Should homeschooling be banned?

[CheeseWhiz]

Hahahaha

Ahaha

Haheehee

Ah... *wipes away tear from laughing*

Yes, let's ban the schooling system where the teachers have a higher stake in how well their students do and, because they have a smaller class, can address each ones individual needs far more easily.

I'm sure public and private schools have their benefits, (I wouldn't know,) but homeschooling has always been fantastic for me.  It's more flexible and can more easily accommodate my needs; like if I'm interested in politics, I can go get more material on politics and use more of my time to study it.  No history quiz on Tuesday I'm going to have to study for instead, as long as I've got a basic grasp of history and a real true interest in my political studies, my teachers support that.

I'm just not one to do things in groups, I need individual attention.  How on earth would I get that in a public school system?  I'd probably start failing due to boredom and my parents would have to hire a tutor or something.  I'd more than likely hate it and wind up some rebel on the streets cursing authority and telling strangers how the Government is putting microchips in all our brains.  That's not right, that's what this forum is for!

Also, I can't really understand how the "religious fundamentalist parenting" argument applies.  Yeah, it exists, and yeah, some of them do definitely homeschool.  But, they're gonna exist with or without it, your not getting rid of them, and ruining something for everyone just because of a few bad apples is about the worst thing you can do.  It's called throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and you guys don't want to make more babies homeless, do you?

A more offensive measure would be difficult to imagine.

I gotta agree with that.

Exactly, you have never experience one so you have no idea whether they brainwash or not and the answer is they don't. They are actually run quite well in a majority of areas and if you really believe the teaching is as crappy as it is then why would you think anyone would be brainwashed?

The reverse is true for most, if not all, of these "Oh NoEZ, the sHELterInG!" people.

Option 3.  As long as the students are being taught the state-required material (which they must pass a test on), then there is nothing wrong with homeschooling.  People that have a rose bush up their backside on this issue really need to get over themselves.

Then what is the point?

I agree with Storebought and Philip btw. Which makes me feel a little... odd. Only in America (and possibly Canada I'm unsure of the situation there) is home schooling associated with religion. Actually in Europe its usually seen as a left wing fad.

I agree, standardized testing is one of the many things wrong with a public school system.  The attempts and successes of forcing homeschoolers to take a similar test is pretty disgusting, IMO.  Alas, you don't have to worry, most states I know require it or something close anyway.

Also, while both my parents are religious, (well, more spiritual than religious, but whatever,) I'd definitely categorize us more as the liberal hippy type than zealots   In fact, one of the few reasons my parents vote for Republicans is because they tend to be more understanding of homeschoolers.

He needs to go watch Jesus Camp.

This, of course, paints an accurate picture of homeschooling as a whole.  I always pray to cardboard cutouts of GWB!  I think the closest I was to being a "religious fundamentalist" was when I use to think gays should only have civil unions and was against legalized euthanasia.  That's probably socially to the left of about 2/3rds of Americans, (that's just a guess, BTW.)

Oh yeah, homeschooling is banned in Germany.  Germany.  You know, where the Nazis came from?  Yeah, that Germany.  Therefore, if you believe homeschooling should be banned you are a dirty commie.

[CheeseWhiz]

Oh yeah, homeschooling is banned in Germany.  Germany.  You know, where the Nazis came from?  Yeah, that Germany.  Therefore, if you believe homeschooling should be banned you are a dirty commie.

Germany = FF. Also disproving the crap Gully is spewing.

Because limiting choices you don't like = Freedom Fighting.  If you can read this you are standing too close to your computer screen

Seriously, I'm not trying to be rude, (what?  I didn't say I was trying very hard!) but don't you think that logic is just a little bit off?

How? He said in Europe it tends to be seen as being a left-wing fad. There's nothing in it being banned in Germany to suggest he's wrong there. Your personal obsessions seem to blind you to what people say. In fact, I know a girl who has lived in both the UK and the US who was homeschooled during middle school as her family decided they wanted to travel and see the world instead. They are far from right-wing and I don't think they were instilling religious values as well.

Exactly!  Want to admit it or not, homeschooling gives families more liberty to travel, spend time together, eat together, etc. and there's absolutely nothing malicious about that.

[CheeseWhiz]

Why do I get the feeling that some people in this tread would be making an argument against compulsory education if we were thinking of enacting it today?

Because some probably would, myself being foremost among them.  However, this post runs a high risk a hijacking this thread, so if you seriously want to debate the issue, I'd suggest creating a new one.

[CheeseWhiz]

Only ban non-secular homeschooling. If the homeschooling is for leftist purposes or other non-religious purposes it's cool with me. Basically my same stance as on private/charter schools. Ban religious-focused ones but allow the magnet schools/other secular private schools.

Besides the invasive policies you'd have to enact to make sure they were teaching a non-religious curriculum, doesn't that violate the free exercise clause?

Plus, how do you distinguish what counts for school time and family time?  If a family teaches a secular curriculum, and goes to church on Sunday, does that make them secular or religious?

I'd also like to point out I don't see anything at all wrong with a religious curriculum, in and of itself.  The problem would be with overzealous parents.