If you’d like all our information and more available in one handy publication you might consider purchasing our Flexischooling Handbook. In doing so you will be supporting the cause and enabling CPE to increase its activity and advocacy in support of flexischooling.
FLEXISCHOOLING HANDBOOK: ENGLAND AND WALES from Educational Heretics Press written by Peter Humphreys, chair of the Centre for Personalised Education. All the important guidance, briefings and more in one place. Currently only available as a Kindle although that might change in the 2019. Current price only £5.99.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07L9FBZ8H
Flexischooling is certainly enjoying a surge of interest which should be an indicator of real problems within the schooling system for a range of families and learner whose needs and aspirations are not being met.
The fundamental issue remains that the schooling system is so rigid, inertia ridden and bureaucratic that it is not sufficiently flexible and responsive to the needs of culture, society, families and learners.
Rather than looking to remove barriers, increase flexibility, efficiency and success schooling seeks to maintain its narrow view of an education. This rigidity is in itself problem for schooling… it places the system in a monoculture incapable of accepting and considering different points of view and transforming itself a sustainable educational polyculture.
A Credible Option
Despite the fact that flexischooling is a lawful option there is an information vacuum within the system. Whether it’s on entry to schooling, at the transitions, when major issues arise or at any other time it is not clear that flexischooling is something that families could consider and little advice and direction to enable it. Clearly, this information and our social media groups aim to fill that void but government and the DfE need to be the primary source of communication ensuring that flexischooling is known about widely and that it is a credible option that could be an answer for a range of philosophical and practical reasons.
Alignment of Funding and Registration
Current funding and attendance / registration arrangements were not conceived with flexischooling in mind (and of course do not even consider the needs of any families educating otherwise with home education). This means that schools and local authorities see technical issues and problems rather than children, young people and learning. It makes the situation for schools, and particularly the decision-making headteachers unnecessarily problematic.
Flexischooling provides benefits for pupils, families, schools, communities and government. It offers something quite unique and special of which this country can and should be really proud.
The most obvious consideration is to look comprehensively at flexischooling and how it can be accommodated within the legal, funding, registration and guideline structures. This will necessitate a pause and consultation with those involved. Any review should look at flexischooling around the world, in Scotland (where it is part-time education / part-time home education and much simpler) as well as exploring how flexischooling could uniquely be used to support learners, families and the system to become more flexible, personalised and successful.
It would be advantageous to secure a cross-party understanding of the place and contributions of flexischooling to the educational landscape. Once established the bureaucratic and administrative procedures and safeguards can be put in place and regular sensible review scheduled.
In 2017 we’ll start a Twitter Campaign #flexischooling – please add your voice.
#flexischooling
Links to pages in this Flexischooling Menu
