Pastor Stein rightly observes that our culture runs to extremes when considering the homeschool movement, as evidenced by those who say, “Do not touch my homeschooling!” Or those who say, “Just outlaw it!”

Early last month, Tom Stein, senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Richmond, Ind., wrote an article for the Palladium-Item titled “What do we do with home-schoolers?”

Title notwithstanding, I usually know I’m going to have issues with an author when he begins his piece with: “Time to offend everyone. How can you write about education, and do otherwise?”

Stein’s article is a classic case of picking out the worst-case scenarios of a given situation and mandating legislation that will affect everyone. In this case, he suggests some homeschooled kids may be enjoying “a curriculum of potato chips and ESPN” resulting in “uneducated, unskilled, unmotivated people who will barely survive in the work force and might eventually drop out altogether.”

Stein’s primary concern in his scenario focuses not on the worth of the individual or what value their lives may or may not have, but on the burden they may become to society. “We will have another group of people who take far more than they give,” he complains. His solution? Increased government oversight.

Now I’m no political analyst, but my gut tells me that people with poor motivations to homeschool don’t suddenly become inspired by more rules and regulations. If anything, people with proper motivations to homeschool often find their hands tied by them.

(Editor’s Note: The Aquila Report has published Mr. Stine’s columns in the past and hope to do so in the future. Tom, we would welcome a response to this one.)

Read More: http://online.worldmag.com/2010/11/04/those-pesky-homeschoolers/