'I will not comply to proposed laws for the regulation and monitoring of elective home education'

Pledge “ehenoncompliance”

"I will not comply to proposed laws for the regulation and monitoring of elective home education but only if 300 other parents and children will do the same."

— Afifah Hamilton, Home Educating Parent (contact)

Deadline to sign up by: 30^th January 2010
63 people signed up, 237 more were needed

Country: United Kingdom

More details
THE PROPOSALS:

1) 'Registration'

No, lets be honest. Licensing. Applying every year, to a potentially hostile power, to be allowed to do something which is both a right and a duty - educating your child as you see best fit.

Not only that, but you must submit a plan for the year to come, even if you only want to home educate for a term or two. If you do not stick to your plan, or if you do not meet the standards you set yourself, your right may be revoked next year.

2) Access to the home

Somebody, an unknown, paid busybody, will have the right to enter your home to inspect your educational provision, the safety of the space, and whether or not it is conducive to learning. Any negative judgments could lead to your right to educate as you see fit being removed.

Humans are flawed, and biased. Inspections must fail some families, or the inspector may not seem to be doing their job properly. Some innocent children will be forced into an education system they had previously chosen to opt out of, for whatever reason.

3) Private interviews with children

This inspector, an unknown quantity, will be able to, at a whim, ask to see your child alone. Even if the child does not want to, the inspector will have the final choice, and will have the power to remove your child and separate them from you, no matter what you or the child wants.

There has been no time limit set on these interviews, nor an age limit. 2 hours of questioning a terrified five year old? Possible. Legal.

There as been no reassurance from government figures. The best we've been offered is 'hope' that 'common sense' will prevail in such situations. They seem to forget the saying - "Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely"

THE ANSWER:

What can you do? DON'T COMPLY.

Don't register, they can't find you if they don't know you're there.

Don't open the door to inspectors. Go out instead, make the park, or the pool, or a friend's house your 'place of education' that day.

Don't let them take your child from you against its will. If your child does not want to be seen alone, your duty is to protect it by any means necessary. Lock yourselves in the bathroom if you must.

They cannot put us all in jail, there isn't space. They cannot take us all to court, they have not got the funds or time, and they will not win. They cannot enforce these laws unless we let them, and if we allow them to we will have failed our children, and all home educating children now or in future.

We have the power, together. Don't forget it.