Department for Children, Schools and Families Ideas Tree

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Next 20 ideas

1. Michelle says: I am a parent of 3 children and a school governor, but I have become increasingly disenchanted by the education system with ISAs (Information Sharing Agreements a Database on every child), SRE (Sex & Relationships Education from the age of 3) and schools dictating what I can or cannot put in my children's lunch boxes. They have crushed the creativity and enjoyment of learning for my two sons. I will now de-register them and home educate. The support that would make the most difference to me is financial assistance to provide learning experiences like admission costs to museums, farm centres etc and for books and art materials. I would also like to see the government begin to value the fantastic job the majority of parents do in bringing up and teaching their children. Instead they seem determined to separate children from their parents earlier and earlier and with various financial bribes. Now here's an alien concept; how about rewarding parents who bring up their OWN children and produce well-balanced, caring, innovative human-beings who don't go binge-drinking, steal from others or stab each other. We have succeeded, on this tiny island, in conquering half the world. People who have inhabited and populated the UK have had to be inventors or explorers to even get here in ancient times. The gene-pool is full of people with great gifts of inventiveness and creativity, but we are being turned in drones by the education system. You should support financially ALL parents for being parents and raising the next generation. Allow us to decide what will give our children the best possible start in life and stop trying to force us back into work leaving parental responsibilty to someone who has know vested interest in our wonderful children! The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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2. michelle says: I am about to embark on Home Educating my two sons, I am dismayed at the lack of funding available for parents who choose this option - None! Please help us financially, I don't want or expect as much as you currently pay my children's school for schooling them (well over 4,000 pounds) I am currently a school governor and have become increasingly saddened by the government dictating when, how and what children should learn even down to Sex and Relationships Education from Foundation Stage (3-yrs upwards) and what they should eat and drink. I have long believed that most of society's social problems are down the destruction of the family unit. The government actively encourages parents to palm their children off on other people so that they can go out to work. They will even pay childcare fees for a stranger to take on responsibilty of our children yet they dont value the job that parents do. Parenting IS the most important job we can do for the benefit of our children and society, please value us as WE try to ensure "the best possible start in life" No one will love our children like we do. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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3. Liz Jolly says: Home educated children should have the right to Government funding so that they can take on-line GCSEs via On-line colleges at the same time as their school based peer group. It is very unfair that a 16 year old has to pay over 700 pounds when an adult would get the course for under 200 pounds. Just consider the amount of money we have saved teh Government over the years by educating our children to become ready to take exams. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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4. Sandra says: More invitations to the classrooms to help with theme projects and inspire workshops The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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5. Lisa says: I can't take credit for this idea as it was someone else's suggestion made at a seminar on this. The question was how do you make afterschool activites/sport available for all children. This is very important to a child's mental and physical welfare and therefore important to the family. The idea was a government voucher scheme which gave children a choice of what they wanted to spend this on. Extra curricular activies are very expensive, people on qualifying benefits can get reductions on these but middle income families struggling with large mortgages and child care expenses don;'t. You often feel like a failure as a parent when you tell your child you cannot afford to pay for extra football coaching etc. A voucher scheme would give access to all and give children an opportunity to chose/experience different activies. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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6. Lisa says: The traditional structure of families has changed and there are considerably more step families. There can be a totally different set of problems within these families without help this can inevitably lead to a breakdown in relationships between everyone, partners and children. When a member of a family whether that be a child or an adult asks for help then some form of mediation help should be given immediately rather than waiting for weeks. It should be made clear where help can be given/found. The support should be made available for ongoing needs if required not just a quick fix. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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7. LINDILE says: LACK OF PARENTAL SKILLS IS A BARRIER AS SOME PARENTS DO NOT KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE SUBJECTS SINCE THE METHODS HAVE CHANGED A LOT. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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8. Mary says: All people going to college should qualify for the same amount of EMA. Not all parents are able to give their children the money they need for clothes, lesure ect. Not all people are able to attend college and hold down a job. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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9. Nico Macdonald says: Free 24-hour local childcare on demand. Not because we don't like our kids and want to play/work all the time, but because our lives are complicated, working hours are longer and irregular, and traditional families are no longer the norm. It is time consuming juggling childcare: from daytime nurseries, morning playgroups, childminders, after schools clubs, to family and friends. (Not to mention the 1,000+/month a full-time nursery place costs in London.) We don't want to spend our time planning, running around and dealing with arrangements that fall through, while we try to maintain our grown-up lives. But at present that is what we have to do because UK childcare provision is inadequate and unaffordable. