Portsmouth off-rolling

[llondel]

I offer this link without comment.

[Ali Admin]

Mike Smith, the chair of Portsmouth’s secondary heads, said: ‘We’re all shocked and appalled by what’s gone on.

‘Home schooling is not something heads would approve of.

‘The vast majority of parents aren’t qualified or don’t have the necessary knowledge and expertise to home educate their children.

‘Of course there are cases of elective home education being carried out by qualified parents, some teachers or with degrees, who believe the state system is the wrong way to bring up their children, but that’s a different matter.

‘That’s not what we’re talking about where Charter is concerned.

‘Most of the parents work or aren’t able to teach English, maths, the sciences, so they leave their children at home watching TV.

‘From my own experience and anecdotally from other schools in the city, these are children who have been struggling at school and are not in any way being home educated.

‘I don’t believe what is happening here is home education.

‘It’s removal from school.’

"Portsmouth's secondary heads", wonder what happened to the first heads? Chopping block anyone?

[Elaine Kirk]

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‘From my own experience and anecdotally from other schools in the city, these are children who have been struggling at school and are not in any way being home educated.

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Well they won't be being Home Educated if they are in school will they

[Polly]

‘The vast majority of parents aren’t qualified or don’t have the necessary knowledge and expertise to home educate their children.

‘Of course there are cases of elective home education being carried out by qualified parents, some teachers or with degrees, who believe the state system is the wrong way to bring up their children, but that’s a different matter.

‘That’s not what we’re talking about where Charter is concerned.

Mike Smith - Your ignorance is showing, you really should be better prepared.

And there was me thinking that people who had a degree/masters degree/requisite qualifications to become a 'Secondary Head' would be well aware of the necessity of RESEARCH before pronouncing on a subject of which they know diddly-squat. So much for higher education.

Or do they all think that as they are in charge of 'education' that they are the last word and authority on all matters educational and actual FACTS are irrelevant?

[Earthtracer]

I posted this in the Comments:

"Charter Academy has let nine students be taught at home..." This is factually plain wrong. Charter Academy has no authority in this matter. Parents are entitled BY LAW to withdraw their children from school to home educate them. In England and Wales, all that is required is a letter to the school intimating their intention to do so. Mike Smith says: "‘Home schooling is not something heads would approve of." However, it is not for heads or anyone else but the parents to decide, as the law permits Home Education. Smith sounds like a pompous ass, to be honest, and clearly has no knowledge whatsoever of home education or home educators. I know plenty of parents who home educate their children, and some sacrifice a great deal to do so, precisely because of the poor quality of many schools and the bullying that frequently takes place at them. If children are struggling at school, it is probably because the school is failing those children. It is also improbable that "the academy has been using home education as a ‘cover’ for getting rid of problem students" because no school is in a position to make parents home educate their children, even if they wanted to do so. I repeat, HE is entirely a parental choice and decision, and thank goodness, too.