Illinois homeschool bill views parents as ‘potentially dangerous, incompetent,’ commentary warns

A bill targeting homeschoolers in Illinois threatens the right of parents to choose the education they believe is best for their children, a recent commentator warned.

“The sponsors of (House Bill 2827) hold a firm belief that the state has the primary role in supervising the education of our children and parents are viewed as potentially dangerous and incompetent,” writes Dr. Ryan Enke, a physician and father in Rockford.

In a commentary published by the Gannett-owned Rockford Register Star, Enke questions the capacity of lawmakers to prevent “alleged problematic abuse, harm, and educational failure” – while failing to consider abuses within the public-school system.

“This is not about demeaning or elevating one form of education over another,” he argues. “This is about parents deciding on the best form of education for their children, whether public, private, or homeschool.”

‘A collision of worldviews’ 

As previously reported by The Lion, the legislation would give school districts power to demand educational materials from homeschoolers and enforce penalties through ad-hoc courts. 

“HB2827 is addressing more of an ideological conflict than a child safety or educational proficiency problem,” Enke writes, noting any comparison between homeschooling and public schools requires “a collision of worldviews.” 

“The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the conflict between parents and the state when it came to medical autonomy as well as in-person learning.” 

Instead of adding more regulations to homeschooling, lawmakers should focus on improving government-funded education, according to Renke. 

“We have a current public school system under the control and oversight of the state suffering from the exact ills for which the Home School Act presumes to be able to fix. Current problems in our public education system are complex and systemic, with no easy fix.” 

Enke pointed to two concerns often cited with public schools – poor academic outcomes and cases of child abuse – as challenges for lawmakers to consider. 

In one recent example, Pennsylvanian schools are receiving an increase in funding even as 7 in 10 of the state’s 8th graders cannot read or perform math at grade level. 

Additionally, incidents of sexual misconduct by educators have been gaining more attention nationwide. 

Fewer than 5% of the nation’s school administrators report sexual misconduct to law enforcement, according to organizations such as SESAME. 

“The facts support that our public schools are struggling academically and not without risk of child abuse,” Enke writes. “Although there are rare cases of parental misconduct in homeschool families as well, this is not really an educational issue, but a social issue, for which a social service system already exists to monitor.” 

Ultimately, lawmakers and their communities benefit from having a range of educational options “to promote the flourishing of all children … rather than attempt to conform all models to the public system,” Enke argues. 

“I do have great respect for all of the dedicated teachers and administrators who are working hard to provide the best public education they can,” he concludes. “At the same time, I respect parents who know their children best and are taking the lead in providing the best education option for their family in homeschooling.”