Proposal to register home educators

"The Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, has asked officials to review home schooling amid fears that thousands of children are having their minds `filled with poison` by radicalised parents."

"Between 20,000 and 50,000 children are thought to be educated at home - but the Government has no idea of the exact number because parents are under no obligation to inform their local council."

Ms Morgan has already announced a crackdown on unregistered schools and `weekend madrassas` after some were found to be promoting extremist ideology. But senior government sources have revealed that home schooling is now `on the radar`."

"Under proposals being considered in Whitehall, parents and teachers will be given a specific point of contact at local councils in order to raise concerns about a child.  Officials will also try to discover how many children are being taught at home, beyond the reach of inspectors..."

"The new Conservative chairman of the Education Select Committee, Neil Carmichael, has endorsed proposals for more safeguards for children educated at home. He told the Tory party conference in October: `I find it absolutely amazing people who are home educated are not registered as being home educated.  It`s an absolute scandal that should not be allowed.`"

I like what Fiona Nicholson of the Home Education Consultancy had to say:

"`You can disagree with lots of ways parents bring up their children but until a crime has been committed, or there is a substantial child-protection issue, I don`t think it`s anybody`s business. It`s more than a slippery slope, it`s off a precipice really.`"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/nicky-morgan-orders-review-on-home-schooling-amid-fears-children-having-minds-poisoned-by-a6779886.html

Sad and shameful, that all families in Scotland have already been thrown off the precipice.

As far as extremist ideology is concerned, who knows what that means?  Recall that potential radicalisation also includes domestic extremism and examples include:

"Animal rights, environmentalism, far right politics, far left politics or emerging trends i.e any activity that unduly and illegally influences or threatens the economic and community cohesion of the country."  See Channel Duty Guidance

With a definition as wide as that, who`s going to be off the radar?