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Homeschooling (yes, that includes unschooling) consolidates massive amounts of power into the hands of parents. Homeschooling causes horrific abuse and isolation.

The homeschooling movement is far-right and blatantly pro-abuse. The HSLDA called a man who kept children in cages a “hero.” They has helped to block the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child AND the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, has backed legislation banning both same-sex marriage and civil unions, and helped kill a bill that would define isolation as abuse, among countless other offenses. Its founder, Michael Farris, wrote in his dramatized narrative of CPS “stealing” children from their Christian homeschooling parents that hitting children to the point of bruising is not abuse.

Libby Ann has extensively documented HSLDA’s support of abuse, including praising abusers and attempting to block all bills that define abuse more strictly, even if “more strictly” simply expands the definition to include bruises and welts.

HOMESCHOOLING IS THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY TO ENABLE CHILD ABUSE.

You know how we on the left are opposed to nuclear families because they are a historical outlier from the larger multigenerational households humans have largely had across history? Because nuclear families isolate kids so that if one or two adults in their life fail them they have no recourse?

Schools can be regulated to be better to disabled children. Much better solution than funneling disabled children out of the reach of authorities.

With that being said…

Disability rights activists fought for decades to be allowed equal rights and access to public schooling and IDEA, which was only passed in 1979, is under threat of repeal by the Trump administration because they believe parents should “handle kids themselves” or better yet just institutionalize them. This combined with threats to Section 504 and other laws which mandate accommodations mark concerted efforts to force disabled children out of public life entirely and is part of the right-wing anti-social safety net agenda homeschoolers push specifically because they actively want parents to have absolute legal and practical authority over their children—which means, in reality, impunity to abuse.

It is absolutely spitting on the legacy of disabled activists like Judith Heumann, many of whom got their start as young people self-advocating for their own rights to be educated to condone the prioritization of homeschooling.

A bit more info/stats but it is, obviously, related to child abuse of all kinds so cut for that.

Original “Wings” Scarf Made in Bishu, Japan Jacquard woven textile

Street scene in Tehran, Iran

two 1985 Cambodian stamps from a series on domestic cats