Stigmatising minorities: just part of the job description
Saturday, 23rd October 2010 | Home Ed in the News | Law & Policy | Media | SchoolhouseThe words ”Wisdom, Justice, Compassion, Integrity” are woven into thistles at the head of the Scottish mace to represent the aspirations of the Scottish people for the Members of their Parliament. The head of the mace is surrounded by the words “There shall be a Scottish Parliament – Scotland Act 1998″. It was with these values in mind that Schoolhouse sent a complaint to the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament following the deeply offensive comments made by Duncan McNeil MSP in the wake of the Riggi tragedy in August 2010. Not only did the Labour MSP infer that the children’s home educated…
Scottish Government upholds freedom of choice in education
Monday, 6th September 2010 | Home Ed in the News | Law & Policy | Media | SchoolhouseScotland’s national home education organisation Schoolhouse has welcomed the Scottish Government’s stated commitment to upholding freedom of choice in education in an unequivocal response to a series of parliamentary questions tabled by Lothians Green MSP Robin Harper. [1] Commenting on written answers from the Scottish education secretary Michael Russell MSP, a Schoolhouse spokesperson said: “Schoolhouse is grateful to Robin Harper for once again raising awareness of some of the issues faced by parents in Scotland who are, or may be contemplating, elective home education for their children. Despite definitive statutory guidance having been in place for well over two years, too many…
Duncan McNeil MSP continues to distress and disgrace
Sunday, 15th August 2010 | Home Ed in the News | Media | SchoolhouseIt has been brought to the attention of Schoolhouse that Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil MSP is continuing to cause offence to the home educating community in Scotland by reiterating, in the Greenock Telegraph last Wednesday 11 August, insensitive and insulting comments for which he has already been severely criticised. By steadfastly refusing to apologise for his inappropriate, insensitive and politically motivated attack on a minority group in the wake of the Riggi family tragedy, and now seemingly redoubling his efforts to hog headlines over the issue, he is clearly intent on squeezing every last drop of political capital out of a…
Schoolhouse slams “grave robber” MSP over Riggi remarks
Sunday, 8th August 2010 | Home Ed in the News | Media | SchoolhouseScotland’s national home education organisation Schoolhouse has strongly condemned Labour MSP Duncan McNeil’s attack on home education in the wake of the tragic Riggi case, describing his comments in today’s Sunday Post as “insensitive, deplorable and tantamount to grave robbing.” The charity will now consider making a formal complaint about his conduct via the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. A Schoolhouse spokesperson said: “We find it deeply disturbing that Duncan McNeil has seen fit to use the deaths of three innocent children in Edinburgh last week to peddle vile personal prejudice and score cheap political points at the expense of a minority community of…
Parents under undue pressure to register under fives
Tuesday, 2nd March 2010 | Home Ed in the News | Media | SchoolhouseFor immediate release, 2 March 2010 Parents under undue pressure to register under fives for schooling Scotland’s national home education charity Schoolhouse is calling on the Scottish Government to remind local authorities of the parameters of “compulsory education age” after receiving numerous reports from parents of three and four year olds who are coming under intense pressure to “register” their children for school or risk losing a nursery place for the year until their child reaches statutory school age. Schoolhouse convener Sheila Struthers said: “A child does not reach compulsory education age in Scotland until the August after the child’s fifth birthday, but parents are…
Schoolhouse welcomes Mike Russell appointment
Tuesday, 1st December 2009 | Home Ed in the News | Media | SchoolhouseMichael Russell has today been announced as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning in the Scottish Government. Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond, said: “It is appropriate that a fresh look is taken … to break the impasse for the benefit of parents, teachers and children. I believe that Michael Russell can bring new thinking to this tough task.” Commenting on the appointment, Schoolhouse Convener Sheila Struthers said: “In his capacity as Shadow Education Minister in the first Scottish Parliament from 1999 to 2003, Michael Russell demonstrated a willingness to listen to those involved in education, both inside and outside…
Schoolhouse enquiries “skyrocket”
Sunday, 2nd August 2009 | Home Ed in the News | Media | SchoolhouseScots charity enquiries “skyrocket” as English home educators head for the Highlands – England’s loss will be Scotland’s gain, says Schoolhouse Scotland’s national home education support organisation Schoolhouse has reported a dramatic increase in enquiries from English home educating families who are preparing to move north of the border following publication of a DCSF-commissioned report on elective home education by Graham Badman. While the summer holiday period is usually less busy for the charity, enquiries from England are said to have “skyrocketed” since the report was published in June and its controversial proposals were accepted in…
Every Single Parent Matters
Sunday, 1st June 2008 | Media | Older News | SchoolhouseFamilies fight back in the face of Government forced labour regime Parents and children across the UK are being urged to ask their MPs and Children’s Commissioners if they will fight for families in the face of the UK Government’s proposed new Social Security regulations which are due to come before the UK Parliament before the summer recess.[1] Under the new rules, lone parents who depend on Income Support while caring for their children will lose benefits unless they actively seek work as soon as their youngest child reaches 12 (from November 2008), with the age threshhold reducing to seven by…
UK Government accused of impoverishing children
Friday, 9th May 2008 | Law & Policy | Media | Older NewsJoint media release from Schoolhouse and Action for Home Education For immediate release, Friday 9 May 2008 UK GOVERNMENT ACCUSED OF IMPOVERISHING CHILDREN THROUGH FORCED LABOUR REGIME FOR LONE PARENTS Scotland’s national home education support organisation, Schoolhouse [1], and its counterpart south of the border, Action for Home Education (AHEd) [2], have jointly expressed deep dismay and disappointment at the UK Government’s decision to remove the safety net of Income Support (IS) from lone parents whose youngest child is aged 12 years from November 2008. The age threshhold will subsequently be reduced so that, by 2010, lone parents will be required…
Better guidance needed on home education
Friday, 16th February 2007 | Media | Older NewsLocal authorities and home-educating families need better guidance from the Scottish Executive if they are to develop positive partnerships, says a report from the Scottish Consumer Council. The report Home-based Education: Towards Positive Partnerships is based on a Scotland-wide survey of local authorities and case studies of home-educating families. It found wide variations in the approach and practices adopted by local authorities. This can foster suspicion and lead to increased tension between families and council staff which, ultimately, can be damaging for children. The report sets out a series of recommendations for improving the relationship between families and their local councils. It…