"The ten most dangerous words in the English language...

...are 'Hi, I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.'"

- said Ronald Reagan, in his remarks to Future Farmers of America on the 28th July, 1988. And he would know.

Why are those ten words more dangerous than any other? Because it's not a matter of choice: the huge machinery of state relies for its very existence on the general public accepting its help. And - one way or another - agreeing to pay for it.

In other words, when the government asks how it can help you...

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["So how are they going to be signposted in appropriate ways to get the right kind of support that they think is necessary?"]

...you should probably be afraid.

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["I sense a frustration at the lack of a supportive environment for those who exercise their right to home educate, but there is also a safeguarding issue, potentially, in that situation, and is it not a case of both of those needing to be provided in a home education situation?" ]

Very afraid.

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["Is there a genuine concern that - and we've mentioned support in terms of exams, transition to FE and so on - a concern that increased support would require a trade-off, with increased scrutiny, monitoring by local authorities?"]

Again, Jane Lowe and Graham Stuart have the answers: 

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["Mine went right through the system, both graduates, both in work, no local authority has ever been involved with them and I never had any support, never wanted any. "]

Me neither. Mine have gone right through the system. Not graduates. All [now] in work. Never had any support, never wanted any. (Here's why.)

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["If being a good local authority and engaging with people in a way that builds trust and actually costs them more and brings no more money in, you are....... for those who are not like that, you know, straight forwardly when a whole lot of pressure's on them, go 'why don't you get involved in this? Then you get a whole load more people demanding services from you, for which you will get no more money'. Just looking at it crudely I can see why they wouldn't put it on the top of the list..."] 

Yes please. Keep it at the bottom of the list. And make it a very very long list. 

And finally, Jane again. With clear, calm, perfectly sound common sense:  


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 ["If it were totally open, where families could approach the local authority for funding if they wanted to, although in my mind that would suggest to me that  they would no longer be home educators."]
 

In my mind, it would suggest the same.