The UK government’s controversial School’s Bill, introduced in May 2022, is scheduled for its third reading in the House Of Lords on September 14th (1). The purpose of the Bill, according to the Impact Assessment is to:

1. Work towards a stronger and fairer school system that works for every child.
2. Deliver safeguarding to ensure safe and suitable education.
3. Strengthen regulatory framework for academy trusts.
4. Support more schools to become academies.
5. Provide multi-agency support for children across England.
6. Provide equal funding to all schools.
7. Enhance local authority powers with a ‘Children Not In School’ register and School Attendance Orders
8. Improve safeguarding and expand registration for independent educational institutions. Increase Ofsted powers.
9. Strengthening teacher misconduct regime. (2)

But not everyone is enamoured by these seemingly lofty ideals. As one observer put it:

“The Schools Bill appears to be a tool for more authoritarian control and state coercion of children and families into an underfunded education system that is not fit for purpose.” (3)

Indeed, the government has already been forced into an embarrassing U-turn and removed large sections of the Bill following concerns in the House of Lords that the Bill would undermine academies’ autonomy. (4)

However, there is long standing disquiet within the community and the outcomes for Afrikan children in acadamies that the march towards total academisation is unlikely to allay. (5) But of arguably greater concern are the plans to keep a register of all home educated children, a choice of increasing appeal to Afrikan parents (6). Through the Bill local authorities will require details on and assess home education provided is “efficient, full-time and suitable” (although these are not defined). Falling foul of either of these can result in a School Attendance Order being issued and non-compliance with this could lead to a £2,500 fine and imprisonment. (7)

Moreover, some of the creative approaches to education adopted within the community in response to a perennially racist school system (e.g. parents coming together to form home-school networks) will be deemed “illegal” if catering for five or more children, meaning they will have to either conform to the proposed regulations, close or face prosecution. (8)

A petition to “Do not require parents to register home educated children with local authorities” on the UK government petitions site has so far gained 10,000 signatures (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/617340), about an eighth of the estimated home-schooled children in the UK. (9) From the scandal around Educationally Subnormal Schools, to mass exclusions to school to prison pipelines, the Afrikan community for decades has had to adopt strategies to safeguard and Africate (“educate”) our children. (10) Some of these may find themselves on a collision course with provisions currently contained within the Bill.

One observer referred to The Schools Bill as a “state power grab.” (11) If that is indeed the case, it remains to be seen if we have the power to resist.

(1) UK Parliament (19/07/22): Schools Bill [HL] https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3156

(2) Dr Caroline Palmer (02/06/22) The Schools Bill: Why everyone should be concerned, particularly home educating families. https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/the-schools-bill-57d7707264c2

(3) Ibid.

(4) PA News Agency (30/06/22) Government announces U-turn over Schools Bill academy laws. https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/national/20246961.government-announces-u-turn-schools-bill-academy-laws/

(5) Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan on Galaxy Radio (21/03/16) Are Academies good for Afrikan children? https://alkebulan.org/2016/03/21/tonite-on-afrika-speaks-are-academies-good-for-afrikan-children/

(6) Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan on Galaxy Radio (05/09/16) Can home-schooling arrest the continuing decline in Black educational attainment? http://alkebulan.org/2016/09/05/homeschooling/

(7) Eloise Rickman (20/06/22) The Schools Bill: An attack on home-schooling that hurts children the most. https://goodlawproject.org/news/schools-bill-attack-home-schooling/

(8) Palmer. Op. Cit.

(9) Ibid

(10), Niellah Arboine (27/05/21) Steve McQueen’s Latest Film Highlights How UK Schools Are Still Failing Black British Pupils. https://www.bustle.com/life/what-are-pupil-referral-units-steve-mcqueen-subnormal-a-british-scandal

(11) Ruth Barber (16/06/22) The schools bill: This state power grab threatens home education and should be resisted by all Christians. https://www.premierchristianity.com/opinion/the-schools-bill-this-state-power-grab-threatens-home-education-and-should-be-resisted-by-all-christians/13273.article

we ask the question:

The Schools Bill: Do we need to FIGHT it?

1) If you home-school, did you know about the bill?

2) Are its aims broadly commendable?

3) Or is it a “state power grab”?

4) Will we succumb to its provisions or do we have the wherewithal to resist?

Our Special Guest:

Sis. Cheryl Phoenix: is an award-winning Business woman, Mother, Philanthropist and Speaker. She is also founder and CEO of the Black Child Agenda a national organisation that campaigns for parents to galvanize support against illegal exclusions & racism in UK Schools tackling the Schools to prison Pipeline. It supports parents and young people up and down the UK with issues surrounding institutionally racist, unfair and bias treatment of Black Children. Sis. Cheryl’s career began in the corporate world of the city in the media, Business development and sustainability markets, which lead her to global events organising. . She sat on the board of the London Development Agencies BME grant awarding body, and was part of the panel which secured funds to BME Businesses within the M25 area. Sis Cheryl maintains her extensive media connection and appears regularly on the BBC and is often featured in the Guardian & Telegraph. Sis. Cheryl is a board member of the Bridge Park Community Council Steering Group (BPCC).

JUSTICE FOR THE “ESN” VICTIMS: (https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/612398).