Is Mandatory Public Education Persecution?

[Regolith]

On the other hand, I've seen those who use homeschooling as an excuse to keep out of the system, and the only education done is how to keep out of the system.  The products of this type of home-schooling come through my courtroom all the time.

How many people who come through your courtroom are products of the state education system? I'd guess probably the majority, so it's not exactly a panacea for unsocial behavior. The people who abuse homeschooling and end up coming through your courtroom would likely be coming through your courtroom anyway if they were in public schools.

No system is perfect, and demanding perfection from an alternate system while ignoring glaring, systematic structural flaws in the current one is illogical.

[Balog]

Detroit would be a wonderful metropolis if it wasn't for all those damn homeschooling single moms there...

[Perd Hapley]

The company, for whom I do contract work, markets textbooks to the homeschool community. One thing I noticed is that a lot of those peer activities and social stuff tend to be "with their own kind". While it has plenty of benefits, it can create very insulated folks with a very stovepiped knowledge and experience base. A lot of them can have issues with interfacing with folks outside their narrow community.

I don't doubt that's true. But I would also take a wild guess, and say that some kids probably do better with that kind of upbringing, than being "mainstreamed." Other kids would be better off experiencing different kinds of people.

It reminds me of the viewpoint I hear from a lot of Christians, that Christian kids need to be out fighting the good fight in the public schools, witnessing, evangelizing, apologizing,* etc. "We can't retreat from the battlefield!!" When I hear that, I want to remind such people that kids are kids, not warriors. Some kids thrive on mixing it up with different kinds of people, but I think some kids would be better served by getting a solid foundation from "their own kind." (None of which is to say that kids should be totally isolated in some kind of homogenous community, with no exposure to other types of people.)

Just my 2 pence.


*As in "apologetics," not saying they're sorry.

[T.O.M.]

I guess I should specify that the examples I'm thinking of are kids I have contact with outside of work.  Inside the courthouse is a whole other world, and I would no sooner attribute anti-social/criminal behavior to the education method chosen than I would blame violent crime on firearm ownership.

[Tallpine]

Don't confuse home-schooling with no-schooling.

[zahc]

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/unschooling-homeschooling-book-tests-classes/story?id=10410867

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/27/gutierrez.unschooing/

[Balog]

I have very serious doubts about the long term effects of the whole "un-schooling" method. It's hippie bs and it's going to royally screw over the kids it's inflicted on. That said, it's not abusive just stupid so parents should be free to do it as they want.

[T.O.M.]

I wasn't familiar with un-schooling.  I am at a loss for words after reading that.

[Strings]

>It reminds me of the viewpoint I hear from a lot of Christians, that Christian kids need to be out fighting the good fight in the public schools, witnessing, evangelizing, apologizing,* etc.<

It is, by NO means, just Christian parents that come up with that idiocy.

I've hammered on more than one pagan family for trying to "fight for social justice" via their children. Very similar to the story of the 6 year old "transgendered" kid...

[roo_ster]

>It reminds me of the viewpoint I hear from a lot of Christians, that Christian kids need to be out fighting the good fight in the public schools, witnessing, evangelizing, apologizing,* etc.<

It is, by NO means, just Christian parents that come up with that idiocy.

I've hammered on more than one pagan family for trying to "fight for social justice" via their children. Very similar to the story of the 6 year old "transgendered" kid...

You do the very damn best you can by your kids.  You don't use them as a tool to fight your own political battles or as a means to fulfill dreams you could not make reality for your own self.

For my part, I am not sending the kids to private school to stick it to "the other side," but because I think that is where they will get the best education (broadly defined) with the least amount of trauma.

[T.O.M.]

You do the very damn best you can by your kids.  You don't use them as a tool to fight your own political battles or as a means to fulfill dreams you could not make reality for your own self.

Yeah, nothing gets me pissed off faster than seeing idiots take their kids to a political demonstration, give them a picket sign with some cute little saying, and have them march along with them.