A “breathtaking” ruling from where else but a California appeals court could subject the parents of 166,000 students in the state to criminal sanctions will be taken to the state Supreme Court.

And then the ruling could go national. In short, home schooling parents, watch out!

The ruling attacks traditional homeschooling, but also calls into question homeschooling through charter schools and teaching children at home via independent study through public and private school.

If not reversed, parents of homeschoolers across the nations are in big trouble. My question is then that if a parent refuses to comply and continues to home school are the children taken away from them? Is there jail time?

Justice H. Walt Croskey, whose opinion was joined by two other judges, then ordered: “Parents who fail to [comply with school enrollment laws] may be subject to a criminal complaint against them, found guilty of an infraction, and subject to imposition of fines or an order to complete a parent education and counseling program.”

The determination reversed a decision from Superior Court Judge Stephen Marpet, who ruled “parents have a constitutional right to school their children in their own home.”

But Croskey worried that children are being taught by a “non-credentialed parent.” I don’t know about you but that statement worries the heck out of me.

It is also said under a section titled “Consequences of Parental Denial of a Legal Education,” that “parents are subject to being ordered to enroll their children in an appropriate school or education program and provide proof of enrollment to the court, and willful failure to comply with such an order may be punished by a fine for civil contempt.”

The future of homeschooling is in dire jeopardy. This is just the latest attack on Christianity. Make no mistake about it.

Update: I’m reading in some places that the LA Times blew the story out of context but if so nobody told the Governor of that state who seems perturbed by the ruling.

Gov. Schwarzenegger Issued a statement Regarding Court of Appeals Home Schooling
Ruling: “Every California child deserves a quality education and parents should have the right to decide what’s best for their children. Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children’s education. This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don’t protect parents’ rights then, as elected officials, we will.”