Wednesday, 19 November 2008
ANTI BULLYING WEEK
MEDIA INFORMATION FROM ACTION FOR HOME EDUCATION (AHEd)
For immediate release, Wednesday 19 November 2008
ANTI BULLYING WEEK - TIME TO REMIND CHILDREN THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO ENDURE BULLYING IN SCHOOL, says AHEd
National home education group Action for Home Education [1] today accused authorities of immorality in creating endless anti bullying projects whilst hiding from children and parents their right to walk away from bullies.
Commenting on Anti Bullying Week, AHEd Chair Barbara Stark said: "AHEd was formed to take action where needed to support and promote the right to educate one's children without using schools. If any child has a right to know that they have no legal obligation to be educated in a school, it is the child bullied in school. Our members are keen to ensure that in anti bullying week this message is shared with these children."
AHEd have previously run campaigns highlighting the tragic extent of bullying in schools. Last year members lobbied MPs and the Minister responsible for education to remind them that 450,000 children were bullied in school EACH WEEK last year [2] and at least 16 children are successful in committing suicide each year as a result of school bullying. [3] A worrying recent survey by Kidscape shows that half of bullied children in schools will contemplate or attempt suicide. [4]
AHEd member Clare Murton asks, "How many bullied children and their parents have been told by the school or the LA that it is a legal and rewarding choice to educate a child at home?"
Home educating parent and AHEd member Pete Darby, asks, "If a friend of yours was consistently bullied at work, fearful of turning up each morning, and complaints to the management did little or nothing, wouldn't you tell your friend to leave their job before it was too late? Yet children are constantly being told that they must put up with it, or make another report to the teacher. You would tell an adult to first get out of the toxic situation: why not show as much concern to children?"
"No adult," says Barbara "is expected to tolerate the behaviour that bullied children are forced to put up with without recourse to relief or justice." Yet, while AHEd members continue to hear from families whose children are bullied in schools, they are sick of having to listen to the old cliché that to take a child out of school because of bullying is over-protective and won't help a child to cope in the "real world" where bullying happens and life is tough.
In practice they find that the opposite is true; their children when taken seriously, offered a reprieve from the hatred they are being subjected to and educated in an environment of their choosing, develop strong self esteem, learn more effectively and go on to experience much better working relationships as adults.
AHEd members have one simple message to promote in Anti Bullying Week -
BULLIED AT SCHOOL? TRY HOME EDUCATION - IT IS YOUR RIGHT - AND YOUR LIFELINE.
for further information contact: Tel: xxx email: starkfamily@ntlworld.com
Notes for Editors:
[1] http://ahed.pbwiki.com/About-AHEd
(2)http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2007/mar/27/howcanschoolsreducebullyin
"Each week 450,000 children are bullied in school. Another 500,000 are taunted by their peer group in the community. And more than one in five children will turn to suicide as a way out of being severely bullied" writes Debbie Andalo. " It is an image that MPs highlight in their report into bullying in school published in March 2007. The report by the Commons Education and Skills Select Committee claims up to 20% of young people experience some kind of general bullying. But this can be as high as 50% among pupils in secondary schools who are attracted to the same sex and find themselves at the receiving end of homophobic taunts. The incidence of bullying is also substantiated by figures from the child support charity ChildLine, which said it received 37,000 calls from young people who were bullied between 2005 and 2006 - a 12% rise compared with the previous year.
(3). At least 16 children commit suicide each year as a result of school bullying: Neil Marr and Tim Field's book "Bullycide: death at playtime" reveals the hidden epidemic of suicide caused by bullying and harassment.
(4) http://www.communitynewswire.press.net/article.jsp?id=5248914
END
Barbara Stark
(Chair, AHEd.) For the committee and membership of AHEd
www.ahed.org.uk Action for Home Education Group.
http://ahed.pbwiki.com/ Action for Home Education Group wiki.
For immediate release, Wednesday 19 November 2008
ANTI BULLYING WEEK - TIME TO REMIND CHILDREN THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO ENDURE BULLYING IN SCHOOL, says AHEd
National home education group Action for Home Education [1] today accused authorities of immorality in creating endless anti bullying projects whilst hiding from children and parents their right to walk away from bullies.
Commenting on Anti Bullying Week, AHEd Chair Barbara Stark said: "AHEd was formed to take action where needed to support and promote the right to educate one's children without using schools. If any child has a right to know that they have no legal obligation to be educated in a school, it is the child bullied in school. Our members are keen to ensure that in anti bullying week this message is shared with these children."
