Sunday 9 March 2008

It's really just sad...

Reason #89798 that I will not be living in California, ever, if I can help it.

Homeschoolers' setback sends shockwaves through the state


'A California appeals court ruling clamping down on homeschooling by parents without teaching credentials sent shock waves across the state this week, leaving an estimated 166,000 children as possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution.'

Not cool, yo.

'
"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare," the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue.'

This statement is just all kinds of scary to me, gogo government propaganda and brainwashing. (Can you tell I'm trying reaaaally hard not to pull Godwin's Law here?) Because of course, no parent could actually teach their child at home and instill these qualities in their children. You know those homeschooled kids are such a rowdy bunch of anarchy-loving vagrants...

'
Heimov said her organization's (Children's Law Center of Los Angeles) chief concern was not the quality of the children's education, but their "being in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety."'

Naturally this isn't the PARENTS job. They're not supposed to care about their childrens safety, only the government can do that! And really, at home or in a school, who needs an education? Poppycock! Just a form of daycare where you try and keep the kids from hurting themselves and killing each other. (I'd really like to see statistics on the amount of underage sex, drug selling/using, alcohol use and school shootings in "home schools". Probably off the charts! I bet they can't even read or do simple math, either.)

And here's the part I really don't get:

'
The ruling arose from a child welfare dispute between the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and Philip and Mary Long of Lynwood, who have been homeschooling their eight children. Mary Long is their teacher, but holds no teaching credential.

The parents said they also enrolled their children in Sunland Christian School, a private religious academy in Sylmar (Los Angeles County), which considers the Long children part of its independent study program and visits the home about four times a year.'


It goes on to talk about how a homeschooling parent in CA must be accredited, blah blah. Or the child must go to a school, public or private, full time. Otherwise CPS can haul off the kids and put the parents behind bars for 'educational neglect'.

Now I totally understand protecting children and doing everything in our power to ensure every child is given opportunities to learn. Truly. But to me, "educational neglect" implies a failing or laziness on the part of the parent. I'm sure, out there somewhere, someone has pulled their children out of all school and then gone on to NOT teach them anything at home. Someone must be crazy enough.

But really, if I had eight children, and I was feeling lazy and did NOT want to take the time (and didn't care) to ensure my children were getting a decent education, I think the very last thing I would do is pull them out of public school. Now, please don't get me wrong, I'm not implying that any or all public/private school parents are lazy by sending their children elsewhere to be educated. Not everyone feels the need/desire to teach their children at home, and many don't feel they can adequately do that job. Not to mention the impossibility of a stay at home spouse when two incomes are required.

But seriously, if I were operating on sheer laziness and lack of concern for the welfare of my child, I would be signing him up for public school (woo, free daycare!) TODAY. Imagine all the time I would have on my hands to sit on the couch, eat bon-bons and watch soaps. I could go shopping anytime during the day without having to worry about the hassle of feedings, naps, diapers or tantrums. Life would be a breeze. OR, I could even get a job so we could afford a bigger house, a nice new car, upgrade the computers, play more video games...I'm in!

Anyway, that article just really got my fire going. You know what the straw was that broke the camels back in my family and inspired my mother to deeply consider and eventually decide to homeschool? A tissue. Yep. I came home from school (in second grade at the time and bored out of my mind) and had an argument with her concerning how much a tissue should be used before it was thrown away. She found herself trying to undo something my teacher had taught me that had nothing to do with education, and questioned how much the school was raising and parenting me instead of my own parents. (Not to mention the implication that the school obviously thought they were doing a better job or had greater authority in my life.)

But I digress. My son has apparently forgotten how to go to sleep. He lays in my arms, shrieking, arching his back and acting like he's in mortal agony because I'm holding him. So I put him down, either on the floor or in his crib and THAT is just the END OF THE WORLD. So after a few moments I pick him up again only to receive the same treatment a minute or two later. I put him on the boob, he chills, pulls off before he's completely asleep, wakes himself up and starts it up AGAIN. Like two or three times before he's finally tired and feels he's shrieked sufficiently for the evening and nurses one last time to sleep. I need to look up whether or not this is another age for developmental sleep regression. I hope it's a phase, ugh!

Most of the day he was a doll, however. We've been leaving the baby gate down in the hallway and just shutting the bedroom/bathroom doors as needed. He got into the bathroom three times today. The first I caught him before any havoc was wrought. The second time he was happily splashing in the kitties water bowl. (A much needed bath ensued, where he splashed like a maniac for a good twenty minutes, but in CLEAN water.) The third time I found him sitting in front of the toilet with the entire roll of toilet paper arranged around him. *sigh* I also went out the back door briefly (there's only a knob on the inside, and no other way to latch it) and he decided to "lock" me out by using the door to stand up with. (Had to go around to the front!) Later this evening the front door was open, and it's his new favorite thing to close it. There's about a 7" space between the big door and the storm door with both closed. Well, I heard some thumping and thwumping about, and went to the front door only to find the cat had been shut in between. LOL.

An eventful day indeed! And alot of fun. Still enjoying my little computer, although we're having some trouble working out the kinks with the wireless network and seeing from one pc to the other. The combo modem/router that Telefonica gives out (rated the service provider in southern spain with the most coverage area and WORST customer service/tech support, and I can vouch for that first, second and third-hand) is seven years old, and has a built in firewall that just screws with everything and makes their already slow, shitty dsl all the more slower and shittier. Add a wireless router into the mix and we just can't get anything working as it should. UGH. I am SO effing done with this country. And to think we pay $160 a month for this BS. Christ.



2 comments:

bubbeedee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
bubbeedee said...

well said - one need only research the history of public school to find out its purpose - first and foremost - is to indoctrinate youngsters. Check out this article http://www.home-school.com/Articles/phs30-samblumenfeld.html
One thing he doesn't point out is that the Unitarians used the anti-Catholic sentiment of the time to promote public schools. The idea was that the schools would "mainstream" everyone, making them ito good little citizens...not like those suspicious Catholics! The Catholics were smart enough to establish private Catholic schools - they saw the handwriting on the wall - but the rest of the sheeple marched blindly on....