The Problem with Trump’s Agenda 47 for Homeschoolers
Homeschooling has never been an experiment. Parents teaching their children the individual and unique things which they believe they should know has not only been the way of life before the public school experiment, but is the most libertarian way to address the total governmental failure and inefficient model of so-called education.
Public schools have long since been incapable of keeping up with the trajectory of our Information Age, unable to keep students safe from both ideology and violence, and representing an all-around outdated model of an ineptly-run government daycare system. Homeschooling not only represents a fundamental exercise of parental autonomy and responsibility but offers a chance of relief from a failing model.
Though Trump’s “Agenda 47” makes him seem like a champion of homeschoolers, it’s another bait-and-switch, laying the groundwork for total government oversight, and has potential for demanding arcane metrics from the same establishment from which homeschoolers are escaping. One of the upsides to homeschooling, among the many, is that it allows parents to take charge of their children’s education, free from government intervention and bureaucratic red tape. This perspective is rooted in the principles of individual liberty and limited government.
Trump pledged to allow homeschool parents to use 529 education savings accounts to contribute up to $10,000 a year per child, completely tax-free, in order to spend on costs associated with homeschool education. What are the stipulations behind taking this money from the government? Well, of course, he doesn’t say. Am I wrong to be wary? Of course not. It wasn’t long ago that a simple “15 days to slow the spread” turned into the largest government overreach and set of tyrannical orders that the United States has ever seen. No matter how tasty the dangling carrot, it always comes at a price.
Parents, not the state, have the primary responsibility for their children’s education and upbringing. Homeschooling enables parents to make decisions about their children’s education without interference from government agencies or public schools. As soon as the bait has been taken, the switch begins. What will that switch entail? That’s anyone’s guess, but the looming consideration that the requirements of standardized testing, curriculum mandates, and other forms of government oversight are around the corner isn’t too far fetched.
Trump also noted that he will work to ensure that every homeschool family is entitled to benefits available to non-homeschooled students including participating in athletic programs, clubs, after-school activities, educational trips, and more. In most areas, these are already available to homeschoolers, though many happily decline as the enrichment opportunities for those who homeschool are incredibly varied and enriching as is.
Homeschooling offers self-reliance, allowing parents and children to tailor their education individually, rather than being limited to a one-size-fits-all public school system. When offered a one-size-fits-all incentive, one has to wonder if the scope of homeschooling will become narrower.
Is this policy a positive or negative? Trump is largely a media machine, saying the right words, dangling the right carrot, and playing a character who checks the right boxes for a certain sect of his base. However, “Bumpstock Trump” is either fully aware of the way he sets the stage for the intrusion of big government or completely inept regarding the spaces he leaves open, exploiting the vulnerable in the process.
In conclusion, the libertarian perspective sees homeschooling as a fundamental exercise of parental autonomy and responsibility, allowing parents to make choices about their children’s education without government interference. While for many, offering government funds would allow for families who struggle as is to continue to teach their family the way they see fit, the potential for severe consequences looms.
One of the most basic principles of economics comes in handy here: “There is no such thing as a free lunch,” and the downside is, once we take a bite, homeschoolers everywhere could be footing the bill.
Originally Posted at https://mises.org/
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