B-75. Home Schooling
The National Education Association believes that home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience. When home schooling occurs, students enrolled must meet all state curricular requirements, including the taking and passing of assessments to ensure adequate academic progress. Home schooling should be limited to the children of the immediate family, with all expenses being borne by the parents/guardians. Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used.
The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools.
The Association further believes that local public school systems should have the authority to determine grade placement and/or credits earned toward graduation for students entering or re-entering the public school setting from a home school setting. (1988, 2006)"
Let's break this down and talk about it.
"...home schooling programs based on parental choice cannot provide the student with a comprehensive education experience."
What *is* a "comprehensive education experience", and who is to define it? I have been my childrens' mother since conception, I have nourished and fed them from my body, and then from my kitchen. Under our parenting, they have learned to walk, talk, eat, behave, and interact with others. We know them about as well as a person can know another person. Their little quirks, inner thoughts, habits, fears and strengths. They are healthy, social, strong and smart.
I am unable to understand how a complete stranger is better able to teach my children rather than their father and mother, who have loved them and taught them since birth. Should I send them somewhere to learn how to get high from other 6th graders, or to watch their peers performing sexual acts during study hall? Is that what's considered a comprehensive education experience? I think they'll do just fine without, thank you.
"Instruction should be by persons who are licensed by the appropriate state education licensure agency, and a curriculum approved by the state department of education should be used."
Does the government also want me to become a registered dietitian to feed my children? Would they like to provide a state approved menu for their nourishment, to assure they are being well fed? How on earth can they be confident that the children are receiving adequate nutrition without their oversight?
The government sees no need for their interference in such matters as what I feed my children, essential for their health and survival. Why does it feel it is necessary to regulate my childrens' education? The government suddenly has the need to undermine my abilities as a parent, but only in the area of education. They want my children, to add them to their worker-drones class of people, never taught to think for themselves, but instead taught to be influenced by peers and pride. The government are quite threatened by those who desire to be independent of their brainwashing.
Ironically, their standards for curriculum fall much short of what I would accept for my children. While desperately inclusive, it is exclusive of the most important thing my children will ever need to know - the Word of God.
"The Association also believes that home-schooled students should not participate in any extracurricular activities in the public schools"
Let me get this straight. According to the NEA, a child who is not in the public school system is surely doomed to failure and will not succeed without public schooling; however, the NEA refuses to offer any sort of "partial assistance" through the access of various public school extracurriculars? That seems a bit spiteful to me, and reveals the truth about their motives - it is not the care and well being of the child they are concerned with at all (for if that were the case, wouldn't they think it charitable to "help" in any way possible by providing any public school access desired?). This also brings to mind a question of taxes. If I am a homeschooling parent, I am still required to pay taxes to my local school system, yet they will not allow me to access the programs that I pay for, unless I access them in their entirety?
I am simply appalled at the archaic attitudes expressed in these proposals. Back in the earl 1980's - 20 years ago! - these are the attitudes that homeschool pioneers had to face, along with legal ramifications for standing up for their rights to educate their children as they saw fit. In the past 20 years homeschoolers have more than proven themselves academically, socially and morally. It is obvious to me that the NEA's stance is not a factual basis, nor a concern for welfare, but a defensive and financial one. They are all too aware of the fact that homeschooling is extremely successful, on the rise, and more and more being proven as the better choice than what the NEA can offer. They are scared, and should be.
If you are interested in sharing your thoughts with the NEA, please go to this page and sign the available petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/homeschoolers-against-nea-philosophy?page=51
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