Ms. Conservative wrote in some interesting comments in response to my last post. I'll address one of them now, and perhaps the others later on.

Home schooling is indeed quite valuable for many people. I'm glad that it exists. The home-schooled children I have known have been remarkably well-behaved, mature, and intelligent.

If you think about it, home schooling does have a lot going for it. We often hear politicians and others talk about the need to make classrooms smaller. Now, the evidence on that point is actually shaky, and the benefits, if any, would likely come only after cutting classes by portions far beyond what has been tried to date--say, by half.

Even if you are still convinced that smaller classes are good, think of this: what is a smaller class than a child and his or her parents and siblings? That's what a large of what home schooling is about.

(I should point out that it's not just Mommy and Johnny; many home schooling parents are involved in associations that pool resources for special activities such as high school science.)

I remember a time when home schooling was illegal in that state where I was living. Some friends of mine, who lived at the edge of a smaller metropolitan area, did homeschooling. But it was practically (or in fact, I don't recall) illegal for a parent to teach his or her child in a home school. So my friends hid the existence of their kids from most everyone. Not an idea situation, of course, but it was what they thought was necessary.

Fortunately, home schooling is now open and above board in most (all? I don't know) states.