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Show 'Home schools' up to norms ? By Jay Wamsley When a Summit County judge said the local school district in Kamas, Utah, was to provide tutors for the Singer family, in an effort to upgrade his "home-school" situation, more than just one school district cringed. An expensive order at best, many school districts feel the move may start an unwanted precedent of parents keeping their kids out of school, only to get a tutor visit their home for professional training. Private schools, and home schools, are becoming more popular in Utah, although state officials say they are not springing up in an epidemic rate. Iron County, for example, has had as many as four private "schools" operating at one time. Presently, there are three. AH with religion All local private schools are religious-oriented, the parents and educators opting to keep the children away from the public school system. Iron County School District Superintendent Clair Morris said federal laws enable private schools to be started-it's one of the nation's basic rights. And, he points out, Utah has always had private schools, such as Catholic Schools, St. Marks, St. Joseph's, and Judge Memorial. Then there was the old Brigham Young High, operated by the LDS Church. "But lately," Morris said, "There has been a rash of small, private schools springing up all over the state, many of them home schools. Not up to norms? Morris said it was his opinion the students from "living room" schools with parents or relatives teaching "will probably not be up to national norms." "The kids of radical groups need protection right now. They don't know what they are missing," Morris said. "A child has to have outside experience. ex-perience. We learn a lot by association. Part of life is different faiths and beliefs and rubbing shoulders with different people. That's how we learn about freedom of religion, not by isolation." Although those who urge proliferation of living room schools will disagree, Morris states the local school board is supposed to authorize such schools. "The school board is the legal authority to investigate and evaluate schools," Morris states. "We do have a standardized test to administer to see if students are up to norms." LeRue Winget, education advisor from the State Board of Education, said private schools are responsible to the local school district "only if a question exists" as to whether they are a "regular private school." Otherwise, he stated, the local district is responsible for excusing students for home study. Criteria listed. The Attorney General of the state has ruled, he said, on what the criteria is to be to label a school a "established private school," And the local school boards are supposed to authorize such schools." Morris is quick to note that one private school within the county, the church school in Parowan, is on a different level than the home schools. Given tests "It is far superior to the living room situations. They have good texts and we have given the students tests to access their progress," Morris said. It has been several years since any assessment was made of the church school's students, however, Morris said. Where the school is a private school, there is no separation of church and secular education-"that's why they do it in the first place," Morris said. As a result of the mingling of church and education, federal funding is withheld to private schools, with a few exceptions. But some of the "living room situations", Morris said, are not even comparable to the public school system. "It is the religious and political philosophy of parents hampering the future of their own kids, educationally speaking. In the home schools," Morris stated, "there is no realistic way the kids can get anything past the very basics. "It is hard enough for a teacher to be knowledgeable in just one educational area, let alone try to reach all subjects to different age groups. It will be increasingly- difficult dif-ficult to teach the children as they get older." although the local board has responsibility of determining whether or not the criteria are being met. That which is supposed to be met includes: The private school is to be operated by a private enterprise "to give equivalent education" to the public school system. It is to have "adequate courses and branches of education" of the same courses as offered in the public school system "for the same length of time." Teachers in private schools do not have to be certified with the state although the Attorney's criteria states they do have to be "qualified." Safety laws There also are certain state laws concerning safety of the building and life safety that apply, Winget said. "In essence it says the same courses for the same amount of time as public schools are required," he said. The Singer family case, Winget said, is one individual case and it is not known at this point whether or not it will set any kind of precedent. Presently, he added, the children are actually in the custody of Family Life Services. "This is just one specific case where neglect is charged. I may take a second case to set precedent," Winget said. The case is still in litigation, being appealed by the school district. NEXT WEEK: Who are the private schools. |