Friday, March 18, 2011

NH Court Upholds Order to Send Homeschooled Girl to Public School


The New Hampshire Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed a lower court’s decision to order an 11-year-old out of homeschooling and into a public school.

The three-justice panel ruled in favor of divorced father Martin Kurowski, who argued that homeschooling prevents “adequate socialization” for his daughter. The justices asserted in the court opinion that they were not choosing sides among the various forms of education.

"While [the case] involves home schooling, it is not about the merits of home verses public schooling," they stated.

The justices also noted that homeschooling “has become a widely used alternative to more traditional public or private schools as the vehicle for education children” in recent years.

“Courts have neither the mandate nor the expertise to determine from among these options which generally provides the most suitable education,” they said.

Homeschooling advocates praised the New Hampshire Supreme Court for adopting language that does not set a negative precedent for other homeschoolers and for recognizing that homeschooling is a viable education option in lieu of public and private schooling.

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