I've known a number of families who have chosen to Homeschool their children... and the kids did exceptionally well in their adult lives! I appreciate that there are cases where this has not been the case, but the same can be said about some schools I've dealt with over the years.
This is another step along the path of the State intruding into the rights of families and individuals and it should be opposed. I donated to the cause on the Home School Legal Defence Association of Canada website. I hope you might consider doing the same. You'll find the link within the SoCon story.
Socon or Bust » Blog Archive » Quebec Gestapo Set To Pounce on Homeschooling Family
Socon or Bust » Blog Archive » Quebec Gestapo Set To Pounce on Homeschooling Family
Hi Tim,
ReplyDeleteA couple of observations:
a) Socon provides no independent link to the case so that we can understand the legal matters that were adjudicated;
b) The title of the piece is clearly inflammatory - are we really to believe there is moral equivalency between the Nazi secret police and a Quebec court?
Seems to me there must have been compelling evidence for the court to view homeschooling as a cause of real harm to the children in this case.
If I were you, I would want to better understand the facts of this case before jumping to the conclusion that the state is unnecessarily interfering in the autonomy of this family. After all, the courts have a duty to protect the interests of children - even if the interests of the children run counter to the "beliefs" of the parents. Surely we can all agree that this is a legitimate area for the couts to wade into?
I do not regard Socon or HSLDA as unbiased and reasonable sources of information - and neither should you.
Cheers...Martin
Martin: You raise valid points. All I can say is that I know from first hand experience that the Child Protection services in Quebec have acted on the same grounds in other cases. Their position is that only a government school (or at least a government sanctioned school) is capable of educating and 'socially developing' children. This is simply the first time that the courts have agreed with this argument. If it were an issue of legitimate child abuse, it would not have made it into the public domain unless the parents were criminally charged. The fact that it is in the public forum is a clear sign that it should be contested in a higher court. Of this I am absolutely certain.
ReplyDeleteConsider this: this same youth protection agency believe that it is OK for a 14 yr old girl to live in a sexually active co-habitation with an adult because they say it does not harm the child (a case I was directly involved in during my years in Quebec) but being taught a provincial curriculum (remember that the kids still need to take government exams!) by one's parents is harmful! Would you trust such a government agency? I don't. Neither should you.
Tim
Hi Tim,
ReplyDeleteIt is very difficult for me to decide whether or not the court acted reasonably and truly in the best of the children without more facts in this case. Even in Socon's blog post he makes mention of a hearing impairment for one of the children. I suspect that this is not a simple case of the court acting capriciously.
Big hint - when someone resorts to labelling their opponent a Nazi without any corroborating evidence, then it is probably a safe bet that the accuser is standing on flimsy ground. FWIW, that has been my experience.
Cheers...Martin
Martin: Interestingly, the child with the hearing impairment is not yet of school age... but has been ordered into Day Care, followed by mandatory enrollment in a public school because the court believed the contention of the YPA that this was necessary to ensure proper services.
ReplyDeleteSince the issue with this child is medical, why does the court not order that the needed services be provided to the child while he continues to be educated by his parents - at least until he reaches the age of mandatory schooling?
As to the Nazi reference, I simply can state that eminent Quebecois' that I know, one of who was appointed to the Senate a few years ago, (pre-Harper) told me that in their opinion, the "Quebec project" had become essentially fascist in its orientation. These are VERY responsible and reputable men and women who do not throw such labels around lightly. Remember that fascism is not an unknown quality in Quebec during the Duplessi era. Given this, SoCon and Big Blue Wave using the same language is not a surprise to me. In this case, the label MAY indeed be appropriate.
Tim
I would prefer the facts. Facts on this case, and evidence to support the allegation that a provincial court in Quebec is morally equivalent to Nazism's infamous secret police.
ReplyDeleteNothing I have ever read on Socon gives me the impression that he is objective or unbiased.
I would also exercise care before I accused the people of Quebec as having fascist tendencies. That is a bit rich coming from someone who is aligned with an organization that is undemocratic and has a long history of oppressing minorities and the vulnerable. See how that sweeping generalization works? Might feel good when you are on the giving end...but not so good on the recording end.
Cheers...Martin
Martin: The one 'advantage' I have over you is the fact that I worked in the province for most of the past 20+ years. I've had MANY dealings with various branches of the Quebec government (BLF, SQ, YPS, QME, and others) which have led me to believe that the Quebec project is indeed fascist in its orientation. So, if I were making a sweeping generalization about something I had no first hand experience with... you would be absolutely correct. I sincerely believe this is not the case here.
ReplyDeleteBut as you say, let's wait for the arrival of all the facts. I am quite certain that you will be dismayed with the results.
One last point: SoCon has faced court cases from people who have questioned their reliability or authenticity in different cases. To date, they have won every single case. They are not unbiased... that's true. They are promoting a very specific agenda. Yet they are at least doing this honestly, openly and with an unbroken record of being accurate to boot! Who else would you recommend that I listen to?
Tim
P.S. Hope that you had a great Easter break! Aside from the general absence of spring, it was great up here.