Should homeschooling be legal?

[Goldwater]

I think this will be far more polarizing than the private school question...

Anyway, yes. I would be very strongly opposed to any attempts at banning homeschooling.

[RogueBeaver]

^ What you said.

[H. Ross Peron]

Yes but it should be regulated and preferably seen as an option of the last resort for children with severe disabilities or other extenuating circumstances.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Of course (normal).

[bedstuy]

Parents that would ruin their kids socially by homeschooling will probably ruin them socially anyway.  That's just a sad fact of life.  Outside of the extreme cases, we can't really regulate bad parenting and it's one of the greatest sources of human misery. 

As for homeschooling, I've actually known well-adjusted, well-educated homeschoolers.  It's not the worst thing in the world.  There are terrible public schools and terrible private schools out there.  In my neighborhood specifically, we have a private school system that hardly teaches english, math or science at all, and we have a public school that has a 40% graduation rate and 0% college rate.  Is homeschooling that much worse than those schools?

[AggregateDemand]

No. If you get caught teaching your own children, it's straight to the electric chair

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Yes, but only with some sort of supervision and curriculum in certain subjects. The state has a stake in ensuring that all kids are prepared for adulthood. Essentially, homeschooling parents should have the same level of freedom when it comes to teaching that private schools do.

Some kids just aren't cut out for the social darwinist environment of the school system. It can be detrimental to them both emotionally and educationally.

However, I feel like online school may be a better alternative than homeschooling.

[Hatman 🍁]

No.  It's usually done to shelter kids from the real world. Never a good idea.

[Deus Naturae]

No.  It's usually done to shelter kids from the real world. Never a good idea.

Thanks for enlightening us about the motivations of people you've never even met, all-knowing, all-seeing one.

[Lief 🗽]

No, of course not.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

No, I don't trust white parents to inoculate their kids against racism or to give them a balanced view of history.

[Franzl]

No, of course not.

At least not as a generally available option.

This is one of those issues where I feel quite strongly in principle, although can't bring myself to overly care if some crazies manage to do it. Just as long as supporting it remains a fringe position here.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Definitely!

No.  It's usually done to shelter kids from the real world. Never a good idea.

I'm fairly certain homeschooled children experience the real world via churches/places of worship, sporting clubs, scouts, and other social activities.

[dead0man]

I don't understand being against this unless you ignorantly think 85% of homeschooled kids fit whatever horrible stereotype you have in your head.

[ingemann]

I don't understand being against this unless you ignorantly think 85% of homeschooled kids fit whatever horrible stereotype you have in your head.

Quoted for truth.

If kids learn read, write and basic maths, they will in most cases have learned everything they need to live in a modern society.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yes but it should be regulated and preferably seen as an option of the last resort for children with severe disabilities or other extenuating circumstances.

[windjammer]

It should be heavily regulated. No on most cases.

[DemPGH]

No, it should not be. There is the socialization issue, there is exposure to other ways of thinking, problem solving, and exposure to different people who have expertise in a particular field.

Charter schools should also not be legal.

[dead0man]

Is there anybody on the "against" side that isn't against it because of <shakes fist> "arrrr RICH PEOPLE!, I hate them so much!"/"arrrr RELIGIOUS PEOPLE!, I hate them so much!"?  'cause that's all I'm seeing.

[Franzl]

Is there anybody on the "against" side that isn't against it because of <shakes fist> "arrrr RICH PEOPLE!, I hate them so much!"/"arrrr RELIGIOUS PEOPLE!, I hate them so much!"?  'cause that's all I'm seeing.

*raises hand*

My opposition has nothing to do with rich people or religion. Although the latter often corelates with who would tend to desire home schooling, I imagine.

DemPGH voiced my primary reasons quite well, which I have also argued in the past on this topic.

Again, it's not a topic I feel strongly on unless lots of people started wanting to do it here. (That's actually an interesting thing, as it's honestly not even an issue here. I imagine three-quarters of the population has never even heard of the concept.)

[Simfan34]

It should be heavily regulated by the state to ensure minimum standards are being met. I don't know how this would be enforced- testing, I imagine. I would think setting up a cooperative school might be a preferable alternative in many circumstances, in terms of resource pooling and regulation.

I know people who have been homeschooled due to sheer isolation- that at least should be legal.

[Hifly]

No, of course not.

[dead0man]

(That's actually an interesting thing, as it's honestly not even an issue here. I imagine three-quarters of the population has never even heard of the concept.)

You say that as if it's an issue here.  Other than a few freedom haters like yourself making a little noise every so often, it's not an issue here.  It's legal, and it's going to stay that way.

[Franzl]

(That's actually an interesting thing, as it's honestly not even an issue here. I imagine three-quarters of the population has never even heard of the concept.)

You say that as if it's an issue here.  Other than a few freedom haters like yourself making a little noise every so often, it's not an issue here.  It's legal, and it's going to stay that way.

I'm perfectly aware that freedom haters such as myself aren't in a position to influence American public policy. You have your own type of freedom hater for that.

[Hatman 🍁]

No.  It's usually done to shelter kids from the real world. Never a good idea.

Thanks for enlightening us about the motivations of people you've never even met, all-knowing, all-seeing one.

I know lots of people who have been homeschooled, and this is usually the case. Why else would someone homeschool their children?