The letter

I guess it was inevitable, although somehow I thought we might escape it. But, no; the first letter from the Local Authority arrived this morning. The Home Education Adviser “would like” to visit us to “offer any advice or assistance” we “may require”. Thanks, but I don’t think we do require any. And, judging from the very helpful Education Otherwise website, we’re not obliged to ‘require’ any either.

Ironically, the informal tone of the letter chills me – I am reminded of the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. My son is referred to by his first name only, as if to warm me to the Adviser’s intentions. I’m sorry Home Education Adviser, but it rather does the opposite. There is no doubt that my cynicism about LA visits (or, more specifically, this, my first visit) is fuelled by the spurious and bloody ignorant comments by Delyth Morgan MP and Vijay Patel of the NSPCC in recent press articles about home educating. It’s quite likely that without their comments that parents may be using home educating as a cover for abuse, forced marriage or domestic servitude, I would have been quite happy to admit this lady into my home. But no, not any more. Now I just have to work out how I’m going to word my reply accordingly.

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