Fight for your rights!

You may have read a previous post I wrote about the private members home ed Bill that is trying to be passed and is currently in commitee stage. Well I decided to be pro-active rather than just be an armchair activist, bitchin' and moaning about the Bill but not actually doing anything about it. I wrote a letter. Big deal, I hear you say. But at present it's all I can do and that is better than doing nothing at all. So I wrote to my local Conservative MP (as it's the tories that are on our side) to make sure he is aware of the Bill and to ask if he will represent our town and our argument on our behalf.To my utter amazment he wrote back saying that he is in agreement that it is the parent's responsibility to take control of our childrens education. He also agreed with my belief that should the law be passed it will allow mandatory visits from the LEA and compulsory registration. He didn't mention anything about the ridiculas belief that home ed is used by a minority of people to abuse children or enrol them into illegal schools for radicalisation. (those things happen anyway with children in mainstream school and is not confined to the home ed community) I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. But he did say he will forward my concerns onto the next person of power (not in those words) and keep me up to date. So in all I'm really quite please so far. But what else has come about from writing this letter is that I've been able to demonstrate to my kids that if you believe in something then you have to stand up and speak out. It may only be a letter, but it's better than doing nothing and just waiting for a result that may not be what you want. I think my children find it hard to understand having that frame of mind. I truely believe that mainstream school diminished that out of them. By that I mean they had to be confined to doing things one way, being lead, all working on the same thing with one goal in mind. After reception age children are no longer free to learn through play. Even at reception age it's very structured. I see that now. A little too late I guess. I think that's why I try so hard now to show them that they can walk their own path and have their own idea's. Work on their own projects and begin to think for themselves. I really hope that they grow up trying to make positive differences in the worl. Even if it doesn't extend past their community, I believe it is imperitive for our children to find a new way of living in the future. Our current ways are flawed and are only profitable and fair for a minority of people. I really do believe that the millenial generations will change the world for the good. I can feel the change already. Attitudes are changing and our children and young adults are more accepting of different cultures than that of previous generations. They have a better understanding of technology and I only hope that in the future our technology will be used only for good. This is another subject I try to emphisie an importance of. Technology will only continue to improve and take over every part of our lives in the modern world. It's something that worries me but I also want my children to be understanding of it. They will need to be. I guess I have always stood by my personal beliefs on things that are important to me. When I was 14 I came across a stall in the market place of my home town about animal cruelty and animal experiments. They were making people aware of their campaign to abolish laws at the time on animal testing and xanotransplantation. It was something I was drawn to immediately and became a member of their campaign. Writing to parliament and supporting the cause. Trying to raise awareness and I became a vegetarian because of it. Getting back onto topic, I do try to emphisise with my kids that if you have something that is important to you that you feel you can help make a change, then you should do it. Obviously nothing that breaks the law. Peaceful changes that can only be positive. There is so much in the world that needs to be stopped like hunting animals and pollution, or reducing our carbon footprint, standing up for our lawful rights, finding new sustainable energy rescources and continuing on with current sustainable ways. I hope that they do see my efforts to make a stand for what we believe in and that this stays with them into adulthood. I think it's a very good life lesson.