I’ve always been fairly cautious about revealing too much about my family and I on my public blog. I have various reasons for this but protecting the children’s anonymity, avoiding clashes between my private and working life and simply not laying out all out life on a plate for anyone who happens to stumble across it to pick over are among those reasons.
This week I have compromised some of my anonymity by participating in a local event to raise awareness of Home Education and the review. It was with full consent of Monster and Teeny obviously but for us this was a fight worth risking privacy for at this stage in the hopes it would safeguard our whole lifestyle.
We were part of the group of Home Educators blowing bubbles, handing out leaflets and talking to passers by and the media at large about what we do, why we do it and how it is under threat.
We were featured on the local and regional news, the radio, the local press, linked to on youtube, facebook, national Home Ed lists, blogs and more.
As a result of the media coverage a dialogue happened with my parents who are now if not wholly supportive at least better informed about Home Ed. There has been the inevitable backlash of negative comments, which whilst I’d love to discount as nutters do worry me. But not nearly as much as the apathy and sense of ‘what will be will be’ or ‘I’m sure you’re doing it right but what about all those people who aren’t’.
If you read this blog, if you know a Home Educator, if you’ve heard anything at all about the review. If you are a parent, if you place any value at all on the rights of the individual in this country, freedom and liberty, please, please, please join our voices in fighting against the rules and regulations the government want to impose upon us against our will.
