Homeschooling in the Police State

Since the licensed teachers in the public schools are doing such a dynamite job, some California judges want to require that parents who homeschool be fully accredited and approved by the Department of Education.

Not surprisingly, teacher unions applauded the ruling. But the seismic shift on the Left Coast, has sent shock waves throughout the nation.

A few people acted surprised that this lack of tolerance would occur in the Land of Milk and Honey-- the birthplace of the modern free speech movement, where medical marijuana is legal, same sex couples have full rights, along with every other nonconforming community. And at one time California led the nation in not standing in the way of parents who wished to homeschool.

But one community Progressives do not wish to afford the same degree of tolerance to, are Christian fundamentalists. Of course not, by any stretch, are all homeschoolers evangelicals, but it is a large component.

Most of these parents object to not only the lack of discipline in the schools and their teaching of such things as evolution—but the permissiveness of the culture.

Indeed, the California ruling arose out of a child protection case, where the Christian parents were concerned about their fourteen year old daughter, who was rebelling in a way which was not consistent with their principles.

They homeschooled, instructed her in their church's take on Christian values, imposed some strict rules, would not permit her to dress like Britney Spears and at times enforced their edicts with Biblically-endorsed spankings.

Without more facts it is impossible to know whether this was abuse or not. But it is really a separate issue. How would the risk of abuse be diminished simply because the mother was credentialed?

The court did not make any finding that the education received by the girl was objectively inadequate. They were much more concerned about her proper socialization:

“A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare.”

In other words, the purpose of the public schools is to indoctrinate children into a particular communal ethos promoted by the state, whether or not the parents agree on the specifics of what the “public welfare” entails.

Presumably if parents obtain the proper credentials they will not only not beat their kids, but instill the secular values of the Nanny and Welfare States.

This is frightening stuff.

There are really two primary purposes of compulsory public eduction.

First, over the period of twelve years the mindset of children can be molded into one of conformity and obedience to authority.

Second, public schooling enables government officials to fill children’s minds with officially approved political, historical, and economic doctrine.

No wonder that Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Mussolini were enthusiastic supporters of compulsory public education.

While I may not agree with all of the curriculum or teaching methods of the homeschoolers, I am not willing to assume that the State of California has a monopoly on the truth, or the means of educating children.

The idea that a teacher is competent, just because they are credentialed, is laughable. And it is not true that a person with no formal educational training is incapable of teaching their children.

Studies have shown time and again that, on average, homeschooled children out achieve their public school counterparts in every single measurable way. There is now, partially due to the Internet, a wealth of material available for homeschooling parents to use.

The vast majority of colleges eagerly accept students who were schooled at home, including the Ivy league. A Harvard University admissions officer said most of their home educated students “have done very well....they usually are very motivated in what they do.”

Rather than worrying about the education being received by homeschooled students, it would be more productive if the State of California, and the teachers unions, worked on cleaning up their own house.