Home schooling can be defined as education of children under parental supervision. This mode of shooling which was once a fringe phenomenon has changed to become a mainstream in the Unites States. It is legal in all states and has been broadly considered as one of the most rapidly improving division of K-12 schooling. Factually, education matters in the United States are delegated by states and the U.S constitution does not elaborate on education matters. In this regard, every State has its own provision for regulating homeschooling. Correspondingly, this mélange regulatory environment is a clear indication of trend across the United State. However, regulations that either forbade or regulated home schooling have since been eased and in some cases lifted. In reference to Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), twenty –five of all the states lack regulations that govern homeschooling except for a requirement the parents should notify the local public authority when they set up a home school. In this essay we some of the reasons why homeschooling in United States should be more regulated.
Theoretical approach to increased regulation of homeschooling
It is unquestionable that parents ought to have extensive authority to upbringing of their children as they dim right encompassing wide-ranging discretion over children's education. This comes with numerous reasons like; parental responsibility for their children's care and the fact that they know their children more than any other person. As such, parental authority over their children is desirable and legitimate. There are two reasons why the government ought to impose any authority over children's education in certain circumstances. Firstly, is the "Citizenship argument" while the second one is the "freedom argument." The citizenship argument lays emphasis on civic education. This argument avoids development of civically disabled citizens. The later "Freedom argument" stands for provision of education that cultivates child's freedom and thereby avoiding "ethically servile" adults.
Citizenship argument
This argument as illustrated by cooper (35) is the most familiar reason that justifies why homeschooling in United States should be more regulated. To begin with versions of this argument can be provided in several Supreme Court decisions as well as, state laws that govern education (Cooper 35). An example is the case of Meyer v. Nebraska of 1923; Brown v. Board of education (1954); Pierce v. Society of sisters (1925); and finally that of Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972). In the case of Yoder for example, the court decision granted Amish children an exclusion from two years of Wisconsin's obligatory school attending laws: however, the court declared that it is not dubious that the power of State has high responsibility for education of its citizen and should therefore impose reasonable regulations for management and control of basic education (Klicka 67). Factually, children are the youngest citizens in any state, as such; the state has great interest in ensuring that they obtain civic education (Klicka 67). Logically, citizens are not born but created. Even though people have different understanding on how to be a citizen can hold a prolonged argument about catalogue of civic virtues necessary to establish in children. The state has a legitimate interest in instilling essential ideas in relation to citizenship though schoolhouses. The state must convey fundamental facts like the structure of governance as well as some rudimentary history. In reference to Salisbury and James (11) the state also needs to convey elementary procedures in regard to political participation. Arguably, children must understand that being a citizen carries some responsibility like voting. They must also understand other basic rights like no citizen can be excluded from basic political process because of different ideologies, skin color or religion affiliation.
Finally it is the responsibility of the state to ensure compulsory basic literacy and numeracy is available to all children to help them become self sufficient and to be productively employed citizens. As such, the state is justified in requiring that all children get civic education.
Freedom argument
This argument has been established to be more complicated and with less evidence in both legal and legislative history. Fromm this point of view, it is more speculative. Nonetheless, freedom concerns are the heart of the entire moral reasoning and most compelling as to why more regulation is fundamental to homeschooling. Let's start from the principle of democratic state. The principle aim of a democracy, more so liberal democracy especially where liberal is interpreted in its classical rather than partisan or contemporary sense – is protection of individual's freedom. Salisbury (42) includes that one of the salutary consequences of liberal democracy that safeguards freedom of an individual is that choices made by individuals on ho to lead their lives result to social diversity and/or value pluralism. Walberg (21) states that it would be appalling if in a society that stands for freedom of individuals neglected the freedom of children. Simply clarified, protecting the freedom of citizen is the main engine of diversity i.e. diversity of belief in general.
Work Cited
Cooper, Bruce S. Homeschooling in full view: a reader. Greenwich, CT: Information Age, 2005. Print.
Klicka, Christopher J. Home school heroes : the struggle & triumph of home schooling in America. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006. Print.
Salisbury, David F., and James Tooley. What America can learn from school choice in other countries. Washington, D.C: Cato Institute, 2005. Print.
Walberg, Herbert J., and Joseph L. Bast. Education and capitalism how overcoming our fear of markets and economics can improve America's schools. Stanford, Calif: Hoover Institution Press, 2003. Print.
