Here’s an excerpt of the decision from your link and the L.A. Times story:
“Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children,” wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28 opinion signed by the two other members of the district court. “Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program.”
That is scary stuff.
I try to follow some of the arguments in the Reformed world about common grace and supporting the government schools. But then others in the Reformed world argue it’s an abdication of responsibility by parents to let the state have so much sway over their children. This court ruling should turn up the heat on that debate, even if it’s overturned.
Parents need a state-approved “credential” to raise (educate) their children? Fascinating implications!
In a bit of irony, our newspaper today featured a Cal Thomas column about the “exodus mandate” to leave the government schools.
“I try to follow some of the arguments in the Reformed world about common grace and supporting the government schools. But then others in the Reformed world argue it’s an abdication of responsibility by parents to let the state have so much sway over their children.”
As a staunch Reformed confessionalist and public education advocate, the only way the latter group has any merit is to assume that the endeavor of education is primarily an affective project and not an intellectual one. But my high view of the creation ordinance tells me that only parents “make, shape and nurture human beings,” not schools. And I consider withdrawl to teach our chidlren the absolute wrong message about God’s world.
I’ve been under the weather a couple days and checking out various blogs, something I rarely get a chance to do. Regarding the homeschooling court ruling, some commentators say it doesn’t mean what the L.A. Times suggested.
Through the Gospel-driven blog I noticed there’s a link to scriptoriumdaily, and this has a different take on it:
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March 6, 2008 at 10:08 am
Dennis W.
Here’s an excerpt of the decision from your link and the L.A. Times story:
“Parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children,” wrote Justice H. Walter Croskey in a Feb. 28 opinion signed by the two other members of the district court. “Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program.”
That is scary stuff.
I try to follow some of the arguments in the Reformed world about common grace and supporting the government schools. But then others in the Reformed world argue it’s an abdication of responsibility by parents to let the state have so much sway over their children. This court ruling should turn up the heat on that debate, even if it’s overturned.
Parents need a state-approved “credential” to raise (educate) their children? Fascinating implications!
In a bit of irony, our newspaper today featured a Cal Thomas column about the “exodus mandate” to leave the government schools.
March 7, 2008 at 9:26 am
Zrim
“I try to follow some of the arguments in the Reformed world about common grace and supporting the government schools. But then others in the Reformed world argue it’s an abdication of responsibility by parents to let the state have so much sway over their children.”
As a staunch Reformed confessionalist and public education advocate, the only way the latter group has any merit is to assume that the endeavor of education is primarily an affective project and not an intellectual one. But my high view of the creation ordinance tells me that only parents “make, shape and nurture human beings,” not schools. And I consider withdrawl to teach our chidlren the absolute wrong message about God’s world.
Zrim
March 7, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Dennis W.
I’ve been under the weather a couple days and checking out various blogs, something I rarely get a chance to do. Regarding the homeschooling court ruling, some commentators say it doesn’t mean what the L.A. Times suggested.
Through the Gospel-driven blog I noticed there’s a link to scriptoriumdaily, and this has a different take on it:
http://www.scriptoriumdaily.com/2008/03/07/dont-believe-the-la-times-home-schooling-still-legal-in-california/
Just fyi.