Doorstepped in Dorset; Part 2

Two people in particular raised very good points about yesterday's post. One of these was Margaret, the other was somebody who lives in the area and upon whose word I rely.

Margaret posed a number of hypothetical cases and asked if I would still have been so welcoming had the house been in uproar or chaos for various reasons. I suppose that the answer to that is that as long as I was surte that the person demanding my attention and wishing to to speak to me was genuinely there because she was concerned about my daughter's welfare, then I would, albeit with a bad grace, probably allow them to see the child. If we were on the way out, I might suggest that she walk with us to the bus stop and ask her questions on the way. if the house were a mess, I might insist that she remain on the doorstep. I would certainly make it plain that she was only on my property by my permission.

I have actually had some irritating experiences of this sort myself and so this is not at all theoretical. when a new 'advisor' started work in Essex, she wanted to rush round and see every child in a hurry. I had been visited a few months previously and suddenly got a letter suggesting that this person would come round shortly. I made my annoyance clear when I replied, but allowed the visit anyway. An even better example is when my daughter started to complain of mysterious tummy aches. She was otherwise healthy, eleven years of age and with pronounced breast development. I did not really need a medical practitioner to tell me the most likely explanation for these pains, but thought it best to be on the safe side. It was late September. The doctor, an elderly man, associated September with back to school. Noting my daughter's age, he began asking about starting secondary school and whether she had any problems at school. The implication was plain; psychosomatic problem caused by a desire to avoid school. When he discovered that she did not attend school, the direction changed at once. He moved seamlessly from attributing these tummy aches to starting secondary school, to suggesting that they were caused by not starting secondary school. Questions about wanting to be with her friends were asked and the hint was that I was keeping her at home for reasons of my own. (Quite true; I wanted to provide her with a decent education!) I have no doubt that he marked down in her notes that here was an anxious and isolated child suffering from psychological disturbance. readers will be relieved to know that my own diagnosis proved more accurate and that her periods began a few days later.

In the above case, I tolerated the ill informed views of a bloody fool, because he clearly meant well. This is the principle by which I have always worked when I come across people who don't really know about home education.

In Poole, my informant tells me that those monitoring home education are turning up unannounced at people's homes and trying to bluff their way into the house by claiming to have legal powers which they do not possess. Apparently, they literally put their foot in the door in order to prevent the parent from shutting the door in their faces. I am told that despite what I say, these people do not mean well at all. If this is so and their motives go beyond the welfare of the children, I suppose that I must ask what other reason there could be for their behaviour? I do not doubt for a moment that these individuals are claiming to have powers which they do not have. Neither do I doubt for a moment that they are behaving like door to door salesmen and refusing to leave when asked politely. This is unfortunate. Another complaint is that despite the availability of funding from central government for children with special educational needs who are being educated at home, Poole takes the line that those who home educate have chosen to do the thing alone and without assistance. This is the line which other local authorities are also taking.

As I have said, I have experienced irritation from the local authority and Health Service myself on this front. Nothing which I came across stemmed from anything other than concern for my daughter, however misplaced. I wonder if any readers can suggest another motive for all these actions down in Dorset? I suppose that senior managers covering their arses against a re-run of the Khyra Ishaq case is one; are there any others?