Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Home schoolers often have to fight to establish equal status with traditional educational institutions. Chairman Michael Farris describes one such case on today's Home School Heartbeat.

Mike Farris:


HSLDA is currently involved in a case in Wisconsin with the Bureau for Veteran's Affairs. One of our members, a disabled Vietnam veteran, was denied benefits for his 18-year-old son because the VA did not consider his home school to be a legitimate educational institution, even though this member's home school education program was state sanctioned. The VA's position effectively thwarts congress's clear intent to meet the needs of all disabled veterans and their dependents. The department's construction of the statute is both erroneous and unconstitutional.


The principals of Equal Protection and the Free Exercise of Religion protect the rights of parents who lawfully choose to educate their own children. These parents should be free from official discrimination that excludes them from benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled.


Equal protection is violated when home school parents are denied the same VA benefits given to parents of children who are enrolled in public schools and private schools.


In addition, denying benefits to those veterans who are motivated by sincerely held religious beliefs, is a violation of the constitutional principal of the Free Exercise of Religion.


HSLDA continues its commitment to fight for equal protection for all home educators. I'm Mike Farris.