You are absolutely right. Ever since the state started paying for universal education (1870) it has gradually sought to exercise ever greater control of what is taught, how it is taught, when it is taught, by whom it is taught which has led to an ever increasing focus on an ever narrower set of academic subjects to get an ever increasing number of pupils over the (ever easier?) academic hurdles to prove what a good government they are and that therefore you should vote for them.
Schooling is NOT synonymous with education even though the government would dearly like to make it so. It is a (relatively) efficient way to teach certain specialialised knowledge areas to those children whose parents don't have the time or resources to cover the subjects at home.
For a radical approach to education read 'Wot, No School? How schools impede education' by Jonathan Langdale and John Harrison (Best Global Publishing). Go to www.wotnoschool.com for more information and links to Amazon etc.

Posted by John Harrison at June 12, 2009 10:30 AM

The most damaging aspect of their proposal to inspect all home educators is the insecurity it will engender in the parents. I had one vountary inspection, found the inspectors to be ignorant of home education and the differences between school education and home education, and really uncaring about the benefits or advantages that home education might be able to offer children. They were generally hostile to the whole idea, although they approved of me because I have an RP accent and live in my own home. When I have supported families livng in social accommodation who have regiona accents, I have notices that the inspectors have been a lot less positive and a lot more critical.

I agree with Cory Doctorow thatyu cannot get at the guilty by persecuting the innocent, and this is an attempt to do that. Making all home educators submit to registration and inspection is a terrible idea, and I will resist it with everything I have.

Posted by Fee Berry at June 14, 2009 09:04 AM

There is plenty of resistance to the Review recommendations in the HE community precisely for the reasons you have listed. Plenty of HEors have said they will not comply with enforced, automatic state monitoring and control, so we think the DCSF should be considering the costs of locking up a lot of yummy mummies who were previously upstanding members of society!

Posted by Carlotta at June 14, 2009 09:26 AM

Mr Badman? You couldn't make up a name like that

Posted by Mark T at June 15, 2009 04:49 PM