Boycott the secret EO petition

[Ali P]

While the naive and/or gullible may contend that it doesn't matter who organised this secret petition in cahoots with a Tory MP, it most certainly does to me and many others I know.

Unsurprisingly, we now discover (once it's a fait accompli) that EO are behind it, but it could well have been the BNP for all we knew as there are no contact details on the website (which I won't link to) and no indication of who the “we” are, which makes it all highly suspect.

What is deeply troubling is the suggestion that other HE orgs have signed up to it, despite at least one of them knowing nothing about it (and being deliberately excluded from any discussion of it).

And why would anyone consider supporting a petition without knowing what it says? It all smacks of another desperate stab at rent seeking by EO which seems to be losing members (i.e. money) at a rate of knots.

For these reasons alone, I would argue it should be boycotted, but surely people must realise by now that fighting on the home ed front alone is pretty futile in the context of the much bigger agenda?

Anyone else of like mind?

[Sheila Struthers]

Me

[Renegade Parent]

fighting on the home ed front alone is pretty futile in the context of the much bigger agenda

I hear you Ali.

Boycotting is not a manifestation of internal politics; it is a refusal to entertain the idea of compromise. No compromise.

The state has no prior claim on our children. Full stop.

[pendlewitch]

seconding what Lisa said.

[Elaine Kirk]

Boycotting is not a manifestation of internal politics; it is a refusal to entertain the idea of compromise. No compromise.

The state has no prior claim on our children. Full stop.

Totally agree!

[noschool]

Full agreement here too. Typical MO for EO and only the dimwitted can't see it.

I should refrain from mentioning the Tory connection, but would just remind everyone that Dave Cam and co have failed to commit to scrapping any Badman legislation that is rushed through by Labour in its dying hours.

Those who sup with the devil get what they deserve.

[OrganisedPauper]

I can confirm that AHEd were never invited or even informed about this. The first thing we knew about it was this morning. In fact most people woke up today to this news for the first time.

Also many of the home educators who met Graham Stuart weren't informed either, never mind invited.

AIM (Autism in Mind) weren't invited either and despite asking why not they've received no answer.

It certainly appears to many that the APPG is now owned and run by EO.

[Ali P]

Originally Posted by OrganisedPauper

It certainly appears to many that the APPG is now owned and run by EO.

So they get their cosy little council after all, the one that Lucas was so keen to promote for reasons best known to himself.

AHEd has been used by EO here in a similar way to Lucas misrepresenting Schoolhouse's role in Scotland on the official record.

It is nevertheless shocking to see so many home educators shoving others out of the way just to get into the last lifeboat on the Titanic. I think I'd rather drown as the company will be far better.

[HomeEdMum]

Certainly of like mind Ali. Home ed is on the fringes of the general attack on family and civil liberties in our time. Will not collude with EO dominated agendas either. They are poison.

[OrganisedPauper]

The wording of the petition is also contentious. There is a widespread concensus of opinion that the review was not done in haste. It was done with a set of results in mind that was arranged beforehand. Then everything was fitted into it to 'prove' the result they wanted. It seems pretty obvious from the way the whole thing was conducted, the lack of research and the shoddy statistics.

The EHE 2007 guidelines are not free of problems and some of it does not sit with current legislation.