Across the States
Press Spreads Misleading Report
The press in Indiana seems to be on a campaign to mislead the public into believing home educators can do anything they want, regardless of state education laws.
For example, two news agencies recently published an article about homeschooling that said, “State law . . . fails to provide for any means of enforcement [of homeschool requirements].” Similar comments have been published elsewhere.
The press seems to want the public to rise up in indignation and "do something" about this supposed lack of enforcement.
The truth is that Indiana Code § 20-33-2-28(b) requires parents whose children do not attend public school to provide “instruction equivalent to that given in the public schools.” Parents who don’t provide this “equivalent instruction” can be taken to court, and judges have ample power to ensure that the parents comply with the law.
So next time you hear an uninformed person talk about how home educators can do anything they want in Indiana, politely clarify the law and explain that homeschool families have a legal duty to give their children an education comparable to a public school education. Judges can, and do, enforce this law.
— by Scott A. Woodruff
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