I have posted a complaint about this article on this site.
There is no record of Khyra being de registered from school. The school alerted the authorities. The authorities failed the child. Monitoring of home education would have made no difference whatsoever as the child was not home educated and was well known to be at risk anyway. Social workers did not persist in seeing the child despite evidence of harm. The BBC should not be colluding with the government in the slander and harassment of thousands of deeply committed innocent families. Badman's statistics have been thoroughly discredited. Not one child in the Serious Case Reviews mentioned re Badman would have been affected by these regulations. Over 45000 respondents to the consultation on monitoring and regulation of home education were against the proposals, that is over 70%. The government is trying to ride roughshod over the civil liberties and entitlement to be considered innocent until proven guilty of English citizens and the BBC is helping them. This is not going unnoticed and home educators are not an apathetic bunch, we will not take this unfairness lightly or lying down. In my eyes you are now one of a list of discredited organisations. My eyes have been truly opened this year.
Tech's complaint here. Firebird here. Debs here. Lou here. Ciaran here. Stuart Dunstan here. Ali here. Jem here. Lisa here. Sue here. Cat here. Sally here. Jax here. And too late for me but good advice on how to complain from Unhallowed Ground. Merry discusses the case here.
Media watch here.
We predicted it, blogged here.
15 comments:
And the BBC journalist who wrote this, had all that information given to her in my interview. She chose to still publish.
Just despicable, my faith in human nature at least when schooled at a very low ebb.
My complaint: "I will keep this brief. The BBC is boycotted in this house until you apologise to home educators in England and you stop using the death of a poor child to push the agenda of the government. I am appalled that upstanding citizens are being treated this way by the BBC. You should be ashamed!"
Totally to the point Raquel, hope they get thousands of complaints.
In my experience, social workers are far too overworked to care for the cases they have on their books and they end up neglecting the people who need their care. I strongly suspect that Khyra would have been at the bottom of some social worker's "to do" list.
It would be criminal if the DCSF were to waste precious funds inspecting thousands of perfectly well functioning families when families such as this, who are known to be at risk, are not followed up for want of money and manpower.
The DCSF MUST target the money where it is needed.
My complaint has gone in too. I pointed out that Birmingham Children's Social Services were recently found to be not fit for purpose and perhaps they should focus on the real problem (for once).
the BBC are a foul organisation. I will never forget how their misquoting and sensationalising of the Pope's Ragensburg address got churches burned down and a missionary nun working as a nurse w murdered. The BBC didn't give a damn.
Sometimes their news approach makes the Sport look good frankly.
Just out of interest, how do we know that Khyra Ishaq was not deregistered?
It is important, as the BBC claim she was taken out of school to be home educated.
thanks in advance
Darren
Daren here is a link to the FOI request for evidence of Khyra's deregistration.
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/electively_home_educated
Here even!
post link as requested Maire: http://salamanda.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/my-complaint-to-the-bbc-regarding-the-khyra-ishaq-article/
xxx
I've just added that Ann told the reporter, to my complaint. I was going to say I'm sure she would have done ... but now we have it from the horse's mouth.
Hi Maire, you mentioned on list complaining to Radio 4. What programme was the contentious broadcast a part of please. I'd like to complain to them too.
I might well contact woman's hour and try to get them to report favourably with the correct info. Not sure we will manage it, but it is worth trying. They were canvassing opinion on attachment parenting the other day and had run a piece with an American author who writes about antidoting helicopter parenting by encouraging the mother to make her primary focus her marital relationship rather than her children. Argh. I got it to some extent, but to suggest that we attend too much to our children is highly spurious. That we interfere is not. By no means do I think children need less attention, just a different focus of attention: more connection and less micro-managing.
Anyway, that's OT (ish) ...
It was the news Sally, they were giving a lot of time to people spouting rubbish about home ed regulations, presumably to prevent the blame landing fairly and squarely where it belongs. As to the child rearing stuff, I wish they would stop dramatising it, it is great to be able to read about different methods to help us parent thoughtfully but our own instincts are the most important thing. good luck with Woman's Hour, that would be great!
Here's what I wrote to the BBC, after I had removed the emotive and concentrated on the breaches of their own Broadcasting Code - I have yet to receive a response:
In your report relating the Khyra Ishaq, you aired the opinions of both Ed Balls MP and Graham Badman, author of the Government Review of Home Education. You did not however air any views or responses from home educators or experts representing home-education organisations, or other political parties with an alternative position on the issue.
(5.13 Broadcasters should not give undue prominence to the views and opinions of particular persons or bodies on matters of political or industrial controversy and matters relating to current public policy in all the programmes included in any service (listed above) taken as a whole.) Broadcasting Code
I am extremely concerned that this one-sided and politically motivated opinion has been transmitted at an extremely sensitive position in the process of a government Children's, Schools and Families Bill is passing through the House of Commons and Lords. The BBC transmitted only the opinion of The Secretary of State for Children's, Schools and Families, and the man commissioned by him to produce the report. Graham Badman has had no involvement with the Khyra Ishaq case and as such has no place in this report.
(5.12 In dealing with matters of major political and industrial controversy and major matters relating to current public policy an appropriately wide range of significant views must be included and given due weight in each programme or in clearly linked and timely programmes. Views and facts must not be misrepresented). Broadcasting Code
It is inaccurate to air the Director of Birmingham City Council's opinion that they do not have the power to act, current guidelines do give them that authority this was the failure of Birmingham Social Services recognising a 'serious case'. No alternative position was once again transmitted. (This was again repeated on the 10 O'clock News report)
(5.1 News, in whatever form, must be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality).
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