Jobseekers' allowance and home education

I have an amendment down to the Welfare bill on home educators, and I'd like your views.

The current arrangement is (am I right) that a lone parent home educator has to make her/himself available for 16 hours a week unless she/he can show that appropriate and affordable childcare is not available.

I don't see - given the government's initial response and its general attitude - scope to change that - but what can be done to make it work appropriately in practice?

How to assess home education

Thankyou to all those who have send in comments on Badman's report. I agree with much of what you say. I find it outrageous that home educators should be singled out for inspection in ways that the state would never allow for its own charges.

Our government will not be the next government, and will not be able to implement these plans, so it's crucial to focus on Conservative and Liberal websites.

It would also help, I believe (if I'm allowed to use that word in the context of Badman), to get some threads of thought moving in constructive directions. Makes life much easier for your political supporters.

So, for instance, how should Local Authorities assess home education?

Require inspectors to go on an EO training scheme?

Allow parents to have supporters (an organisation, or church, or just a friend who has been through it) during the assessment process?

Have an appeals system?

look backwards not (except at the start) forward?

Ralph