Wednesday, March 12, 2008

This is pretty scary

According to the San Francisco Chronicle:
A California appeals court ruling clamping down on homeschooling by parents without teaching credentials sent shock waves across the state this week, leaving an estimated 166,000 children as possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution.
[...]
"California courts have held that ... parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children," Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling issued on Feb. 28. "Parents have a legal duty to see to their children's schooling under the provisions of these laws."
Unbelievable.

Hat tip to the Market Power Blog. I heard it there first.

4 comments:

Randy said...

I have to confess, I'm somewhat torn on this. I knew a lady that "home schooled" her son. Truth was, she got him out of school in order to help her husband in his business. As soon as he was of age to quit school, she stopped "home schooling". So she basically used the home schooling to commit truancy.

I also wonder about some of the state scholarships that reward students with a B average (Ga & SC are two of them). How can they do this for home school students?

I am a fan of home schooling, although my children were schooled in public schools. I think this change in Cal. is aimed at eliminating home schooling all together.

Chance said...

I understand Randy.

One side side, you want parents to have the freedom to raise their kids as they wish. On the other hand, as seen in your example, parents sometimes abuse this.

I lean more heavily towards giving control towards the parents, but I think a reasonable compromise can be made, so that some sort of testing is done to ensure that kids are actually learning something. But when I say testing, it should be done on the local level because I'm in favor of decentralized control over schools.

Anonymous said...

I think that as the immigration issue comes about, that homeschooling credentials will as well, especially in the southern states where it's a big issue.

Anonymous said...

oh, I believe it. Teachers unions are worried. Without the educational system indoctrinating children to worship the bitch goddess of diversity and live in fear of an impending catastrophe from global warming how would our society continue?!