I really don't enjoy politics. I know we live in one of the greatest republics ever, and our freedom was not free but I just find the politics of politics annoying. Recently an issue has struck close to home, and it might just lure me into some political activity. It seems that a judge in CA basically ruled homeschooling illegal for anyone but those who have a teaching liscence. It's a crazy ruling with some far reaching ramifications. It's crazy for a number reason, but the most outrageous flies under the radar. This ruling communicates a basic mistrust in a parent's ability to make good choices for his/her child. It says that a parent cannot and should not be allowed to be the sole influence on his child's education. I seriously doubt the states ability to make better choices for children than parents, but that's another blog.
Granted, there are some lousy homeschool parents out there. But in my estimation they are few and far between. Homeschooling is a tremendous investment and most people who commit to that lifestyle are pretty committed parents who are willing to do whatever it takes to equip their children. The vast majority of homeschool parents are reading up on curriculum, and learning strategies; they attend conferences, seminars and support groups. In short, their lifelong learning is more valuable than any teaching certificate to the education of a child. In fact, among homeschoolers it is commonly understood that traditional classroom experience has to be unlearned by certified teachers who choose to homeschool. The process is different. The timeline is different. And in most cases the emphasis is different; character development is a big deal to most homeschooling parents. But the issue of whether parents are qualified to teach their kids is secondary.
Parents are accountable for the behavior of their minor children. They must also have the right to PARENT their children. They must have the right to teach their children in accordance with their beliefs. There MAY be some responsibility of the state to make sure a child's basic needs are being met, but it is not the right or the responsibility of the government to raise children. God called parents to that task. Homeschool parents have taken their responsibility seriously, and generally their kids outshine public school kids in performance. What right does the government have to intervene?
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