Blogs For Victory

Parents of home-schooling get to retain their right to educate their children, but the decision is a bit odd, in my view:

Justice H. Walter Croskey, author of the earlier ruling, wrote in the decision: “Recent statutes indicate that the Legislature is aware that some parents in California homeschool their children by declaring their homes to be private schools.”

Judge Croskey noted that a 1998 measure exempting parents from fingerprinting requirements imposed on private school employees indicated “a legislative approval of homeschooling,” the San Francisco Chronicle says.

He added that the 1953 decision applying compulsory education without exceptions has been overruled by real world changes.

“Clinging to such precedent,” he said, “would undermine a practice that has been, if not actively encouraged, at least acknowledged and accepted by officials and the public for many years.”

The court stated that homeschooling is not an absolute right and may be revoked when children are abused or neglected.

Judge Croskey also advised that California might need to increase its oversight of those educated in home schools, given what he said is “the state’s compelling interest in educating all of its children.”

The children of America are the children of the State? The State has a compelling interest in educating children? Whence comes either of these two absurd ideas? The children of America belong to their families, not to the State – and the State’s only compelling interest is to protect the lives, liberty and property of the citizens of the State. Whether a person is a PhD or illiterate is irrelevant as far as his standing before the State is concerned.

While the ruling protects the ability of parents in California to home-school their children, I look at it as a bit of damage control by liberal judges who realise they went too far – there was probably some fear that the right to home-school would be written into the California constitution or, worse, it would wind up in the federal courts and the US Supreme Court might find that parents have a right to dictate the education choices of their children – either outcome would be anethema to liberalism in general and the government school system in particular. The whole situation here just reeks of the false idea that we must subordinate ourselves to the State and our worth is determined by how useful we are to the State. I can see why some people feel there is a compelling interest in having all the children educated up to some particular standard – we have to compete, we have to grow our GDP, we must continually advance in the sciences! Which is all well and good, but I don’t see any right of the State to command such an outcome – certainly the State has no right to decide just what a child shall learn, and when.

As G K Chesterton pointed out long ago, even the most homeless street urchin is being educated – he might be getting an advanced degree in violence and vice, but educated he is becoming. Meanwhile, all educationist talk of drawing out of children what is inside of them is nonsense – if you have an organised school it will be either trying to shove in or draw out what it wants, which may or may not be what the child needs or has a natural aptitude for. It isn’t, then, so much a question of whether or not we want to educate our children or whether or not it is right or wrong for us to teach them what we wish, but it is entirely a question of who gets to decide what goes into or is drawn out of any particular child? Our ruling elites have it that, rather conveniently, the ruling elites know what is best for kids to learn – so off they all go to the one-size-fits-all public school system to be indoctrinated in whatever it is, at the moment, that the ruling elites feel kids should learn. Anyone who is not a member of this elite understands instantly that to think that the elites know what is best is a laughably stupid idea – and only someone who is an elite could be stupid enough – and ignorant enough of real world needs – to fall for such an idea.

In human affairs there is not and never will be perfection – not in this world; its just not possible. But taking one thing with another and allowing for the fact that some parents are woefully incompetant, it still is the reasonable and commonsense position that parents are more likely than anyone else to know what their kids need and are capable of. Given this, it stands to reason that parents should rule the education roost and that the type and form of education for the children should conform – as far as possible – to the wishes of parents. Much assistance can be given by government and, indeed, by those who are currently in the edcuation system and do have a body of knowledge on the ways and means of imparting knowledge – but the final call in all education matters should always lie with the parent; and this would extend to such fundamental issues as when a child will start school, how long he’ll be at it and what general subjects are to be covered.

In this age of lies and big government, the duty of free people is clear – to tell the truth, and demand that their power be returned to them and government be curbed. Especially in matters of family it is a vital necessity that we get government out of the internal affairs of the family. A people remain free just as long as they value it and know what it is – the mis-educated results of public school system are ripe for tyrants of various stripes. Its time for fundamental change, and no place better to start than in returning authority to the parents.