Hoosier Homeschooler #1.002 | September, 2007

Ignorance? We don't need no stinkin' ignorance! Oh, hey! It's not you I'm talking about. It's those other people. The ones who tell you you have to register your kids if you want to homeschool. For one, it's called Reporting Enrollment, and for two, the people who tell you you have to do it to homeschool, are not only ignorant; they're wrong.

These reporting enrollment discussions always hinge on IC 20-33-2 of the Indiana Code, Chapter 2, which covers Compulsory School Attendance.

So, the first thing to understand is that all this stuff about reporting enrollment is only about compulsory attendance laws. It has absolutely nothing to do with the actual education of your child.

Yes, the superintendent request thing is vague.

Yes, the "equivalent education" phrase is vague.

Yes, I know this vagueness can cause stress and confusion, especially to brand new homeschoolers.

But really, vague is good as far as we are concerned. Vague helps us to have a little cushion from the possibility of increased control. It means we can continue to educate our kids as we see fit without interference from the state.

And this vagueness also helps educate us on how government does (or does not) work. I bet that Indiana homeschoolers, especially ones who have subscribed to the IndianaHomeschoolers list for any length of time, are by far the best educated people when it comes to the state education code than most people -- and that includes those actually working in the government's own schools.

By the way, does it irritate anyone else that we still hear of homeschoolers who have to educate government school officials about just what the law entails?

I always think of the threatening phrase often directed at citizens. I'm sure you've heard of the one I mean: "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."

Yet government school officials can tell parents the most blatantly incorrect things about requirements to homeschool and we excuse them and let it go. I'm starting to think we really should call them on it every single chance we get. We should say, "You know what? Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Here's a copy of the code. Now please go read it and leave me alone to educate my kids."

Yeah. That should do it.

B. B. Bennett - Editor

We heard from one of our IndianaHomeschoolers regulars, Jane Casey, on the reporting enrollment issue. Now it's time for Deb Harbeson to weigh in on her contempt for the ignorant... who should know better.