Can my parents force me to home school?
Joey asked:
My parents are Christian Fundamentalists on the borderline of cult status. I’m an atheist, I’ve been home schooled for 3 years and I hate it with passion. I just want to go back to school so I can socialize with people not at church. I’m taught by a computer program with little to no interaction from my mother. My parents don’t care and there’s nothing that can convince them other than force. Is it legal for them to continue to home school me despite the poor education quality and my extreme animosity toward it?
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My parents are Christian Fundamentalists on the borderline of cult status. I’m an atheist, I’ve been home schooled for 3 years and I hate it with passion. I just want to go back to school so I can socialize with people not at church. I’m taught by a computer program with little to no interaction from my mother. My parents don’t care and there’s nothing that can convince them other than force. Is it legal for them to continue to home school me despite the poor education quality and my extreme animosity toward it?
March 21st, 2010 at 5:16 am
What evidence do you have that the education quality is poor? As long as your parents are following their state’s guidelines for home schoolers, and as long as you are under 18 and in their custody, you’re stuck. Learn to live with it. i_come_from_under_the_hill
March 21st, 2010 at 10:33 am
It sounds like you are a minor, so yes. They make the decisions on your schooling. As bad as you feel it is right now, you will eventually grow up and be able to make your own decisions. For now become as educated as you can. Use the program they give you, add to it by going to the library or the internet. In reality, they cannot limit you on how much you learn, only you can do that. kyle d
March 24th, 2010 at 8:25 am
Wow that really sucks. Unfortunately you are a minor so you have no say. I am glad you formed your own opinions! Tell that god thinks that is a good choice for you haha. Good luck
idolfan
March 27th, 2010 at 1:40 am
you probably should go back to school and you’re right. i would go back to school fi i was home schooled for 3 years. so maybe you should convince them that you are a great and they can let you go back to school.
i could just tell the that i am good at computers or work and other subjects. Maybe you should just force yourself that you want to go back to school. And my parents offered me to be home schooled, and i just said no because i am really good at everything. Nathan page
March 27th, 2010 at 6:42 am
You are wrong in saying that your parents don’t care; I guarantee they care a great deal, otherwise they would just let you go to public school and not mess with it at all. I have a good idea which program you are using, but you didn’t say specificially, and if it’s the one I’m thinking of, it’s an excellent program that doesn’t require any parental interaction. One thing you need to understand is that as a homeschooler, it generally doesn’t take nearly as long to get through your school work as it would in a public school setting. Just because it doesn’t take as many hours does not mean it isn’t a quality education. If you still feel as though it is inferior, go to the library to supplement what you are being taught. It’s your education and even if you don’t have a choice as to the specific curriculum, nothing is preventing you from adding to it.
As long as your parents are complying with your state’s homeschooling laws, they are perfectly within their legal rights to do so. I understand there is a chasm of difference between you and your parent’s spritual beliefs, but if you want them to respect you, you must also respect them and the decisions they make regarding your education. I think your animosity stems more from this spiritual difference than the actual curriculum because your opening sentence practically condemns them of being cultists. Understand one thing; a Christian parent is commanded by their Lord to raise their children within a certain paradigm of beliefs and values. While nobody can force their values on another, they believe they are doing the Lord’s will in raising you a certain way, even if you reject it. You certainly aren’t a prisoner chained to a desk in your room all day. You can socialize with your friends when school is out for the day or on weekends, provided you maintain your parents trust, only you can control that by your actions - trust is a very hard thing to get back once it is lost.
Sorry this is so lengthy, but I think in your case it’s not just a simple public school vs. homeschool situation, it’s a much deeper issue than where you go to school. In a nutshell, you’re a minor so your parents have the last word, period. You can make yourself miserable about it or you can try to make the best of the situation, it’s up to you. prismcat38
March 28th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Join the scouts, 4-H, or FFA. Join AYSO, the swim team at the local Y, or the Fencing team at the Fencing Center across town. Volunteer at the museum, feed the homeless at the local soup kitchen, build a house with Habitat for Humanity. Take karate lessons, riding lessons, or dance lessons; sort the bookshelves at your library, go out and rake leaves or wash cars for money, there’s got to be some old woman in your neighborhood who’s lost her husband and can’t afford to hire a lawn service, so you could mow her lawn.
To be honest, I don’t expect you to find any of these ideas appealing. You’re too busy being a poor, whiny, abused little kid, the victim of your wild-eyed, wack-job, Bible-thumping, child-hating, abortion-clinic bombing parents. Keep hanging on to that self-image, kiddo, it will serve you so well when you grow up. Dorothy
March 30th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
They can. As a minor, your parents make your decisions. The same is true in reverse about education. A child can be forced to go to school by their parents and prohibited from homeschooling. There are a few people who would like to make homeschooling child’s choice, but not school. It doesn’t work that way. Parental rights are parental rights.
Like everything else the quality of an education is a subjective judgment. I know that I would disagree with some homeschooled kids’ parents who tell me their children are receiving a superior education in comparison to what my homeschooled child is learning. And it’s their right to disagree with me. Why not take some of your education into your own hands. Go to the library and read scientific books your parents would not want you to read. Read the writings of authors whose ideas your parents want to protect you from. There is nothing stopping you from gaining the knowledge and becoming truly self educated. Animosity will get you nowhere. Making the effort to educate yourself will. canoso
March 31st, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Look, I’m an Atheist too and I read all the time about how kids have to fake it until they are independent adults–and can handle being disowned for their beliefs. So even if you went to public school, you’d still spend all your free time in church activities and having to fake it around the house.
Also, you write a crisp concise message with no misspellings, like a properly educated human being (and you’ll be amazed how many fully grown people can’t even string 3 single syllable words together on this site). So you’re totally doing well on your studies and your education is not poor. What I would recommend is take it one step further and start taking AP classes. I know that Florida Virtual School offers them, perhaps you can look into ways you can take them online. This gets you a jump start on your college career, which means you will save THOUSANDS when they do disown you and you have to make it on your own. I went to school without any help from anyone else (student loans, on campus job, scholarships, and grants) and you can too.
Truly, no matter how much it galls you, you MUST change your attitude or you will do something stupid. Like get caught on this site asking questions like this. And if you’re here, you’re probably on some Atheists sites as well? If you get caught, you’re parents may decide that the computer is not safe and things can change drastically. Look, all this will pass. It will. Childhood is such a short time in your life. While you’re in it, it seems eternal, but truly, this will pass. Hardship builds character and you will need this inner strength sooner than you think. Play nice with your parents. Give them no reason to lock you up or put you in an extreme brainwashing camp–because they exist. Smile, keep learning and preparing yourself to get completely free when you turn 18. It will happen faster than you think. claudiagiraffe