California has set an interesting precedent when it comes to the education of children. The appeals court has declared that all children must be taught by an accredited teacher. For a nation that has a surprising number of home-schooled students, it will be interesting to see how or if this ruling will change the number of children taught at home.
While many parents will no doubt be disadvantaged by the ruling, i must wonder how successfully children are being taught in the home, as there seems to be no set standard for homeschooled children to be measured against. Each system by which they are enrolled is set slightly different standards. In some cases, those standards are not met, nor are they reprimanded because of it.
On the other hand, Justice H. Walter Croskey, did not instil me with warm fuzzies when he was quoted as saying "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". If this is truly the primary purpose of the education system, than school really only is brainwashing facilities. Education is supposed to help give students a better chance at full life, it's supposed to teach them ways to think, it is not there to tell them who they should be loyal to.
Now before you say that school helps children learn how to behave socially, and this is a form of public protection, i'll agree with you. (please don't write horrible comments about how i've ignored this issue)
So i guess i'm left feeling a bit torn. I do believe that children need to be taught by a qualified person. I also think that they need to be observed by someone outside the home to check on their progress both academically as well as socially. I do not think that a uniformed removal of home school is the solution.
Developments continue to unfold and i am paying close attention.
1 comment:
This is very interesting.
My eldest brothers had an interesting form of early schooling, they lived on a cattle station in the Northern Territory at the time and went through "School of the Air", which was a 2-way radio school.
I got interested in the whole home schooling thing a while back when I found a book at a second hand store which told the story of several families who had all chosen to home school.
The biggest thing I would say group teaching in a primary setting does is help children learn to deal with their peers, and interact in groups - which we all have to do for the rest of our lives.
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