Manipulative local authority officers and others

Yesterday, somebody commented here pointing out that local authority officers might try and manipulate children into saying that that they would rather be at school. This was thought to be a particular danger if the child were allowed to speak alone to such people.

As far as local authority officers asking loaded questions and trying to manoeuvre a child into saying that he wishes to go to school rather than be home educated; of course this happens. It is however only half the story. Local authorities may do this, but so too do parents. Some do it when their children express the desire to stay at home and not go to school. They say things like, ‘Wouldn’t you miss your friends if you were at home with me all day?’ Home educating parents do the same sort of thing to keep their children with them. A child might say that he wishes to go back to school and his mother will say, ‘Oh, don’t you like being with me any more?’ Local authorities are not the only people capable of asking trick questions!

It is not uncommon to see home educating mothers posting on the lists and forums, saying that their children have asked to go to school. Other members of the lists suggest helpful little bits of emotional blackmail and other tricks the parent can try to dissuade their kids from pursuing this reckless course of action. Not one person ever posts the correct answer for these mothers, which is: ‘Let the bloody child go to school if he wants, you selfish witch!’