Ohio State Sen. Capri Cafaro Proposes Official Oversight of Would Be Homeschoolers

http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/597010.html I'm not sure what to make of this proposed legislation. I have mixed feelings. On one hand home education should not be allowed to be used as a smoke screen for abuse, and/or other potential crimes. Besides this case, as well as this other even more notorious case http://www.thenation.com/article/nightmare-christianity#, there is also the perceived risk of some homeschoolers turning into terrorists. Case in point http://www.globaljihad.net/view_page.asp?id=226. But as Home Education Magazine points out, http://unschooling.com/homeeducationmagazine/child-abuse-under-the-magnifying-glass-is-there-room-for-growth-for-all-of-us/. And I do not think that homeschool families should be singled out for undue scrutiny. I tend to feel that this is more of an example of a government official wanting to at least seem as if she's trying to do something about this problem. But I rather doubt that in practice it can be all that effective. Especially with the Children's protective services being so overwhelmed and underfunded. Like, if they failed to be able to keep this teen boy safe, after concerns were reported, how does State Senator Cafaro expect that social workers will be able to keep up with all of the parents who request permission to homeschool? Also, a number of homeschooling parents have this sense of entitlement, in that they think of home education as being a divine right, rather than a priviledge granted by the state. So they will be liable to just not notify the state of their activities, and homeschool underground. But as I referred to above, there is a problem of various cults whom educate, more like indoctrinate really, their children at home. Incidently, not only Christians, but also Muslims are engaging in home education http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/21/muslim-families-turn-to-home-schooling/?page=all. And while I'd like to think that many, if not most of these families are peaceful, and law abiding, would it come as a surprise if the political powers that be might feel inclined to want to keep tabs on such people? But I am not convinced that this approach would be all that effective. Plus I feel that if the state, in the interest of child welfare, and public safety, were to thusly intrude upon homeschooler families, they should also conduct investigations into all other familes as well. Only some might think that would be an invasion of privacy. But my point is just that homeschoolers should not be singled out, and unduly impeded by bureaucracy. The problem is not so much that of home schools, but rather cult schools. Yet, in spite of what some people seem to think, homeschoolers are not by and large as socially isolated as Sen. Cafaro seems to think they might tend to be. I mean it's not likely that there will be a case altogether like the plot of "Thr3e", which is both a psychological thriller novel, and film, by Ted Dekker http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thr3e_%28film%29 If state involvement is to be deemed to be necessary, I feel that it should simply consist of evaluation, and medical examination, such as it is in Pennsylvania. http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/overview_of_homeschooling/20312 , http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/hs/homeschoolmedical.html As both medical personel, and licensed teachers, as evaluators are required to be, are required by law to report indications of abuse, and/or neglect. And, this has actually worked to stop child abuse. For example, in this one case I know of, there was a Schwartzentruber Amish girl whom was severely mistreated by her family. And, a nurse whom examined her helped her to get away from her adverse circumstances, as related in the last story in this article http://legalaffairs.org/issues/January-February-2005/feature_labi_janfeb05.msp And I don't think you can get more social isolation than the Schwartzentruber Amish. So in my opinion, while the education, health, and well being of children is an important public concern, intrusive government involvement is not called for..