Thankful Thoughts on Freedom, England, Homeschool, and Writing

Posted on December 8, 2009 
Filed Under Homeschool, Observations, Teaching Writing

Dear Readers,

I sometimes come upon a thought so well expressed that I just have to share it! Today’s guest post is the editor’s letter from the Writing-World.com newsletter, and it’s reprinted here with the kind permission of the author, Moira Allen.

This Thanksgiving, my husband and I were deeply aware of the many things we have to be thankful for — chief among them being the fact that we are once again living in the United States.  As most of you know, we spent 15 months in England, pursuing (but not precisely living) a lifelong dream.  Those 15 months made us appreciate so many things that, as Americans, we take for granted.

Freedom, for example.  One thing I’ve always taken for granted is
that if a civil authority (e.g., the police) wishes to enter my
home, a warrant is required to do so, issued by a judge and only on
presentation of “just cause.”  Not so in England!  Any number of
“civil authorities,” including social workers, council
representatives, “wheelie bin police,” and quite possibly the
vegetable seller down the street can legally enter one’s home for
any number of reasons (including things like whether you’re
importing an illegal variety of potato — which admittedly wasn’t
something we worried about overmuch).

The latest furor, however, has arisen over a proposal to allow
authorities to enter the homes of parents who are home-schooling
their children, to “inspect” the premises and ensure that they are
“safe” for this very “vulnerable” segment of the population.
(Apparently a child is considered unsafe in the home only during
“school” hours, as there has been no proposal to invade the homes
of parents who send their children off to a public or private
school.)  But it gets even better; now the British government has
proposed to require any parent who wishes to home-school a child to
undergo a criminal records check, to ensure that the parent has “no
record of violence against children.” (Again, evidently only
parents who choose to teach their own children are considered
potential child abusers; just HAVING a child isn’t enough to arouse
official suspicion… yet.) Oh, and by the way, the parent has to
pay for a criminal records check, to the tune of approximately $300
(last time I looked; it may have gone up by now) — imagine paying
your government just to prove you have the right to educate your
own child!

Did I mention that our beloved newsletter editor home-schools her
daughter?  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we have a potential criminal
on our staff, one who has already flagrantly defied the law of the
land by swapping child-care with a friend. (Yup, this is illegal in
England, because friends who swap child-care are receiving a
“benefit” for offering such care — that benefit being getting
their OWN child cared for in return — and they are therefore
operating a “business” without a license.  Presumably, too, it’s
illegal to watch your friend’s child without undergoing a criminal
background check — because ANYONE who is involved in any sort of
business or volunteer activity that might get them within 100 yards
of a child must have one!)

So, looking backward, I am thankful beyond words that I live in
this country, which has such interesting little things as a
Constitution and a Bill of Rights.  But what, you may be wondering,
does this have to do with WRITING?  Well, a lot, if you think about
it.

Because writing is, at the most fundamental level, about freedom.
Countries that wish to restrict the freedoms of its citizens
invariably get around to restricting the freedoms of writers.  One
of those things that I DO take for granted is the freedom to write
what I want, without fear of having someone knocking on my door
late at night — or worse, without the fear that someone has a
right not only to knock but to enter, without a warrant or anything
resembling “just cause.”

Governments that don’t like freedom don’t like writers — because
writers have this nasty tendency to tell the world all about what
their governments are doing.  Frankly, I sometimes get tired of our
press complaining nonstop about our government — but I will never
get tired of the fact that the press CAN complain!

There is no power on earth as important as the freedom to be able
to say, and write, whatever you wish.  There is no gift so great
for writers to celebrate in this holiday season as the freedom that
we have, at least in this country, to WRITE.  That freedom means
that we have the power to speak up about things that we don’t like
– and the power to demand and make changes to the world in which
we live.  It is the gift that makes the difference between being
“citizens” rather than “subjects.”  Many of us may never feel the
need to exercise the full power of this gift, but we should never
forget that we have it.  And we should also never forget those who
don’t.

It’s also something that we can pass on.  Whenever you help someone
develop their writing skills — whether it’s your own child, or a
total stranger that you’ve met through an Internet writers’ group
– you’re passing on more than just the ability to craft a better
sentence.  You’re passing on a gift of freedom.

Moira Allen is the editor of Writing World newsletter, and the manager of the enormous Writing-World.com website. She’s provided a valuable resource to writers for many years, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to reprint her thoughts here.

Comments

6 Responses to “Thankful Thoughts on Freedom, England, Homeschool, and Writing”

  1. Carol Topp, CPA on December 8th, 2009 11:01 am

    Wow, Janice & Moira! I never realized that England lacked some of the basic privacy protections that we have in the US. I just took our freedoms for granted. It reminds me of the colonists’ protests over quartering soldiers.

    I never thought of writing as encouraging freedom, but I see it now. Thanks for the fresh perspective.

  2. Thankful Thoughts on Freedom, England, Homeschool, and Writing … School on December 8th, 2009 1:55 pm

    [...] Read the rest here:  Thankful Thoughts on Freedom, England, Homeschool, and Writing … [...]

  3. christa on December 8th, 2009 4:47 pm

    WOw, what an eye opener. May I copy this to my blog? Thanks Janice for sharing these awesome words. Moira, I appreciate this effort and love the reality check

  4. Lillian on December 8th, 2009 7:38 pm

    I did not realise things had got so bad in England. I know it is illegal to homeschool in Germany and France, perhaps it is going to end up illegal in the UK too? I would like to know when the law which requires a criminal background check to homeschool legal came into effect. I was there 3 years ago and that was not the case. Things are moving quickly downhill!
    I know some states have quite strict homeschool laws, but am thankful I am able to teach my children at home freely in Nevada.

  5. David on December 13th, 2009 3:16 am

    It looks like a little bit of common sense showed up; they seemed to have changed the plan according to this news article.
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/dec/13/schools-criminal-records-checks

  6. » Homeschooling: Challenges in England Taking Time for Things That Matter on December 14th, 2009 7:07 pm

    [...] The latest furor, however, has arisen over a proposal to allow authorities to enter the homes of parents who are home-schooling their children, to “inspect” the premises and ensure that they are “safe” for this very “vulnerable” segment of the population… Read more… [...]

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