Restrictions on home-schooling would defeat its purpose

10 March 1999

By Barbie Estes

An editorial from The Kentucky Post the Messenger-Inquirer ran March 1 titled "State needs rules on home schooling" stated "... with Kentucky's lack of regulations ..." and "... the tragedy for all of us is that this type of home schooling is allowed to occur."

The writer was referring to a single mother who is an eighth-grade dropout, home-schooling her 14-year-old daughter with little or no structure. The writer denounces this "tragedy" and asserts this to be the result of the absence of state regulations. The writer then suggests that more oversight from the state coupled with more rigid requirements for home-school teachers would remedy this situation.

Under Kentucky law, the home school operates as a private school and is compliant to private school laws. Doubtless, any home-school teacher is able, without obligation, to educate the uninformed on these existing regulations.

Certainly, the editorial writer's ultimate concern is for that of the education of all children and not just the home-schooled student. Therefore, caution should be taken when applying an academic standard to a home-school student without then applying the same academic standard (i.e., spelling, grammar, computation, etc.) across the board in all public schools.

Next, it would be unjust for the parents of an honor-roll public-school child to receive state accusation and undue restriction because of other parents whose public school children graduate less than proficient in required subjects. Appropriately, home-school teachers must not be further regulated because of the alleged impropriety of a few. Liken this to the irrelevance of making more laws and punishment on an entire population of conscientious, law-abiding drivers because of the offenses of those who deviate from drunk driving laws and drive while intoxicated.

The author then added: "Parents who are successful at home schooling ... prepare their children for higher education outside the home." Home-school teachers across the country are aware of the most reputable and desired universities who are seeking out their children for enrollment. Even so, not all home school or public school children are expected or required to pursue a formal higher education, as individual aspirations merit choice.

Secondly, one might argue that "a higher education outside the home" might not always prepare every student for the realities, responsibilities, civic obligations and demands of adulthood.

Furthermore, "success," being a relative term, doesn't always refer to power, financial, or political position. Many young ladies are being raised with an appreciation and art of successfully mothering and caring for the home, an honored and treasured role even today. Many young men and ladies are successfully being apprenticed into family trades and businesses alongside their mothers and fathers.

Students who are being taught personal responsibility, regard for community, respect for others and self while learning to meet the needs of their own families and be productive citizens will be successful, although void of a formal higher education. Finally, family unity and shared traditional values are quite successful.

The writer also stated, "without oversight, home-schooling is ripe for abuse." Again, these unnamed abuses applied to home-schoolers must be applied across the board to all students. And because the parent is the teacher in most home education schools, to bring the parent under increased examination, every home must be prepared to be open to scrutiny ... home and public school parents alike.

One need only scratch the surface of statistics to determine the successful achievements of the home-school students as opposed to highlighting a minority case. Most assuredly, the majority of home-schooling families comply with a higher, self-imposed standard than is required by law. To further restrict the liberties of the home-school teacher is to defy the essence and motivation of the environment of the home school.

Let us remember the importance of the parental freedoms of convictions and obligations when seeking to pilfer the basic liberties of a family.

Should we enforce laws dictating the diets of parents and children within the privacy of their homes? Should we enforce laws regulating the entertainment of parents and children within the privacy of their homes? Should our state oversee the conversations between parent and child within the privacy of their homes? Do not these areas (and not simply those of academic substance) and many more contribute to a child's overall welfare and education?

The writer then concluded: "Kentucky lawmakers, who customarily castigate government regulation, ought not to shirk the state's responsibility to assure that children are educated."

When did the education of our children become the responsibility of the state?

More strict regulations on the home-schooling teacher is ultimately a restriction of parental authority and would only serve to punish and greatly hinder the successes that thousands of Kentucky parents have gained as they have accepted the responsibility for their own children.

Barbie Estes of Owensboro is the home-schooling mother of two daughters.