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Comment by mschuster91 | Hacker News Reader

The problem with homeschooling is that it makes it very easy to hide all kinds of child abuse. In government-run or at least government-audited schools, teachers (who are often mandatory reporters) have a chance to spot signs of sexual, emotional or physical abuse - children who are homeschooled have no one to turn to.

Additionally, government-run/-audited schools have a mandate to actually teach children science and facts, whereas homeschooling parents or religious cults often have absolutely zero requirements on what they have to teach their children - no requirements about even basic sexual education, biology, history, maths or ethics. These children often enough are so under-educated the only employment they can find is at some sort of religious cult.

Homeschooling without audits is child abuse.

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> Additionally, government-run/-audited schools have a mandate to actually teach children science and facts,

There's mandates to teach what the government claims to be facts as facts.

Back in the 90s, it was regular curriculum to teach everyone to eat all the breads and pasta and to limit proteins and really limit fats. None of that was fact, but based on incomplete science and lobbying from the farm industry to continue a stable corn market.

Governments are not the authority on what is fact, science, or fiction. We saw that pretty plainly in 2020 when governments and scientists changed opinions on acceptable social practices based on political situations (eg. Church services were unacceptable, but BLM street parties, protests, and riots were acceptable)

Agreed. Allowing children to sleep at home is also very dangerous. Not to mention spending unsupervised time during their waking hours with parents and family members without regular government audits. Thank you for standing up for children.

Public schooling without audits is just as likely, if not more so, to result in child abuse as well.

In which country are public schools allowed to operate without any audit nor oversight?

I didn’t say any countries like that existed? Though it wouldn’t shock me.

OP said that “homeschooling without audits is child abuse”, and I was pointing out that that is disingenuous since a theoretical public school without audits would be even worse for children.

I agree that unaudited homeschooling can result in abuse, but the solution is not to ban homeschooling. It is to create a structure that supports an individual’s right to care for their children. That makes sure the child reaches certain age-dependent markers while giving the parent (and thus, the child) the freedom to explore the world how best suits them.

Your comment read a lot more like you were making a factual comparison rather than a theoretical argument…but I do agree that if schools were to theoretically not be audited then that would be bad.

I do find the second half of your post a lot more compelling though. That’s what you should have lead with in your earlier comment. :)

Here in NZ you have to apply for permission to homeschool. You typically need to follow a curriculum.

The homeschooled people I know have outperformed most of their peers academically. Except one with Asperger's.

As for child abuse, sure but most will still have interactions with medical personnel, and other families via sports and friends.

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