Is Home Schooling Child Abuse?

Yes, and here's why:

Yes, everyone is modestly familiar with there being "high" requirements for home schooling, just fine, but...    Too many of the dominant homeschooling types are doing so because they have been led to believe that all public schools are bad, or broken, or that teachers unions have damaged something in the public system. For the most part these things are not true, but make good political fodder for people who want to advocate against public schools, and against non-wealthy parents/children. 

I've taught in public schools and I was raised in public schools. I did very well and have seen some of the best teachers teaching within the public schooling system. My mother was a teacher her entire adult life and retired doing so. She started me reading at 18 months of age, well before the typical ages of 5 and 6 yrs that most children get.  She proudly taught in public schools. 

Most homeschooling parents I've met, think that they are giving their kids some kind of advantage by doing so, and that the public school system is "Liberal" and that somehow it is a bad thing. There is one basic problem, facts are liberal (lower case "L"). It means facts include all things regardless of politics. A truly advantageous education doesn't include deep opinions. A homeschooling parent is rarely required to make any such distinctions, and "ends-up" teaching opinions and beliefs instead of, or in spite of facts. 

The resulting outcomes are inherently disadvantaged children, unable to confront information contradicting their parents' opinions, and additional possible difficulties dealing with social conflicts. These kinds of difficulties even include racial disharmony, critical thinking failures, and incorrect prejudicial judgments of cultures other than their own parents'.. Lastly, there is always the risk of being falsely labeled as "retarded" or "learning impaired" when deep information conflicts occur in their higher educational prospects (college, military, etc).

No. Home schooling parents are not idiots or morons. However, I think child education through ideology is child abuse. Turn off Rush and anyone who talks like him. They are entertainment only, not reality, and certainly not news or education..  

In closing, send your children to socially diverse private or public primary and secondary schools. Give them a fighting start at a "real" education before going off to college, and lowering the risks of depression based on the inability to fit in as adults.

MOH