Recently in North Carolina, a mother homeschooling her children was ordered to enroll them in public school. This despite the fact, acknowledged by everyone involved, that they're flourishing and are two grades ahead of their peers. Why? Because she's apparently teaching her children creationism rather than evolution. The article doesn't make clear whether she's teaching them young-earth creationism or old-earth (or even theistic evolution, which is labeled as "creationism" by atheists). But even if they are being taught young-earth creationism, I object to the government deciding that the parents should not be allowed to teach it to their children, and that they (the government) can do a better job educating kids. My time in the Marine Corps taught me that the government can't do anything effectively, and my education in the American public schools taught me that this applies to education in particular. (Via the Volokh Conspiracy. The comments there are worthwhile too.)
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This decision is apparently part of the settlement in a contested divorce case.
ReplyDeleteIF one accepts that the non-custodial (and errant) parent continues to have a substantial say in a child's education then the judge's ruling appears defensible.