Take religion out of education waivers
Virginia should follow the lead of other states and apply the same rules to all home-schooled children.
About 7,000 children in Virginia are exempted from public school attendance under a vaguely worded state law that forces school officials into the awkward position of judging religious beliefs and creates the potential that some youngsters receive no education at all.
A report released last week by the University of Virginia School of Law acknowledges that most children granted a religious exemption likely attend a private school or are educated at home. But that’s merely speculation. Dramatic growth in the number of exemptions, which have increased 50 percent since 2000, demands that state leaders revisit the outdated law.
September 17, 2012 - 6:16 AM
Would you provide a link to the University of Virginia report please?
You can read a pdf of the report by clicking here.
Thank you, Christian.
….or we could check to see whether or not kids in our Virginia public schools are actually getting the education we are told they are getting. A check into the number of students requiring remedial english and math in order to stay in (or get into) our community colleges….says no!
4 – not the point, SB. Kids whose parents used the religious exemption clause to remove them from public school have a right to access crappy education, too.