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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 3 July 2009

Home education – our rights and civil liberty under attack

• THE recent review of home education conducted by Graham Badman did not discover any abuse within the home educating community (Forget school – ‘it’s amazing what kids learn when they’re not forced’ June 26).
Mr Badman, however, has recommended that local authority officials should have access to the homes and children of home educators to check on welfare on the false presumption that home educated children are “not seen”.
He has also given the option for these officials to see home educated children alone, without parents and or carers being present.
There is a general implication here from Mr Badman that children are not safe in the care of their parents.
At the moment this assertion only applies to home educating parents (which is discriminatory) but it will only be a matter of time before it is spread across the board to parents of pre-school children and even possibly schooled children.
Never before has government granted officials access to the home without a reasonable concern to warrant such an intrusion. These proposals are a complete over-reaction by the government and Mr Badman to a problem that simply doesn’t exist.
Is it proportionate to give right of access to the homes of people who aren’t breaking any laws? The simple and only answer is no.
CHRISTINE MAYNARD
Address supplied, SW1

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld.
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