AHEd have previously run campaigns highlighting the tragic extent of bullying in schools. Last year members lobbied MPs and the Minister responsible for education to remind them that 450,000 children were bullied in school EACH WEEK last year [2] and at least 16 children are successful in committing suicide each year as a result of school bullying. [3] A worrying recent survey by Kidscape shows that half of bullied children in schools will contemplate or attempt suicide. [4]
AHEd member Clare Murton asks, "How many bullied children and their parents have been told by the school or the LA that it is a legal and rewarding choice to educate a child at home?"
Home educating parent and AHEd member Pete Darby, asks, "If a friend of yours was consistently bullied at work, fearful of turning up each morning, and complaints to the management did little or nothing, wouldn't you tell your friend to leave their job before it was too late? Yet children are constantly being told that they must put up with it, or make another report to the teacher. You would tell an adult to first get out of the toxic situation: why not show as much concern to children?"
"No adult," says Barbara "is expected to tolerate the behaviour that bullied children are forced to put up with without recourse to relief or justice." Yet, while AHEd members continue to hear from families whose children are bullied in schools, they are sick of having to listen to the old cliché that to take a child out of school because of bullying is over-protective and won't help a child to cope in the "real world" where bullying happens and life is tough.
In practice they find that the opposite is true; their children when taken seriously, offered a reprieve from the hatred they are being subjected to and educated in an environment of their choosing, develop strong self esteem, learn more effectively and go on to experience much better working relationships as adults.
AHEd members have one simple message to promote in Anti Bullying Week -
BULLIED AT SCHOOL? TRY HOME EDUCATION - IT IS YOUR RIGHT - AND YOUR LIFELINE.
for further information contact: Tel: xxx email: starkfamily@ntlworld.com
Notes for Editors:
[1] http://ahed.pbwiki.com/About-AHEd
(2)http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2007/mar/27/howcanschoolsreducebullyin
"Each week 450,000 children are bullied in school. Another 500,000 are taunted by their peer group in the community. And more than one in five children will turn to suicide as a way out of being severely bullied" writes Debbie Andalo. " It is an image that MPs highlight in their report into bullying in school published in March 2007. The report by the Commons Education and Skills Select Committee claims up to 20% of young people experience some kind of general bullying. But this can be as high as 50% among pupils in secondary schools who are attracted to the same sex and find themselves at the receiving end of homophobic taunts. The incidence of bullying is also substantiated by figures from the child support charity ChildLine, which said it received 37,000 calls from young people who were bullied between 2005 and 2006 - a 12% rise compared with the previous year.
(3). At least 16 children commit suicide each year as a result of school bullying: Neil Marr and Tim Field's book "Bullycide: death at playtime" reveals the hidden epidemic of suicide caused by bullying and harassment.
(4) http://www.communitynewswire.press.net/article.jsp?id=5248914
END
Barbara Stark
(Chair, AHEd.) For the committee and membership of AHEd
www.ahed.org.uk Action for Home Education Group.
http://ahed.pbwiki.com/ Action for Home Education Group wiki.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Friday, 19 September 2008
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Learn Nothing Day - Results are in!
I forgot to link to this on the day, but here are some links to blogs of people who tried to learn nothing and their *results*.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Every Single Parent Matters? Postcard Campaign
Since the matter was first brought to our attention by a Schoolhouse member in January 2007, AHEd and Schoolhouse have been working together to oppose new UK Government Social Security Regulations which will see lone parents who are reliant on Income Support moved on to Job Seekers Allowance as soon as their youngest child reaches 12 (from November 2008), the age threshhold being reduced to seven by 2010. Lone parents will then be expected to be available for paid employment outside the home, regardless of the needs of their children.
To coincide with the all too short consultation prior to the regulations being brought before Parliament before the summer recess, we have just launched the Every Single Parent Matters? campaign.
It involves a postcard lobby of MPs by parents and a parallel postcard lobby of the four Children's Commissioners for Scotland, England, Wales and N Ireland by children and young people.This short and sharp campaign requires immediate action by all parents and young people who are concerned about the impact of these proposed Social Security Regulations on vulnerable families.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW!
Parents and interested adults (UK wide):
a.. Download the MP lobby postcard and print it out.
b.. Complete the addressee box on the front with the name of your MP and his/her address, which is House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
c.. Write your name and adddress in the box on the back so that your MP can return the postcard to you with his/her comments.
d.. Contact AHEd or Schoolhouse to let us know what his/her response is and we will record it on the AHEd wiki.
If you live in Scotland, Wales or N Ireland, please also:
a.. Download the MSP/AM lobby postcard and print it out.
b.. Complete the addressee box on the front with the name of your MSP/AM and his/her address. Write your name and adddress in the box on the back so that your MSP/AM can return the postcard to you with his/her comments.
