California Home School Interest Surges As Parents Look To Sidestep Vaccine Law
Since the passing of a new law requiring vaccinations for school-going children in California, homeschool advocates and organisations have reported an upswing in home education options that would exempt students from having to fulfil the requirements. The mandate compels both public and private school students to have ten vaccinations for attendance purposes, with a few exceptions for certain medical conditions. The legislation initiated a scathing controversy with both opposition to and support for it, polarising views on its impact on student health and welfare. Parents like Lyn Elliott have reportedly turned to homeschooling due to the law; Elliott has a 20-month-old daughter who is mostly vaccinated, but who she feels should risk not having every vaccine available. Some parents would potentially have to vaccinate their children despite not wanting to or lose access to daycare. Nicole Arango decided to homeschool after moving from Oxnard, California to Simi Valley with her children, who are not vaccinated due to a vaccine reaction that Ryan had when he was younger. The vaccine law prompted her to go ahead and homeschool them both instead of placing them in school in their new town. As the deadline approaches, more parents may turn to homeschooling as California’s strict law eliminated both personal belief and religious exemptions to vaccinations, closing opt-out possibilities for the majority of vaccine-averse parents aside from homeschooling. Homeschooling in the US now has both non-profit and for-profit support networks and curriculum possibilities that offer services to around 1.77 million students, and Californian numbers of homeschooled students estimate to be around 177,000.
Diane Flynn Keith, the host of home-school information seminars in the San Francisco Bay area, reported that her seminars have been reaching full capacity since the passing of the law. Her recent seminar in August received unprecedented attention, drawing a maximum crowd of 40 attendees, when normally, the event may only expect 25 guests. Keith expressed that she received inquiries about vaccines from at least 10 individuals during the event. Due to the demand, she announced hosting more seminars in the future.
Goodwin also stated that their organization received more inquiries from programs and vendors interested in establishing or expanding business ventures in the state. “We are hearing more buzz from the charter programs,” she said.
However, Keith cautions parents that home schooling is challenging, and the new group is joining with the motive of opting out of vaccinations. “You have people that are mostly doing it out of fear rather than anything else; they have no other choice,” Fitzpatrick explains. “If that is not because they believe in the philosophy of home schooling or desire the experience of home schooling, then it is going to be a tougher road for them. And it could be even more challenging for children as well.”
