HE review - "expert" panel announced

[Sheila Struthers]

Expert Reference Group - Terms of reference
This information has been provided by the Review Team.

Rationale

The independent review of home education will gather, analyse and interpret a wide range of evidence before it reaches any conclusions and makes recommendations to Ministers. It is imperative that the process is supported by a range of experts to ensure recommendations are rigorous and firmly rooted in evidence.

Role and remit

The Group will act as a ‘critical friend’ to the Review team. It will be used to cross check the interpretation of evidence and gain expert insight into key issues, such as the operation of current processes and practice within LAs; child development and the outcomes of home educated children; and child protection for example. It will also act as a sounding board for emerging findings and recommendations, ensuring they are based on firm evidence, are workable and will actively improve outcomes for children.

The group will not be asked to comment on drafts of the review report but may be invited to check specific parts of it, for example, aspects of the report that are pertinent to their area of expertise.

Input required

We anticipate that the Group will meet approximately three times during the course of the review (January – May 2009), with meetings of approximately 1-1.5hrs. Travel expenses will be paid.

Expert Group Reps
Area Details
Early Years, home learning environment, child development Professor Ted Melhuish, Birkbeck, University of London
Education / curriculum Mick Waters – Director of Curriculum, QCA
Child protection / 3rd Sector Delroy Pommell, Director, London and the South East, Barnardos
Safeguarding Steve Hart, (HMI, Ofsted)
SEN Jean Humphreys (HMI, Ofsted)
3rd Sector Paul Ennals – Chief Executive, NCB
ICT / future technologies Professor Steve Heppell, Trustee of NotSchool.net
Children’s rights Sue Berelowitz, Chief Executive, 11 Million
Safeguarding Professor June Statham, Institute of Education
Education Professor James Conroy, Dean of Faculty of Education, University of Glasgow
SEN Beth Reid, National Autistic Society

[noschool]

THe NSPCC appear to be missing from the list despite their hysterical jumping up and down about safeguarding.

Maybe they have already done the deliberately planned damage and are just waiting to pick up some lucrative publicly funded contracts when the, er, 'recommendations' are published.

[crunchy_with_ketchup]

Hmmm.... I have this funny feeling they are missing something from their list of expert, just can't quite put my finger on what it could possibly be.....

[Ali P]

Originally Posted by crunchy_with_ketchup

Hmmm.... I have this funny feeling they are missing something from their list of expert, just can't quite put my finger on what it could possibly be.....

Judith Gillespie?

James Conroy is the only one who has actually home educated his own children (in Scotland and Australia).

[Ali P]

Sheila posted a TES article to the Scottish list earlier in which James Conroy is quoted as saying

You’re starting with the premise that some parents might be home- schooling as cover for abuse and exploitation.

But you could state the same premise with any residential school in the country. There are all kinds of abuses taking place in regular schooling. Does that mean we should do away with residential schools? Absolutely not.

[Diane]

Oh, whoop de doo.

Wonderful group. What's James Conroy doing on there? He actually knows something about Home Education.

Diane

[Crank Parent]

Originally Posted by Ali P

Judith Gillespie?

I nearly wet my pants.

[noschool]

It's pretty obvious none of these people is up to much as far as knowing about elective home education is concerned.

However, we are in danger of legitimising their role if we quibble about membership of this ridiculous review panel when its very existence is illegitmate. These vested interest individuals have no right whatsoever to make any recommendations about how parents should fulfil their legal responsibilities in caring for and educating their children.

There, I just had to say that!

[Sheila Struthers]

However, we are in danger of legitimising their role if we quibble about membership of this ridiculous review panel when its very existence is illegitmate. These vested interest individuals have no right whatsoever to make any recommendations about how parents should fulfil their legal responsibilities in caring for and educating their children.

There, I just had to say that!

Glad you did We can't afford to be lulled, seduced or bullied into thinking within their artificial and contrived framework

[Diane]

We'll at least have a good reason to demand a judicial review if we want to kick them into touch later.

Diane