On the 30th August The Sunday Times published a letter urging the UK Government to review the country’s education system, acknowledging the valuable role that home education has played during lockdown and supporting parents who choose to continue homeschooling their children.
The letter was organised and co-signed by two Hawthorn Press authors, Anna Dusseau, author of The Case for Homeschooling and Dr Richard House, author of Too Much, Too Soon? Other distinguished signatories include Dr Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, University of Cambridge and Steve Biddulph AM, author of Raising Boys in the 21st Century and The Secret of Happy Children.
The full list of signatories
Dr Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, University of Cambridge
Steve Biddulph AM, author Raising Boys in the 21st Century, and The Secret of Happy Children
Alison C. Sauer, F. Inst Pa. Trustee, Centre for Personalised Education; co-author of Flexischooling: A Guidebook for England and Wales
Peter Gray, research professor of psychology, author of Free to Learn
Dr Fe Mukwamba-Sendall, Social worker, Chair of Education Otherwise
Frank Furedi, Emeritus Professor, University of Kent, author of Wasted: Why Education Isn’t Educating and Why Borders Matter
Professor Marilyn Leask, former dean of education, co-author of Marginalised Learners and Education System Design
Dr Richard House, chartered psychologist, author of Pushing Back to Ofsted
Anna Dusseau, former teacher, author of The Case for Home Schooling
Dr Ian Cunningham, Self Managed Learning College
Guy Claxton, Honorary Professor of Education, Bristol University
Fiona Carnie, author of Alternative Approaches to Education
Prem Sikka, Professor of Accounting and Finance, University of Sheffield
Brian Thorne, Emeritus Professor of Counselling, University of East Anglia
Tricia David, Emeritus Professor, Canterbury Christ Church University
Andrew Samuels, former Professor of Analytical Psychology, University of Essex
Dr Jon Berry, University of Hertfordshire
Dr Marilyn Fryer, chartered psychologist and Chief Executive of the Creativity Centre Educational Trust
Dr Alison Green, Executive Director of Scientists Warning and former Pro Vice-Chancellor
Dr David Whitebread, Retired Senior Member, Homerton College, University of Cambridge, author of Developmental Psychology and Early Childhood Education
Alison Taysum, Approved EU Expert, Approved Europ. Sci. Foundation Expert, External Examiner Ulster University
David Curtis, former local schools inspector/ adviser
Carol Dyer, Trustee Education Otherwise
Wendy Charles-Warner, Independent researcher and Trustee of Education Otherwise
Kate Woodley-Smith, Artist and trustee of Education otherwise
Martin Large, author of Set Free Childhood and Common Wealth: For a Free, Equal, Mutual, and Sustainable Society
Dr F.H. Mikdadi, Independent researcher, novelist and poet
Dr Sharie Coombes, mental health author, psychotherapist and former primary headteacher
Nigel Gann, Education consultant, author of Improving School Governance, Teaching Award 2007
Joanna Merrett, EYP, Centre for Social Mobility, University of Exeter
To read the letter online visit www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/letters.
The Case for Homeschooling: Free range home education handbook by Anna Dusseau is available now at a special pre-publication price of £15.00 (Official publication date is 30th October although hard copies are available now through the Hawthorn Press website. Ebook available from 10th September).