble opinion, of course.

His campaign seems to have been based on the lines of "There's so much I want to do for this constituency, give me the chance to do it." He has, in my opinion, had the chance to do those things for some years now and has failed to do them. So, why should I believe he'll put any more effort in to actually doing them now?

The final nail in his political coffin (for me) is the attempt(s) made by his government to change the landscape for home education in this country. I contacted my MP about my concerns and let's just say that he lived down to my expectations. On top of that there's the spectre of Ed Balls, and his promise to introduce those changes which were rejected if Labout get back in to power.

Then there's the possibility that if there's a hung parliament Labour will do a deal with the Liberal Democrats and Ed Balls will get just that chance (assuming his constituents actually send him back to Westminster).

Although Mark Field and Graham Stuart have done wonders for the Conservative image amongst home educators, I can't help wondering what will actually happen if their party does get in to power. I remember the days of Maggie Thatcher, and they're not all good memories at all. Well, apart from the Spitting Image puppet which was wonderful.

But the lasting feeling from that time is of people being selfish and self-centred, money-grabbing and materialistic.

However, these days it's pretty hard to see a real difference between the Conservatives and Labour - they were all rather good at claiming expenses (bath plug or duck house, anyone?).

As for the Greens, well, although my gut feeling is that I might want to vote for them, I'm pretty sure they won't get this constituency.

So I'm going to amaze myself and actually do something that Ed Balls has suggested - I'm probably going to vote tactically! You'd expect him to be really pleased at somebody following his advice, but I suspect he won't be because my tactics probably aren't his tactics - I still have my conscience.

However, until I've put my cross on the ballot paper, anything is possible - well, almost anything!

Informed Lords

..... or NOT??

Visit Lords of the Blogs for Lord Soley's views or for Baroness Deech's opinions.

Be warned - if you're one of the many people trying to enlighten them you may be branded part of a lobby!

Or you could read an example from Canada http://kellygreenandgold.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/nothing-to-hide-it-dont-matter-honey/ of the sort of thing that could happen if the Bill goes through.