My experience in politics is that often, when people are upset with a particular decision of government, they vote with their feet. If taxes get too high, they find another province to live. If there is too much red tape in a particular business, they find another place to do business.
As a result of that experience, I was not surprised this past week when provincial data was released that showed that there had been a significant increase in the number of parents who are choosing to home-school their kids. In fact, there was an increase of 32.1 per cent, 583 children, who are being home-schooled this year compared to last. That increase is more than the increase in students in the public and private school system combined.
Home-schooling is an important choice that parents have. I have always defended the right of parents to home-school. The concern with the increase in numbers is that it has less to do with a personal choice of parents and more to do with parents who feel they have no choice but to take their kids out of the public education system because of what is happening in our schools.
Confronted with these numbers the Minister of Education, Nancy Allan, seemed baffled and unable to explain why there were so many parents choosing to home-school their kids.
Certainly one of the reasons that I hear from parents that they are choosing to home-school their kids when they might otherwise not have is that within the schools there are values being incorporated as part of the school curriculum that they do not support and that they have little ability to opt out from. As government moves ever more into taking the rights of parents away, parents exercise a different right, home-schooling.
Another reason I hear that people feel they must home-school is because of bullying that is happening within the schools. Instead of action against the bully, it is the child being bullied who has to leave the school. These parents see little being done to prevent bullying and unfortunately for them, the NDP government’s proposed new bullying legislation (Bill 18) will do nothing to increase the protection of kids. There are no consequences for bullies in this legislation either and it is so poorly drafted, it may not even withstand a Charter challenge. As a result, if Bill 18 passes as it currently stands, you can expect to see even more parents opting for home-schooling next year for their kids.
Too many parents are taking their kids out of the public school system not because they choose that as the best option, but because they feel they have little choice. The NDP government’s unwillingness to listen to parents and their determination to pass ineffective legislation like Bill 18 will only increase the number of people who are voting with their feet when it comes to the education of their kids.
