The Learning Curve on the way in which families whose children have special educational needs or disabilities are failed by the system, have no option other than to home educate but are also denied any support at all because it was ‘elective’
“For my part every time I get a letter regarding my son’s ‘elective home education’ or it is brought up by professionals it makes my blood boil and I know many other parents feel the same. Let’s make no bones about it many of us (and I hear new stories every day) were forced into it even if in some cases professionals insist school is best for our child, we still had no choice as our children were failed for so long they are not able to go to school without self harming or anxiety or depression or suicide attempts or any combination of these. In many cases our children simply gave up on life and shut down completely losing all trust in the world around that failed them, as parents that leaves us feeling failures too, but in truth we have been let down and pushed out by the system with no regard for our children’s futures or their or our mental health.”
“Meanwhile government wants to monitor home educated families and test children, can you imagine how my son would react to these people coming into his house to test him after all that had happened?
No, families like mine do not need testing, we have already proved we will put out child’s need first by dropping all other commitments to teach our children. What we need is for people to be aware of these issues, for officials to listen to us, for funding in education to be increased, for education to become truly flexible and inclusive so that the choice for children like mine is not taken away.”
Read it in full: SEND Children in Home Education – The Elephant in The Room (The Learning Curve, Sept 2018)