I’m a traveller mum who took my kids aged 8 & 9 OUT of school as ‘it’s a total waste of time’ – they ride horses instead
A TRAVELLER mum-of-three who pulled her daughters out of school after dubbing it a waste of time said she doesn’t want them to be “slaves to society”.
Cassyanne Clark, from Kent, took eight-year-old Bug and Bunny, nine, out of formal education so they wouldn’t be “trapped in a box for 18 years”.
The presidential marketing director, and six-figure business owner, pays £500 a month for two hours of private tutoring a week.
Bug and Bunny spend their time enjoying horse-riding classes in the countryside, and spending quality time with their grandmother as she teaches them how to cook.
When they aren’t studying or carrying out chores for extra pocket-money, the youngsters are treated to eye-lash extensions and acrylic nail sets – to match their glam mum.
Cassyanne told The Sun negative comments don’t phase her – and if haters had the money, they would be do the same.
“I pay £500 a month for home tutoring, they do two hours on a Monday, all their core subjects, then I pay for their hobbies like horse-riding,” she explained.
“They do cooking lessons with my mum once a week, she used to be a chef. She teaches them all different way to cook eggs for example.
“They do chores around the house to earn money. And now with their little brother they will learn how to sort him out. They’re learning domestic and life skills too.”
Despite the backlash, Cassyanne is adamant she will “never raise children to be dossers”.
She continued: “In the travelling community the girls would traditionally be housewives, I don’t even want to girls to be that. I want them to flourish and have businesses.
“I want them to be entrepreneurs, I don’t want them to sit working nine to five jobs to pay for someone else’s life when they could be a CEO.
“I’m a presidential marketing director of a multimillion pound franchise that’s world wide. I’ve also got a six-figure aesthetics company and training academy.
“My kids get one-to-one tuition but people are very closed minded.”
The glam mum has also received negative comments for allowing her daughters to undergo an array of beauty treatments.
“The girls get eye-lash extensions, let girls be girls, this day in age they’re letting boys be girls, so let daughters be daughters,” she said.
I don’t agree with them only getting an hour a day break and run around, it’s wild behaviour that for 18 years of their life they’re in a box in a room
Cassyanne
“They want to put on makeup, it’s no ones fault in how fast it’s coming around because of social media, you can’t expect less.
And, to the haters Cassyanne said: “Not being rude but if Sally down the road could afford her daughter to get acrylic nails for her 10th birthday, she would.
“It’s like people who judge me for getting my boobs done, I can guarantee they would love to have their boobs done could they afford it.
“Hate comments don’t bother me, they don’t pay my bills or feed my children.
“God forbid anything happened to me, my girls can say ‘remember when we would get our nails done with mummy every two weeks and have pamper nights’ – rather than ‘my mum dropped me off at the school gates every day and didn’t see me for nine hours’.
“I’ve seen such a change in my kids, all for the better since I pulled them out.”
‘Trapped in the system’
The businesswoman explained more about why she made the decision to pull her kids from formal education.
She said: “Traditionally in the traveller community the girls would have come out earlier anyway but it’s more down to the fact children are basically a slave to society.
“They go and do the same thing at school every single day, it’s a chore and it’s more about convenience for the parents to drop them off and get them out the house.
“With me, because I’m financially able, I took the girls out and they work around me.
“I didn’t want them to feel trapped in the system, I wanted them to have some kind of freedom, and learn about life.”
The passionate mum-of-three also told how she disagrees with the curriculum, and strict school policies.
Homeschooling rules in the UK
PARENTS can teach their children at home, either full or part-time.
If your child is currently at school, you should tell the school if you plan to educate them at home.
The school must accept if you’re taking your child out completely. They can refuse if you want to send your child to school some of the time.
If your child is attending school because of a school attendance order, you must get permission from your local council before you can educate them at home.
You must make sure your child receives a full-time education from the age of five, but you do not have to follow the national curriculum.
The council can make an ‘informal enquiry’ to check your child is getting a suitable education at home.
They can serve a school attendance order if they think your child needs to be taught at school.
If your child has SEN and attends a special school, you’ll need to get the council’s permission to educate them at home.
You do not need the council’s permission if your child attends a mainstream school, even if they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source, gov.uk
“I don’t agree with them putting their hand up and being told no to go to the toilet,” she continued.
“I don’t agree with them only getting an hour a day break and run around, it’s wild behaviour that for 18 years of their life they’re in a box in a room.”
The money savvy entrepreneur explained how she was forced to endure extra maths work at school, in a pointless effort to see her improve.
She said: “I was really good at business and art. I would have rather they told me enjoy your painting and creating.
“And it worked because as soon as I was pulled out of school now I have multiple businesses and artistic flare.
“They push you on your bad subjects hoping you will get better, to meet the curriculum, but really what they should do is push you on your pros that you can fly with already.”
Cassyanne has only just given birth to her son, JohnnyBlue, and the glam traveller mum insisted he will also be removed from school.
“As soon as my son can read and write, and has good social skills I will take him out too,” she said.
“My girls are very, very advanced and that’s because of the way I talk to them, I don’t baby brain them, they’re like my best friends rather than my kids.
“If Johnny is more behind I will keep him in school, no one wants a child who is behind.
“He will go to work with his dad 100 per cent, and the next children I have will do the same.”
When asked if the strong-willed business woman would allow her kids to go to school if they choose – Cassyanne said she would be their “biggest supporter”.
“If they want to go to school then it makes no odds to me, if my baby wants to go and loves school and wants to join the football team etc, then of course I will be their biggest supporter,” she explained.
“If my Bug wanted to be a scientist and had to take GCSEs I would push her and put her through private education, and university. If that’s what they want I will.”