Business Week has an interesting article on homeschooling that describes the growing number of wealthy parents that choose to remove their children from public and elite private schools.
To get an opposing viewpoint, the article mentions Rob Reich, a Stanford political theorist who writes about the perils of homeschooling and the need for vigorously regulating the homeschool curriculum. Reich believes that homeschooling compromises democratic citizenship because the children are apparently not exposed to diverse people and ideas. He does not know this to be true but believes it to be the case.
In an article entitled “The Civic Perils of Homeschooling,” Reich says, “To become free, students must be exposed to the vibrant diversity of a democratic society so that they possess the liberty to live a life of their own design.” Put simply, this means that freedom and liberty require the government to force diversity on its citizens. Reich’s view also does not hold up to history. One need look no further than 18th and 19th century America to see that there is no correlation between diversity and civic engagement. There was certainly no diversity in colonial or early American schools (for the few that were not taught at home), as they were isolated and segregated institutions.
It appears that those who oppose homeschooling are getting desperate. As the article makes clear, they can no longer play the “kooky parents” card. The “socially deficient” card lacks credibility (and evidence) and they know better than to play the “educationally deficient” card. Thus, the “civic peril” card is the best opponents can do.
