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| History of HEN HEN Ireland |
Our Campaign 1998-1999
HEN was started in October 1998. A major impetus in setting up the Network was the threat of
new legislation to regulate Home Education in Ireland. A great deal of time and effort has been
put into a campaign to throw out or at least radically modify this Education (Welfare) Bill. Here is
the story of our early campaign.
We read the Educational Welfare Bill 1999 and drafted three responses to it.
The Educational Welfare Bill was debated in the Seanad on 16th June 1999 and again and
again on 16th June 1999
The Minister for Education and Science was in Question Time on 17th June 1999. And launched
a Consultative Seminar on the Bill in the Clontarf Castle Hotel with this speech on 21 Sept 1999.
The Educational Welfare Bill was debated in the Dail on 5th October 1999 and 6th October 1999
and again 6th October 1999 Please note that sect5 starts with some 40 lines of non E(W)B
matter....and on 17th November 1999
The debate in the Dail still does not appear to be complete.
We drafted a letter to print and send to TDs protesting about the Education (Welfare) Bill.
We made a submission on the Education (Welfare) Bill to the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.
And had a meeting with and made a submission to Richard Bruton T.D. Fine Gael
spokesperson for Education.
Then, government appointed a new Minister of Education, Dr. Michael Woods. We wrote him a
letter to help address desirable amendments to the Education Welfare Bill
HEN was started in October 1998. A major impetus in setting up the Network was the threat of
new legislation to regulate Home Education in Ireland. A great deal of time and effort has been
put into a campaign to throw out or at least radically modify this Education (Welfare) Bill. Here is
the story of our early campaign.
We read the Educational Welfare Bill 1999 and drafted three responses to it.
The Educational Welfare Bill was debated in the Seanad on 16th June 1999 and again and
again on 16th June 1999
The Minister for Education and Science was in Question Time on 17th June 1999. And launched
a Consultative Seminar on the Bill in the Clontarf Castle Hotel with this speech on 21 Sept 1999.
The Educational Welfare Bill was debated in the Dail on 5th October 1999 and 6th October 1999
and again 6th October 1999 Please note that sect5 starts with some 40 lines of non E(W)B
matter....and on 17th November 1999
The debate in the Dail still does not appear to be complete.
We drafted a letter to print and send to TDs protesting about the Education (Welfare) Bill.
We made a submission on the Education (Welfare) Bill to the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.
And had a meeting with and made a submission to Richard Bruton T.D. Fine Gael
spokesperson for Education.
Then, government appointed a new Minister of Education, Dr. Michael Woods. We wrote him a
letter to help address desirable amendments to the Education Welfare Bill
How it all started...
At a meeting of home educating families held on the 10th October 1998 in Greystones, Co.
Wicklow, it was agreed to establish a "Home Education Network" (HEN).The following people
agreed to take an active part in the Network: Barbara Boland, Michael Duggan, Joe Dunne,
Carol Jordan, Nora Leahy, Andrew Lloyd, Heather and Jack McClintock, Christine Moore,
Maeliosa O'Leary, Margaret and Vaughan Quaid, Michael Rice and Celine Spengeman. We
subsequently had many further meetings to determine the Network's remit, role and
relationship with the families that constitute it.
The first concerted action of HEN was to discuss the proposed new School Attendance Act
(1998). We felt that the interests and rights of home educators were unlikely to be explicitly
addressed in the new act. It was agreed that a letter would be drafted to the Minister of
Education in those days, Micheal Martin with a copy to Brian Felon, Executive Officer with the
home education brief at the Department in Athlone, saying:
These letters were sent out on 12th October 1998.
At a meeting of home educating families held on the 10th October 1998 in Greystones, Co.
Wicklow, it was agreed to establish a "Home Education Network" (HEN).The following people
agreed to take an active part in the Network: Barbara Boland, Michael Duggan, Joe Dunne,
Carol Jordan, Nora Leahy, Andrew Lloyd, Heather and Jack McClintock, Christine Moore,
Maeliosa O'Leary, Margaret and Vaughan Quaid, Michael Rice and Celine Spengeman. We
subsequently had many further meetings to determine the Network's remit, role and
relationship with the families that constitute it.
The first concerted action of HEN was to discuss the proposed new School Attendance Act
(1998). We felt that the interests and rights of home educators were unlikely to be explicitly
addressed in the new act. It was agreed that a letter would be drafted to the Minister of
Education in those days, Micheal Martin with a copy to Brian Felon, Executive Officer with the
home education brief at the Department in Athlone, saying:
 | "In line with the family's constitutional right to educate their children at home, the | |
| revised School Attendance Act (1998) should contain a clause stating that children who are being educated at home do not come under said Act". | ||
| "We proposed that the School Attendance Act (1998) should also provide for persons | |
| who have initially opted for the school system and who subsequently exercise their right to educate in the home". | ||
| "Sufficient provision for the exercise of this right could take the form of a written | |
| notification to the school principal of this intention". |
These letters were sent out on 12th October 1998.
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