Gonna no dae that?! British and English are not synonymous

[Ali Admin]

Pet peeve again!

Why do helpful (or even unhelpful) home educators insist on using the terms 'UK education law' and/or 'British education law', then proceed to cite only English legislation and guidelines relating to home education?

I have just spoken to yet another newbie who has landed in hot water because of careless terminology. She evidently 'researched' home education on the internet and found several sources which all said the same, wrong (for her situation) thing.

Yes, the 'UK govt' and 'UK parliament' do exist as entities and deal with purely English matters as well as reserved issues, thanks to the inbuilt democratic deficit. However, education is devolved and besides, Scots education law has always been different.

Others still ask about differences in the benefits system (including child benefit) in Scotland, but welfare is a reserved matter (like tax credits and defence) and the relevant legislation therefore does apply UK wide.

The EMA issue has caused more confusion, it seems, as home educated young people in Scotland have been able to claim it, subject to eligibility criteria, while those sotb have not been entitled to do so. This is because the EMA is administered by LAs and not the UK central benefits agency and Schoolhouse successfully argued the case for the inclusion of HE young people while the Scottish guidance was being revised.

Hope that's a bit clearer to those who are Independence should hopefully sort out all the anomalies.

[llondel]

There's been an extra bit of fragmentation recently too, with the Welsh Assembly now in charge of education in Wales. So it really now is just England, rather than the previous 'England and Wales'.

[jabekal2001]

In the Sunday Telegraph a week or two ago Andy Murray was described as England's top tennis player...

English people, by and large, don't get this. I know cos I married one.