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Judge cites homeschoolers for violating U.N. mandate
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<blockquote data-quote="Farmwife" data-source="post: 377791" data-attributes="member: 8617"><p>Generally I feel pretty strongly about a parents right to teach their children whatever they want. I briefly made the acquaintance of a young couple who had me question that. They were pregnant and were opting for a homebirth. homebirth in itself is a wonderful, natural thing assuming it is for the right reasons. This family however was doing so in order to "hide" the birth from authorities. Their next plan was to not get a birth certificate and to not get a social security number for the child. Essentially the child would not exist in our governments eyes.</p><p> </p><p>That frightens me.</p><p> </p><p>Though they have every right to feel strongly against "the mark of the devil" as they saw it, I still have to wonder about a family so paranoid about a government/satan/gestapo-esq potentiality that they were literally going to hide the existance of their child. They also lived in a very rural area and rarely left their farmstead. Although they seemed to have pure intentions that scenario could be potentially very dangerous for this child.</p><p> </p><p>Then add in the factor that upon adulthood this child would be virtually unemployable unless the job was "under the table". The child could not qualify for a higher education and government grants to do so. If the child was to be a boy he would be in violation of selective service laws. The child could have no credit rating therefore not buy a home unless it was with cash but then they couldn't put it in their name. They also could not have a bank account, health insurance and so so much more. </p><p> </p><p>Unraveling all that mess in the governments eyes would be a nightmare. Thus the parents extremist political and religious views would essentially cripple the child financially before they were ever at an age to decide what was best for themselves of their own free will. </p><p> </p><p>Our government does make accomadations for recognized groups such as the old order Amish that I live nearby. Their separation is organized, recognized and left to itself. The do have an "exclusive" community wherein their children are educated according to their value system alone, they even speak English with a very heavy German accent even though they are native born...they are that isolated. They also take their children into town to shop and at the age of maturity the children are "cut loose" to go find themselves (Rumpspringa) and to decide if they want to stay within the church or if they want to live among the "English". In that way even this obscure, sheltered group still makes plans for a reality check and FREE WILL inclusion into the group when old enough to know what it means. (free will is a very important concept for me)</p><p> </p><p>I think there is a fine line between safe, sane isolation and hiding from society in an unhealthy way. A parent has rights, obviously, but I think that they should never supercede the rights of the child. This could someday errupt into a political debate about separation of church and state. That doesn't even take into account parents who homeschool but are poorly educated themselves or do not give the children an adequate education for whatever reason. I think it is a terrible shame that a few misguided individuals on the outer fringes could bring the whole house of cards down on the majority of other homeschoolers, people who have good intentions and see public school as undesirable for well thought out reasons.</p><p> </p><p>Marg-That does sound like a fascinating unit on war. Do you have links? I did have some materials preselected but it would make a nice addition. (Here I am with a toddler and yet to be born babe and already planning my curriculum, lol)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Farmwife, post: 377791, member: 8617"] Generally I feel pretty strongly about a parents right to teach their children whatever they want. I briefly made the acquaintance of a young couple who had me question that. They were pregnant and were opting for a homebirth. homebirth in itself is a wonderful, natural thing assuming it is for the right reasons. This family however was doing so in order to "hide" the birth from authorities. Their next plan was to not get a birth certificate and to not get a social security number for the child. Essentially the child would not exist in our governments eyes. That frightens me. Though they have every right to feel strongly against "the mark of the devil" as they saw it, I still have to wonder about a family so paranoid about a government/satan/gestapo-esq potentiality that they were literally going to hide the existance of their child. They also lived in a very rural area and rarely left their farmstead. Although they seemed to have pure intentions that scenario could be potentially very dangerous for this child. Then add in the factor that upon adulthood this child would be virtually unemployable unless the job was "under the table". The child could not qualify for a higher education and government grants to do so. If the child was to be a boy he would be in violation of selective service laws. The child could have no credit rating therefore not buy a home unless it was with cash but then they couldn't put it in their name. They also could not have a bank account, health insurance and so so much more. Unraveling all that mess in the governments eyes would be a nightmare. Thus the parents extremist political and religious views would essentially cripple the child financially before they were ever at an age to decide what was best for themselves of their own free will. Our government does make accomadations for recognized groups such as the old order Amish that I live nearby. Their separation is organized, recognized and left to itself. The do have an "exclusive" community wherein their children are educated according to their value system alone, they even speak English with a very heavy German accent even though they are native born...they are that isolated. They also take their children into town to shop and at the age of maturity the children are "cut loose" to go find themselves (Rumpspringa) and to decide if they want to stay within the church or if they want to live among the "English". In that way even this obscure, sheltered group still makes plans for a reality check and FREE WILL inclusion into the group when old enough to know what it means. (free will is a very important concept for me) I think there is a fine line between safe, sane isolation and hiding from society in an unhealthy way. A parent has rights, obviously, but I think that they should never supercede the rights of the child. This could someday errupt into a political debate about separation of church and state. That doesn't even take into account parents who homeschool but are poorly educated themselves or do not give the children an adequate education for whatever reason. I think it is a terrible shame that a few misguided individuals on the outer fringes could bring the whole house of cards down on the majority of other homeschoolers, people who have good intentions and see public school as undesirable for well thought out reasons. Marg-That does sound like a fascinating unit on war. Do you have links? I did have some materials preselected but it would make a nice addition. (Here I am with a toddler and yet to be born babe and already planning my curriculum, lol) [/QUOTE]
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Judge cites homeschoolers for violating U.N. mandate
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