Californian Home-Educators Take the Day

Early this year, home-educators in California came under serious attack from the state. However an appeals court in California has ruled that state law does permit homeschooling "as a species of private school education".

In a 3-0 decision the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District reversed its earlier ruling which would have required homeschoolers to be certified teachers in order to homeschool in California.
- HSLDA

Below is an excerpt from the ruling of the three-judge panel,

We will conclude that: (1) California statutes permit home schooling as a species of private school education; and (2) the statutory permission to home school may constitutionally be overridden in order to protect the safety of a child who has been declared dependent. [FN1: We use the terms “home school” and “home schooling” to refer to full-time education in the home by a parent or guardian who does not necessarily possess a teaching credential.]
- HSLDA

One of the attorneys who had argued the case, Chairman of the (US) Home School Legal Defense Association, Michael Farris commented,

"This is a great victory for homeschool freedom. I have never seen such an impressive array of people and organizations coming to the defense of homeschooling. Tens of thousands of California parents teaching over 166,000 homeschooled children are now breathing easier."
- WND

Congratulations to the good families of California who stood shoulder to shoulder against the tide of government oppression. Thanks to the HSLDA for their continued defence of the rights of home-educators in the US.