1. Skellig Argumentative/Persuasive Writing

2. Surely no one who has ever sat in a dull, grey classroom for six long periods in a day will argue with me when I say that education at home is a good idea.

3. Having suffered in academic prisons since the age of five, I can confidently say that I would have learned far more (and experienced more interesting things) had I stayed at home.

4. Yes, education is vital to everybody – I know we need educated people in order to continue developing as a species but people don’t just learn things in school: we are always learning. I didn’t learn to swim in school and yet I have won four swimming trophies this year. My mum is really good with computers but she didn’t have to go to school to learn about them – she taught herself.

5. All that happens in school is that you lose your identity as an individual. I don’t like being identified by a number – I’m me; not some small component part of 2.3 M! I’ve had too many teachers who couldn’t remember my name – what does that say about what goes on in schools?

6. If you get homework where do you go? That’s right – the internet. Why not just use this technology at home all the time rather than coming to a large draughty building that’s expensive to build and maintain?

7. When I read David Almond’s novel, Skellig, I wished that I was Mina – a character who, despite not going to school, is intelligent, interesting, caring and aware of the world around her. When I asked my parents what they thought, this is what they said: