I am not saying that there should be no homeschooling. However, I am saying that there should be some kind of check to make sure that the parent isn't simply removing the child from school and letting him sit in front of the TV all day. I hate to tell you this, but the state is the only one who is going to be able to do that. All government is not bad. Yes, our government isn't perfect. But it has been my experience that homeschool proponents will not accept that not everyone is capable of homeschooling. Many parents are capable. Illiterate parents who barely read and write themselves are not capable of teaching. Homeschooling is right for many, but absolutely wrong for some. If we allow children to be taken out of school with no assurance that they will be educated, then the irresponsible parents will take their children out of school and rely on the Cartoon Network to educate their kids.
Responsible parents like you will of course do a fine job. I am also sure that there are many like you. As I have said before, I am not knocking homeschooling. In many cases, it is a wonderful way for children to learn. It certainly should be an option. I don't think I can assess it more fairly than that.
I didn't say public schools were "bad". The whole system just isn't very effective, and kids can get lost there.
And, for the record, I didn't say teachers were bad, either. There are many fine teachers dedicated to their profession. Teachers are absolutely necessary. But, again, they're working in a system where they have to teach 20 or so kids exactly the same lessons at the same time. There are a lot of teachers in my family, and I used to have a job dealing with teachers, too. They have a hard job, especially in today's world with all the accusations and lawsuits. (Of course, there are some who aren't so good).
Why did the father become mad at the school? And, when you say "running the streets," what do you mean? Was the kid drug-dealing, getting into trouble, etc.? (I know plenty of kids "in school" who are doing that. ;-) ).
In most states this sort of basic infrastructure exists. I know we've got it in North Carolina.
Dear SalChamps03,
"But it has been my experience that homeschool proponents will not accept that not everyone is capable of homeschooling."
It isn't that we don't accept that not everyone is capable of homeschooling. It is that we don't accept that the government is capable of adequately overseeing homeschoolers. The government has proven itself incompetent time after time in trying to educate the children already under its control in many, many public schools.
Thus, as long as the government fails in its own assignment, I scarcely see the sense in it overseeing the assignment of homeschoolers. In fact, if anything, it is the successful homeschoolers who should oversee the unsuccessful, incompetent, evil overlords who run most public school systems. And, since turnabout is fair play, and at times homeschoolers have been unjustly harmed legally by the scum that run the government schools, homeschoolers, in their oversight of the public schools, should have the power to imprison incompetent public school teachers and administrators.
Of course, that will never happen. Our society couldn't afford to build that many new prison cells.
"Homeschooling is right for many, but absolutely wrong for some."
Perhaps. But government oversight (which really boils down to demonic NEA oversight) of homeschoolers is wrong for all.
And not only, or even principally because the government is incompetent at providing education, but because the folks who run the public schools are a special interest group - they are public school "professionals." Their bias is for public schools, and they are threatened by homeschooling (why shouldn't they be when the average high school-diplomaed mom can achieve ten times what most public school teachers can achieve, in terms of actually educating children). It is permitting the fox to guard the henhouse. That the foxes are congenitally incompetent doesn't exactly enhance their position.
sitetest