-=> On 02-28-98  11:08, Jean Halverson did testify and affirm <=-
-=> to Robert Craft concerning useless test? <=-
 
 JH> More than that, if  we made education the sole
 JH> responsibility of parents, then parents would probably take
 JH> more interest than they already do. 
 
 RC> Many would, but there is an irreducible minority of parents
 RC> who won't assume or perform their responsibilities without
 RC> some form of oversight.
 
 JH> And so in essence we already have government daycare under
 JH> the guise of free education.
 
In some classrooms, yes. ::sigh::
 JH> I'm all for ending compulsory education not to mention
 JH> Federal interference. 
 
 RC> Federal interference, yes; but, recall that there were
 RC> truant officers long before Federal intervention started. 
 RC> There is unfortunately an irreducible minority of parents
 RC> who see education only as interference in their use of
 RC> children as free labor or some similar asset and will not
 RC> see to their children's education unless compelled. 
 JH> But in the meantime many parents who care about their
 JH> children are being forced to submit to these same laws,
 JH> which basically take away their rights to choose the
 JH> education they desire for their children.
I don't think we've reached the point where those rights
are being removed; but I think it's accurate to say that
families are indeed often *penalized* when they exercise
those rights. 
That is not to say that there are not those who'd be glad
to end alterantive schools. For example, had the Dufus'
MisAdministration gotten the education rider thru two years
ago - the one requiring all teachers to be certified - it
would have indeed been the death of homeschooling. 
 JH> Parents who choose private school still have to pay for
 JH> other people's problems. 
Given the results to date of homeschooling, I'd certainly
have no objection if homeschoolers were to be reimbursed
either the per capita amount expended by public schools or
be granted a tax credit equivalent to homeschooling costs. 
 JH> There was no compulsory education except in a few
 JH> communities back in the 1880's but the level of literacy
 JH> was above 90%. 
That's because education was a matter of pride and
achievement. Political correctness was nonexistent nor were
there accusations of "acting white".
... The only change involved with Clinton is at McDonald's.
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