NHELD opposes HSLDA´s solution to the homeschool military enlistment problem
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Posted by Howard Richman on December 05 2005 at 13:33:01:
National Home Education Legal Defense (NHELD) opposes Federal House Resolution (HR 1815) a bill that is being promoted by Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) in order to overcome the effects of the decision by the military to move homeschoolers from the high school graduate category (tier 1) to the GED category (tier 2).
The problem is that many drop-outs call themselves homeschoolers in order to enhance their resumes, and there is no accountability in most states that would prevent them from doing so. Only in Pennsylvania and South Carolina can homeschool organizations protect the reputation of homeschool diplomas.
Even though real homeschoolers on average score much higher than school students on tests, the group of "homeschoolers" being enlisted in the military actually score a bit lower on the military´s aptitude test. In fact, those homeschoolers who score average or below tend to drop-out of the military at a rate similar to those who once dropped-out of school.
If this bill passes as is, homeschoolers would be enlisted just as heavily (the bill says "no practical limit with regard to enlistment") as school graduates.
However, NHELD holds that this bill would let the Secretary of Defense regulate home school graduation and so opposes it. They are suspicious about what would be in the Secretary of Defense´s policy, which would have the force of law. They are also opposed to the word "home school" appearing in federal statutes for fear that it lead to a federal definition of homeschooling that could in and of itself regulate what homeschoolers would have to do.
I favor HSLDA's bill because it would solve an important problem. Currently the U.S. Army is enlisting homeschool graduates on the same basis as school graduates -- but that is because they are having trouble meeting their recruitment goals. The other services are discriminating against homeschoolers. Without a bill like this one, all of the services will discriminate against homeschoolers once peace comes.
http://www.pahomeschoolers.com/messages/16350.html Here is the text of the section of HR 1815 that addresses this subject:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c109:5:./temp/~c1094kOhWj:e209245:
H.R.1815
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (Engrossed Amendment as Agreed to by Senate)
SEC. 522. RECRUITMENT AND ENLISTMENT OF HOME SCHOOLED STUDENTS IN THE ARMED FORCES.
(a) Policy on Recruitment and Enlistment-
(1) POLICY REQUIRED- The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe a policy on the recruitment and enlistment of home schooled students in the Armed Forces.
(2) UNIFORMITY ACROSS THE ARMED FORCES- The Secretary shall ensure that the policy prescribed under paragraph (1) applies, to the extent practicable, uniformly across the Armed Forces.
(b) Elements- The policy under subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1) An identification of a graduate of home schooling for purposes of recruitment and enlistment in the Armed Forces that is in accordance with the requirements described in subsection (c).
(2) Provision for the treatment of graduates of home schooling with no practical limit with regard to enlistment eligibility.
(3) An exemption of graduates of home schooling from the requirement for a secondary school diploma or an equivalent (GED) as a precondition for enlistment in the Armed Forces.
(c) Home School Graduates- In prescribing the policy, the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe a single set of criteria to be utilized by the Armed Forces in determining whether an individual is a graduate of home schooling. The Secretary concerned shall ensure compliance with education credential coding requirements.
(d) Secretary Concerned Defined- In this section, the term `Secretary concerned' has the meaning given such term in section 101(a)(9) of title 10, United States Code.