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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10. Chris says: Home Education is a legal and viable alternative to schools, research has found that not all children thrive in a school environment. At home children can learn in a way which suits their age, ability, aptitude and special needs and can learn about what interests them. Parents that home educate their children take on this responsibility because they want their children to enjoy learning, they want to see their children grow into happy adults who are able to socialise at all levels. I home educate 2 boys, they are so happy since leaving the school environment, they are now chilled out, love the fact that they are able to learn anything that they wish. They enjoy, reading, writing, maths, project work, arts and crafts etc. Their education takes place 7 days each week (their choice)! Recent tests have proven that they are now working a year above their age at all levels. This only proves that home education is great for children, they become more confident in all aspects of their life and have plenty of opportunities to socialise, with all age groups, young and old alike. I personally save the government a lot of money each year. All I ask in return is that all home educators are able to apply for a one off fund for the costs of educational items, stationary, books or entitlements to use the resource centres that schools use, if help was provided for parents in this way, then I am certain, it would help most families in our position. We are not asking for a lot, and no where near the amount is would cost if the government were to take full responsibility of teaching our children in the school environment! The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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11. leila says: Parents should be entirely responsible for their childrens sex education. The pill should not be secrectly available for under 16s. Abortions should not be secretly available for under 16s. Children should be allowed to be children and not pushed into adulthood before they are ready. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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12. Raquel says: People who work in the field of education should be made aware of "autonomous education" and of how successful it can be. Many home educators educate their children this way and it's amazing how officials, who work in education departments, know nothing of it's existance. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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13. Bishop Hill says: Remove the state completely from any involvement with children or their education. Privatise all schools, and endow them with the proceeds so that they can provide education for the needy. Fire all educational bureaucrats, inspectors, and assorted busybodies and burn down the DSCF. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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14. Belinda says: Ditch the Contactpoint database and other excessive State data collection. There should be a presumption that parents are well meaning and doing their best for their children unless evidence emerges to the contrary, rather than the assumption that all children should have personal data centrally stored in order to protect them from the evil of a private life. It's positively Stalinist. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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15. mandy says: Change the law so that parents who have lost their children in the secret family courts are not gagged or imprisoned for blowing the whistle. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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16. violet says: Support parents who choose to stay at home and raise their children! We don't want free childcare!- complete strangers bringing up our children, whilst we work our selves into the ground, come home exhausted see our children for a few minutes before they go to bed and spend 'family time' on the weekend rushing around getting the grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, and all the 101 other jobs that we don't have any time to do in the week. The system as it stands is ridiculous! Of course their is moral decline, families splitting up, problem children etc- The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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17. Helen says: As a parent home educating my 3 children, It would be helpful if Home Education was promoted as a valuable educational choice to parents instead of being viewed as a last resort or an unusual lifestyle choice. The areas I could do with more support in bringing up my children are most definitely financial: ie: discounted access to lesuire centers, public transport, places of public interest etc. Free/discounted exam courses and free educational workbooks would also be a tremendous help. Please remember: home educating parents save the goverment hundreds of thousands of pounds a year by not using up limited school places for their children. The majority are also taking their responsibility to make sure their children grow up to be decent members of society very seriously and as a consequence all in the community benefit. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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18. Jane says: Value the role of parents, stop putting pressure on both parents to return to work. Surely the best environment for a child to grow and flourish is with their mother or father, not in a nursery with strangers. Perhaps use some of the money available to encourage us to pay someone else to bring up our children to make it easier for us to bring up our own children. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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19. Julie says: Substantially increase statutory maternity pay (both the amount and the length of time it's payable) to enable mothers to stay home with their children for longer. The only reason I came back to work was because I couldn't afford not to and still provide my daughter with the kind of life she deserves. However, I have often felt that my daugher has been put under undue stress because she has had to attend a nursery from such a young age and it's gone against my instincts to do this. Also - longer, paid parental leave for fathers. Look at the Nordics for inspiration on that one! The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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20. Mary says: I would like to see more LEA funded small schools (Primary & Secondary) where children are able to feel valued and respected. Large schools do not facilitate quality education but quantity of exam passes. Where smaller schools are not available I would welcome some funding for children who are aducated at home to attend group activites/lessons, support with transport/resources etc. The average rating of this idea is 3 out of 5. Rate this idea:
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