[NOTE: Although this is a reserved matter, these regulations affect children and families and also represent a legitimate area of concern for the devolved administrations, so it is important to lobby MSPs/AMs and MPs]
c.. Contact AHEd or Schoolhouse to let us know what his/her response is and we will record it on the AHEd wiki.
Children and young people:
a.. Download the Children's Commissioner lobby postcard and print it out.
b.. Complete the addressee box on the front with the name of the Children's Commissioner for your nation and and his/her address.
Kathleen Marshall, Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People,
85 Holyrood Road,
Edinburgh EH8 8AU
Sir Al Aynsley-Green,
Children's Commissioner for England,
11 MILLION,
1 London Bridge,
London SE1 9BG
Keith Towler,
Children's Commissioner for Wales,
Oystermouth House,
Phoenix Way,
Llansamlet,
Swansea
SA7 9FS
Patricia Lewsley,
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People,
Millennium House,
17-25 Great Victoria Street,
Belfast
BT2 7BAa..
Write your name and adddress in the box on the back so that the Children's Commissioner can return the postcard to you with his/her comments.
c.. Contact AHEd or Schoolhouse to let us know what his/her response is and we will record it on the AHEd wiki.
Organisations with an interest in supporting families:
a.. Download the poster about the campaign and display.
b.. Post the campaign information on your website and include in your newsletter.
Everyone:
a.. Download the poster about the campaign and display
b.. Let others know about this campaign so that MPs and Children's Commissioners are left in no doubt about our vehement opposition to these regulations.Links for the postcard campaign -
please cross post widely.
http://schoolhouse.org.uk/pc/
http://www.ahed.org.uk/pc/http://ahed.pbwiki.com/LoneParentPC
Thank you,Barbara Stark (Chair, AHEd) ahed@ahed.org.uk
Alison Preuss (Convener, Schoolhouse) media@schoolhouse.org.uk
To coincide with the all too short consultation prior to the regulations being brought before Parliament before the summer recess, we have just launched the Every Single Parent Matters? campaign.
It involves a postcard lobby of MPs by parents and a parallel postcard lobby of the four Children's Commissioners for Scotland, England, Wales and N Ireland by children and young people.This short and sharp campaign requires immediate action by all parents and young people who are concerned about the impact of these proposed Social Security Regulations on vulnerable families.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW!
Parents and interested adults (UK wide):
a.. Download the MP lobby postcard and print it out.
b.. Complete the addressee box on the front with the name of your MP and his/her address, which is House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
c.. Write your name and adddress in the box on the back so that your MP can return the postcard to you with his/her comments.
d.. Contact AHEd or Schoolhouse to let us know what his/her response is and we will record it on the AHEd wiki.
If you live in Scotland, Wales or N Ireland, please also:
a.. Download the MSP/AM lobby postcard and print it out.
b.. Complete the addressee box on the front with the name of your MSP/AM and his/her address. Write your name and adddress in the box on the back so that your MSP/AM can return the postcard to you with his/her comments.
[NOTE: Although this is a reserved matter, these regulations affect children and families and also represent a legitimate area of concern for the devolved administrations, so it is important to lobby MSPs/AMs and MPs]
c.. Contact AHEd or Schoolhouse to let us know what his/her response is and we will record it on the AHEd wiki.
Children and young people:
a.. Download the Children's Commissioner lobby postcard and print it out.
b.. Complete the addressee box on the front with the name of the Children's Commissioner for your nation and and his/her address.
Kathleen Marshall, Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People,
85 Holyrood Road,
Edinburgh EH8 8AU
Sir Al Aynsley-Green,
Children's Commissioner for England,
11 MILLION,
1 London Bridge,
London SE1 9BG
Keith Towler,
Children's Commissioner for Wales,
Oystermouth House,
Phoenix Way,
Llansamlet,
Swansea
SA7 9FS
Patricia Lewsley,
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People,
Millennium House,
17-25 Great Victoria Street,
Belfast
BT2 7BAa..
Write your name and adddress in the box on the back so that the Children's Commissioner can return the postcard to you with his/her comments.
c.. Contact AHEd or Schoolhouse to let us know what his/her response is and we will record it on the AHEd wiki.
Organisations with an interest in supporting families:
a.. Download the poster about the campaign and display.
b.. Post the campaign information on your website and include in your newsletter.
Everyone:
a.. Download the poster about the campaign and display
b.. Let others know about this campaign so that MPs and Children's Commissioners are left in no doubt about our vehement opposition to these regulations.Links for the postcard campaign -
please cross post widely.
http://schoolhouse.org.uk/pc/
http://www.ahed.org.uk/pc/http://ahed.pbwiki.com/LoneParentPC
Thank you,Barbara Stark (Chair, AHEd) ahed@ahed.org.uk
Alison Preuss (Convener, Schoolhouse) media@schoolhouse.org.uk
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