Compulsory attendance laws are school authorities' first assault on parental rights. These laws force almost forty-five million children to sit in often boring classes six to eight hours a day for twelve years. Compulsory attendance laws force parents to hand over their children to state employees called teachers, principals, and administrators, whose competence they must take on faith.
Compulsory attendance laws show contempt for parents' rights because they are based on the notion that the state owns our children for twelve years, and that parents should have little say in the matter.
In effect, these laws allow state officials to legally kidnap millions of children, allegedly to benefit the children by giving them an education (in the opinion of these officials). "Kidnap" may seem like a harsh word, yet wouldn't you apply that word to someone who took your child by force against your will?
Unfortunately, most parents voluntarily send their kids to the local public school. These parents believe they are doing the right thing or have no alternative, so they might not believe that school authorities kidnap their kids. However, millions of other parents are so disgusted with public schools that they either homeschool their kids or send them to private schools.
Every year, school authorities and social service agencies harass or threaten hundreds of home-schooling parents who remove their child from public school. If parents refuse to send their child to the local public school, and do not strictly follow a state's home-schooling regulations, school authorities can file child abuse or neglect charges against the parent. They can then call in social service agencies that threaten parents with jail or threaten to take away their children and put them in foster homes.
The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) claims to represent "approximately 365 home-schooling families a year who are wrongly charged of some form of child abuse or neglect" because they chose not to comply with compulsory attendance laws.
School authorities' harassment of home-schoolers reveals the nasty compulsion underlying our public schools. Thankfully, parents in this country have the right to homeschool their children. For their children's sake, parents should take advantage of this right.
Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children." Contact Information: Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Email: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com, Phone: 718-447-7348. Article Copyrighted ? 2005 by Joel Turtel. NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel's email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com
bathroom cleaning service Northbrook ..When we talk about attention, we are talking about two... Read More
Uh oh.Your kids arrive home with their school reports and... Read More
Saturday mornings. Cold cereal and Scooby Doo. How many parents... Read More
Because most teens have not had the experience of getting... Read More
They Spur Members To Grow EmotionallyTatiana Tannenbaum grappled with a... Read More
Even as a busy parent, I'm sure you've seen a... Read More
Fall marks the beginning of many new things both for... Read More
'How can I start getting my children to help out... Read More
More and more kids these days are diagnosed ADD, ADHD,... Read More
Have you ever watched your teenager make a mistake (that... Read More
Drivers 16 years of age have little driving experience, putting... Read More
1. New Word of the DayIntroduce your preschooler to a... Read More
Researched through personal experience!Budget Your Money. Even if you are... Read More
All too often, children with learning disabilities are seen through... Read More
Research literature, recent books, and common sense, all point to... Read More
Bath time can be fun or it can be a... Read More
It is not the divorce but the conflict arising after... Read More
Oh yes you have! Suddenly, "Where's Bobby?" You instantly realize... Read More
Parents of hyperactive children know the "Would you please just... Read More
She slipped her small, soft eight-year-old hand into mine. Her... Read More
Younger generations unfortunately will not understand how larger than life... Read More
Did you know that the number of twin births have... Read More
Here in Kansas, where we live, the leaves are turning... Read More
What you say and do about money has a profound... Read More
One of the most important aspects of parenting, is ensuring... Read More
insured cleaning company Wilmette ..You can learn a lot from children.The best part of... Read More
Few things are more completely enjoyable than becoming a grandparent.... Read More
It has been a long day. Home from work, you... Read More
One of the most prevalent myths of our modern culture... Read More
Everyone needs friends, and, as parents, you and I both... Read More
Our children are our most important legacy to the world.... Read More
There's a phrase that's become popular over the past few... Read More
Depending on where you live school will be starting this... Read More
Q. We just got our daughter's progress report, and it... Read More
Valentine day has always been a special day in my... Read More
(Isaiah 11:6 KJV) The wolf also shall dwell with the... Read More
Having a baby is one of the most exciting times... Read More
Imagine having no television for an entire season. Such was... Read More
Most of us when asked what we want our children... Read More
Many people still think that the game of chess is... Read More
Life is full of competition -- even in childhood. Kids... Read More
"Becoming a parent can make you a better worker," New... Read More
In the news, we hear and see an increasing number... Read More
My wife and I have been working on a video... Read More
Many young people don't know how to study efficiently and... Read More
An estimated five million scooters will be sold this year... Read More
Emotional OverloadMany single parents say they deal with a variety... Read More
As thinking, acting human beings we have the ability to... Read More
For most children, it is easy to learn to read... Read More
Would you like your child to be the best that... Read More
Parenting |