March 07, 2008

Homeschooling

The news that a court ruled homeschooling unconstitutional utterly shocked me today.

The courts decision actually included the words, “parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children.” What on earth? Forgive my outburst, but I hardly understand. How did the nation’s first children get educated? Doesn’t one suppose that most pioneer children were educated at home? (Please, let me know if that’s an incorrect assumption.) If the government insists on taking any and all responsibility for our children’s education, why don’t we let them take responsibility for some diapers and sleepless nights, too?

Ok, ok. To be fair, I understand at least a teeny-tiny bit. I’ve often said that people do not necessarily know what is best for themselves—and I think it is true. I realize, too, that there are many parents who really shouldn’t be home-schooling their children, for a variety of reasons. (Possibly including the parents originally involved in this case.) Finally, I can think of all sorts of children who I would rather not be homeschooled. Perhaps, for instance, the children of radical militants might well be better off if they were educated anywhere but at home. But that doesn’t change my opinion that I would far rather have a lesser educated society than to be force fed only the whims of the state!

Granted, the Court in this case is allegedly upholding a existing California law—a law that has been on the books for years, but not enforced. I guess I can give them credit for not legislating from the bench. But this law seems deeply misguided.

I hear echoes of Orwell. Or Huxley. Or Bradbury. Or Solzhenitsyn. Do you?

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