Can child services do anything about parents denying their children the right to go to a regular public school

Question

Can child services do anything about parents denying their children the right to go to a regular public school if they are not getting a proper education in home school? This is the problem my friend is facing and I really want to help her.

Answer 1

if they are not getting a proper education then maybe.. not sure though.

Answer 2

No; parents have the right to choose to how their children are educated.

Public school doesn't guarantee a "proper education" any more than homeschool. It's difficult to judge because it's an arbitrary term.  

:D

Answer 3

Can child services do anything about parents denying their children the right to go to a regular public school? No, they can't (and neither can anyone else) because your friend does not have any right to go to school; no-one does; there's no such thing as a kid having a legal right to go to school.



(Not unless your friend happens to live in Germany or possibly Japan.)

Your friend's rights only go as far as being provided with 'an appropriate education' by her parents; whether or not she gets to go to school is a question of parental choice. Until she turns 18 and starts paying her own way, her parents are the ones with the legal right to choose 'how', 'where', 'when' and 'in what' she should be educated.

And what is 'an appropriate education' anyway? *That* is a billion dollar question and for other people to argue over. What it does *not* necessarily mean is that her parents are obliged, in any way, to provide her with an education commensurate to the one she would get if she were at school (which I'm guessing is what you really meant to say when you used the term 'proper' education!!)

Chances are that there is nothing your friend can do unless she happens to live in one of the excessively prescriptive jurisdictions; her parents are forcing her to work in a sweatshop for 18 hours a day; or her parents keep her chained up and locked in a cupboard in pitch darkness all day and every day. Chances are that Educational Welfare Services would find that she IS receiving an education even if it isn't the same education offered by the government via its public schools (it doesn't have to be).

I've certainly known the authorities agree that kids who were unable to read or write at 13, 14, 15 years old were still being educated and educated appropriately, at home, by their parents.

And, even if the authorities did agree your friend wasn't being offered an appropriate education by her parents, chances are they're obliged to work with & support her parents in improving the education she's getting at home, at least in the first instance, rather than simply going in there and demanding they enrol her, henceforth, in a public school.

Answer 4

no... LOL

Answer 5

The way that this is handled depends on the regulations of the state.  Many states have checks in place, such a requiring the parents to submit a curriculum, take attendance and administer standardized testing.  If the parent is doing all of these things, or following the law as it stands in their state, then they have the right to provide the education that they see fit to their children.  "Proper education" is a very subjective term.

I'll also point out that in most states, there is no legal "right to go to a regular public school."  Parents get to make educational choices for their children, and in many places, homeschools are treated as private schools.

If parents do not comply with the homeschooling laws of their state, action to get them to comply is often initiated by the school district and the State Department of Education rather than Child Protective Services.  I recommend that you read up on the homeschooling laws of your state and see if the parent is complying.  If the parents are complying with the law, your friend has no recourse, regardless of her personal opinion on the quality of the children's education.  I've included a link to a page that lists state homeschooling laws.

Answer 6

You and your friend are under a mistaken notion that going to a public school is a "right" that children have. It isn't. Children are legally required to get an education according to the laws of the state. The specifics depend on the state. As long as her parents are meeting the requirements of the state, no, there's nothing to be done.

You wouldn't call child services over this; you would contact the department of education for your state. Find out the laws first (do a search for yourstate homeschool laws) and see if there's anything that is obviously not being done.

On the flip side, your friend is going to have to really be able to prove that she's not getting a "proper" education. Different people have different definitions of that. Of course, one might also argue that since plenty of people are self-educated and learning is the responsibility of the student, your friend's lack of "proper education" is partly her fault. If she knows that she's not getting enough of something, how come she doesn't choose to find resources to learn more?

Answer 7

Parents are responsible for educating their child.  Your friend should thank God that her parents care enough to provide the very best education - homeschooling- for her.  It's tragic that so many children end up in government nanny institutions like public schools.

Homeschooling is not neglect.  Homeschooling is not abuse.  Children do not need to be put in a government nanny setting to grow up healthy, well educated, and socially mature.  Public schools bring great harm to children by herding them into peer dependent groups that stunt their emotional and behavioral growth.  I'm sorry you are stuck in one.  

Answer 8

What makes you qualified to judge that your "friend" is not getting a proper education being home schooled?  Where in the constitution does it give anyone a "right to to to a regular public school"?  You need to mind your own business and let your friend's parents raise their child how they see fit.  Come to think of it, you sound like another anti home schooling troll.

Answer 9

It depends on state laws. In the state of Ohio, for example, there are strict guidelines that "must be met" and permission that must be granted in order to home school. As for proper education- I was home schooled then forced into the public education system by social services (my mom never asked "permission" or sent a letter of intent so it was considered "willful delinquency" or some such mess) and finally home schooled again (in a different manner for the second half of high school.)- To a certain extent school is what you make it, but in my experience in my school district both the curriculum (taught by my mom and later my high school program), the opportunities, and the social interaction was much richer and much more rewarding while being home schooled then when attending the brick and mortar corrupt prison training ignorance manufacturing  system that is our educational system. Social services can try claiming neglect (sometimes they win, in my case my mommy ended up enrolling me to avoid all the fight and hassle) or any number of trumped up charges depending on (again) the state and the case worker they assign and her ability to provide an adequate curriculum.

In short, have your friend (or you) google the state and home schooling to see the particular laws or send her to the many home schooling communities on the web (many of which have a section addressing legalities by state) or the home school magazines in the public library.  

Answer 10

Unless she's truly being neglected - like restricted from learning - no.  There is no "right to go to a regular public school".  Education is compulsory, school is not.  She is required to be offered an education (of her parents' choosing - that is their right as parents), but she is not required, nor does she have the right, to attend school against their wishes.

It all hinges on what is considered a "proper" education.  Many would argue that a large percentages of schools don't offer a "proper" education, while others would say that anything short of a classroom with daily assignments is "improper".  That's for her parents, and in *extreme* situations, the state, to decide.

Answer 11

NO, they can not, the reason I know this, is because my inlaws hate the fact we homeschool.

They thought for sure they can get CPS involved, guess what? They were so worng. They found that my son knew eveything he should, & is still learning too. He's now going in the 6th grade, & they still dont like the idea were homeschooling, but I flat out told them butt out, & mind your own d**n business! He's our child, not yours. And we feel that homeschooling is the best thing for him in the long run.

Now, if they feel that the child isnt learnign what he should, then the ycan do something, but also 1 thing I do, that the state says we dont have to do, but I do anyways to cover our butts, is keep track of the hours you teach in a days time, also a list of what subjects you do daily!

Im so organized its not funny. So, once they saw all my records they knew they had nothing to hold against me!

Answer 12

Child services can't make public schools give every child a proper education.  People define a proper education differently, so educational neglect is difficult if not impossible to prove.  You would need evidence of physical neglect or abuse to get child services involved.  

Answer 13

It depends on what you mean by "a proper education."  There is no "right to go to a regular public school"--just the right to an education.  Is your friend denied access to books or just access to the prom?