Mimi Rothschild - Home School Support & Home Education News

By Mimi Rothschild

We homeschoolers are no strangers to opposition from the state. The infancy of homeschooling was marked by vicious court battles and intense pushback from school districts. However, the battle is far from over.

Decades ago, when the first families began to pull away from the public school system, there was a legitimate concern on behalf of lawmakers as to whether homeschooled children would be educated properly. Over time, those concerns were systematically shattered, as homeschoolers’ test scores consistently ranked 20-30% higher than those of public school students on standardized achievement tests. Secondly, a recent study from the National Home Education Research Institute showed that homeschool graduates are more likely to be involved in their communities than public school graduates. So much for the socialization argument.

In Puerto Rico, homeschoolers have come under attack as recent proposed legislation requires that homeschools be brought under the auspices of the public school system, defeating the entire purpose of removing oneself from the system in the first place. Other countries around the world continue to repress the homeschool revolution. Other democracies known for their hostility towards homeschoolers include Germany and Belgium.

Here in America, most opposition these days comes in the form of minor annoyances like hassling from school district representatives and excessive paperwork. As we enjoy the freedoms brought to us by those pioneering families of the sixties and seventies, remember to pray for those in other countries who continue to experience repression. It was reported last May that there were rumblings in the UN regarding a treaty conferring rights to children that could render homeschooling illegal; even here in the U.S. Please continue to pray that God would secure our freedom to educate our children on our terms.