This month Ofsted has reminded us that they have obtained powers normally only permitted to the police. This allows them to carry out “Direct surveillance … likely to result in the obtaining of private information about a person or persons, carried out in a way that is premeditated”.
Given Ofsted’s desire for ‘muscular liberalism’ as expressed by Amanda Spielman, this should cause shivers for any of those in this country who hold traditional Christian views, and seek to be free to express these in the education world.
Combined with this there are regular and continuing calls for evidence or consultations about elective home education. The trajectory here is to increase registration and regulatory powers so that even families in their homes could become subject to interference and monitoring regarding whether they are providing standards in line with the state’s moral viewpoint.
One of these calls for evidence from the Education Committee can be found here, and is due to close on 7 November. Please, especially where you have evidence of the encroaching nature of inappropriate monitoring, consider contributing to this call for evidence on potential increase of regulation and registration of elective home education.
We should be resisting the gathering of increased data on private viewpoints, religious beliefs and motivations for elective home education, particularly when combined with the increasing muscular liberalism of arms of the government such as Ofsted. Arms of the government monitoring who belongs to which religion is a sign of totalitarianism.
The second opportunity to raise your voice is with this consultation. Here the government is indicating the desire to expand “the categories of full-time institutions that will be regulated in the same way that independent schools are currently regulated, and defining what is ‘full-time’”.
You may remember the attempts to introduce legislation which could have meant Christian holiday clubs and Sunday schools could have come under regulatory scrutiny? Here is another attempt to redefine what a ‘full time’ school could be, and so gain greater inspection and monitoring rights on a whole range of environments. This closes at 5.30pm on 27 November.
We have seen how the increasingly secular and liberal agenda has been exercised through the powerful arms of the state in the education world. Here is a short window of opportunity for Christians to voice their concerns and provide evidence and opinions to again bring wisdom to those making such important decisions which will affect our children.
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