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Homeschoolers this week have come under attack in Oklahoma. Two bills have been presented in the state legislature to intrude on parents’ freedom to educate their children in the manner they deem most suitable. The rationale (weak excuse) given for these bills is that some parents say they are homeschooling when they really are not. This is true. However, many more parents send their kids to public school and don’t care one way or another whether or not the child is learning — I can take a quick walk around my neighborhood and introduce you to dozens of children who are not technically abused, but who will most certainly face a lifetime of difficulties because their parents (or parent, very often there is only one in the home) take no interest in the child’s educational welfare.

Perhaps before Oklahoma legislators start cracking down on homeschool families (a minority within our educational system) who are producing bright, well-adjusted, well-educated, literate and active members of society, they should consider a major revamping of the public education system. First on the list might be returning school control back to the communities they serve and dismantling the burdensome and costly administrative offices. Then they could allow school choice. Then they could tell the Federal Department of Education to take a hike because our communities know what is best for our children — not some bureaucrat in Washington. I’m dreaming of course, the teachers union will have none of that. They are heavily dependent on federal dollars flowing into the school system based on how many students are enrolled. Homeschoolers are well aware that their children represent federal dollars “lost” to the behemoth which is our public school system.

Here are links to news stories about the two proposed bills. Forgive me in advance if they soon go bad. I can’t control when the media outlets ship them off to the archives:Fox News Video Story (I know the family in this story)Daily Oklahoman Print Story

You can also stop by the Oklahoma Legislature page and voice your concerns or read the bills. And, if you’re really concerned about the state of public education, keep up-to-date on education freedom topics with Neal McCluskey at the Cato Institute.

I saw a button that said: “One Nation, Under-Educated.” That has to be the smartest button I’ve seen in a long time. Now, some may say I’m a bit over-educated, considering my main interests involve talking to chickens and weeding flower beds. However, it seems to me that if more people would take time to educate themselves — and they don’t have to enroll in formal programs — then the country would be much better off. I was a bit frightened by the surveys after the election that showed just how little the voters knew about the candidates, the campaign and how our system of government works. How in the world will we ever find solutions to real problems if the voters don’t have a clue about the problems or the people they elect to solve problems?

Our public school systems aren’t any help in educating the populace. The whole system is controlled by 1) bureaucrats elected by an uninformed voter pool and 2) a teachers union that financially supports said bureaucrats. They have no interest in accurately educating young people. They are better served by maintaining a system that turns out uneducated folks who will continue to vote on issues and for politicians that they really don’t understand.

Citizens need to take control of their own education. If parents can’t homeschool or put their kids in private school, they need to supplement their education with books, movies and newspapers that challenge and correct the “politically correct” information that is championed by the schools. Adults need to read, read, read. Did I mention read? And I don’t mean only read the things or writers you agree with. Read widely. Cover as many topics as you can. Take it from this formal journalism student — don’t believe one word of what you hear, see or read in the media. Check it out for yourself. You’ll be surprised at all the things those professional journalists choose not to tell you!

Maybe some day we can become “One Nation, WELL-Educated.”