In Germany, home schooling is simply illegal. Is that going to happen in the USA, too?
N.H. High Court to Hear Case of Girl Ordered Out of Homeschooling
The New Hampshire Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case of a Christian girl who was ordered out of homeschooling and into a public school.
Attorneys for 10-year-old Amanda Kurowski argue that the lower court judge overstepped its authority when it determined that it would be in the best interest of the student to explore and examine new things, other than Christianity.
“Courts can settle disputes, but they cannot legitimately order a child into a government-run school on the basis that her religious views need to be mixed with other views. That’s precisely what the lower court admitted it is doing in this case, and that’s where our concern lies,” said Alliance Defense Fund- allied attorney John Anthony Simmons of Hampton.
The daughter of divorced parents, Amanda has been homeschooled by her mother, Brenda Voydatch, since first grade. Her father, Martin Kurowski, is opposed to homeschooling, arguing that it prevents “adequate socialization” for Amanda with other children. He requested that she be placed in a government school.
In the process of renegotiating the terms of a parenting plan for the girl, the Guardian ad Litem, who acts as a fact finder for the court, reported that Amanda was found to “lack some youthful characteristics,” partly because “she appeared to reflect her mother’s rigidity on questions of faith.”
Ms. Voydatch insisted that she does not push religion on Amanda and said her daughter’s choice to share her religious beliefs is a free choice.
The court, however, determined that “Amanda’s vigorous defense of her religious beliefs to the counselor suggests strongly that she has not had the opportunity to seriously consider any other point of view” and that enrolling her in a public school would expose her to a variety of points of view.
At the same time, the court found the girl to be “well liked, social and interactive with her peers, academically promising, and intellectually at or superior to grade level.”
Nevertheless, Judge Lucinda V. Sadler approved the GAL’s recommendation earlier this summer and ruled that it would be in Amanda’s best interests to attend a public school in the 2009-2010 academic year.
Simmons filed a motion to reconsider and stay the order. But the judge denied the motions and stated that the girl “is at an age when it can be expected that she would benefit from the social interaction and problem solving she will find in public school, and granting a stay would result in a lost opportunity for her.”
ADF Senior Legal Counsel Mike Johnson responded, “We are concerned anytime a court oversteps its bounds to tread on the right of a parent to make sound educational choices, or to discredit the inherent value of the homeschooling option. The lower court effectively determined that it would be a ‘lost opportunity’ if a child’s Christian views are not sifted and challenged in a public school setting. We regard that as a dangerous precedent.”
December 2nd, 2009 7:03 am
Does anyone even notice that this report only has the side of the mother? Yes, believe it or not, there is a father. This case ended up in Court b/c the father and mother were arguing the matter for years and agreed to allow the Court to solve the matter for them. The father’s side of this, if you care to know, is that he has been concerned with his daughter’s teachings by his ex-wife for years, since his own daughter has been taught that he will burn for an eternity in the pits of hell b/c he does not share his ex-wife’s very strict narrow minded religious beliefs. This is the worst case of parental alienation!
This mother’s attorney obviously has a personal vendetta and agenda against the government which he so blatantly states on his personal website he has on line, where he states he will wage war against the government over his own religious beliefs. Shame on the paper for allowing this very one sided story telling.
This child desperately needs to be socialized with other children and to be introduced to other children and other ideals. This mother’s attorney doesn’t even state the fact that this child is blossoming in public school and doing great in school since the Court ordered her to attend. Not a word about the child. That should tell you all something right there.
December 2nd, 2009 7:37 am
So Steve, you have alot of “inside information” here. Are you personally involved in this case? It seems to me upon reading the article that the story tells only the side of the father. The argument for changing the child’s school was made on the part of the father who would appear to have a vendetta against the mother – not uncommon in broken families. There is no evidence given that the mother took out after the father and your claims “…that he will burn for an eternity in the pits of hell b/c he does not share his ex-wife’s strict narrow minded religious belief.” are not substantiated by the article. Supposing, however, that you DO have significant insider information not mentioned in the article and that everything you claim is true; are you then suggesting that the public school ‘can’ and ‘should’ seek to destroy and brainwash all religious belief from the child? Apparently you believe that this is what the purpose of public education is. That sounds quite Nazi to me, doesn’t it to you?
December 2nd, 2009 7:40 am
Interesting. Steve, you seem to be in possession of “inside information” on the case. Do you know the family? The father? Are you friends WITH the father? How do you come by your perspective?
Observation: if the father has the money to pursue this case, he has the money to send the girl to private school, perhaps in a compromise situation that allows the girl to attend a Christian school, yet be with other kids, if he feels so strongly about it.
Can only wonder why that option wasn’t taken….
But if the father simply wants her to have NO Christian schooling, for school to be totally secular/atheist (the public school position these days), then his motives are far more questionable to me than the mother’s.
December 2nd, 2009 2:48 pm
I applaude the court for coming clean!! “”The court, however, determined that “Amanda’s vigorous defense of her religious beliefs to the counselor suggests strongly that she has not had the opportunity to seriously consider any other point of view†and that enrolling her in a public school would expose her to a variety of points of view.””
Defined now by the government that the purpose of school is to make sure children not be prone to defend their religious beliefs vigorously. After all, if we have been subject to the teachings of the school, we would certainly find their teachings far superior to the God of the Universe. We want to make sure we are politically correct while waving to someone on their way to damnation.
If the schools are suppose to “stay away from religious things” – no prayer in school – no “christmas trees” – no religious christian songs allowed – how then will the school have her “consider another point of view”? What point of view would that be – if not a counter view to her current religious views. And wouldn’t a counter view to her current religious views be equally religious?
December 3rd, 2009 1:42 am
What?! You say this child is “well liked, social and interactive with her peers, academically promising, and intellectually at or superior to grade level?” Not fair!
December 3rd, 2009 8:25 am
I’m wondering what the “youthful characteristics” are that she’s supposed to be lacking.
December 3rd, 2009 4:22 pm
Hello Steve? What happened to Steve?
December 5th, 2009 9:16 pm
Now this is creepy!