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Reading Guide
Alyssa’s parents got into an argument, and Alyssa’s mother left the house to live with her parents. When Alyssa’s mother left, rather than letting Alyssa continue going to school, Alyssa’s father decided that she should stay at home to take care of her younger brother. Alyssa really wanted to continue her education,and her teachers frequently tried to convince Alyssa’s father to allow her to return. Would Alyssa’s wish to go back to school come true? Do parents have the right to stop their children from going to school?
Ellie and Alyssa had known each other since first grade;moreover, they were deskmates during first and second grade.Even when they didn’t share the same desk during classes anymore, they remained best friends — an inseparable pair.
Throughout her childhood, Alyssa was very shy — her words sometimes even sounded like whispers. When they were little, there was always a troublemaker pulling pranks on her.After every class, he would sneak up behind Alyssa and scream right into her ears. Before Alyssa could even react, he would quickly run off with a smirk on his face. Ellie helped Alyssa stand up for herself by warning the prankster: if he continued to scare Alyssa, she would tell the teacher. This warning was sufficient for the prankster to leave Alyssa in peace. Gradually,Ellie became Alyssa’s “other half.” Alyssa would come and talk to Ellie when something important came up, and Ellie was always there to offer possible solutions.
After Ellie transferred to another school in sixth grade,the two chatted almost every day. From the daily text messages to occasional FaceTime calls, Ellie told Alyssa about her new school and the new friends she was making. In return, Alyssa told Ellie about what she and their friends were up to, and of course they discussed the jokes that the prankster made! The two of them always seemed to have things to chitchat about.However, for some reason, Ellie had not heard from Alyssa for the last two weeks. Alyssa had not responded to the messages that Ellie sent, nor did she pick up Ellie’s calls. Ellie had a gut feeling that something happened to Alyssa. In the past, Alyssa once mentioned that her mother and father often quarreled and that they rarely gave her money to spend. Her mobile phone was given to her by her paternal grandmother on her birthday.
One afternoon, Ellie was doing her homework after school.Suddenly, phone rang with the ringtone assigned to Alyssa’s number! Ellie dropped the pen in her hand and ran to accept the FaceTime call. Alyssa’s face appeared on the screen.
“Hi, Alyssa! I have not heard from you in such a long time.Did you forget me?” Ellie asked jokingly.
“I would never! I am at my paternal grandmother’s house now.”
Upon hearing Alyssa’s tone, Ellie felt that something was wrong, and it seemed like that Alyssa just stopped crying.
“What’s wrong? Why are you at your grandma’s house?Are you on break? I don’t think there is any holiday recently,”Ellie said, asking a bunch of questions in a row.
“Nothing,” Alyssa said, lowering her head.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, Alyssa started sobbing. Ellie was scared and surprised by Alyssa’s sudden outbreak. Ellie had known Alyssa for several years, and sometimes Alyssa could be emotional, but Ellie had never seen Alyssa this sad.
“Don’t cry! What is going on?” Ellie asked eagerly.
“Mom and Dad got into a fight, and Mom left us to stay at her parents’ house. Dad is forcing me to drop out of school to take care of my younger brother. He said that he would teach me at home,” Alyssa sobbed.
“Whaaaaaat? How ... What ... How could he do that to you?” Ellie was so shocked that she started stuttering. “What do you think about this? Do you want to go to school or not?”
“Of course I do! I even called my teachers, and they came to our house and tried to convince Dad to let me go back, but he said that he was my guardian, and he had the right to decide whether or not I go to school. He said that this was none of the teachers’business. The teachers came back to visit again several times, but Dad wouldn’t let me go. Then he confiscated my phone — that’s why I haven’t called you recently. This morning, when Dad was not at home, my paternal grandmother came to pick my brother and me up, so now I am at my grandmother’s house.”
“What are you going to do next?” Ellie was getting more and more anxious as Alyssa finished telling her what had transpired.
“I don’t know, I ...” Alyssa said, crying even harder.Ellie hurriedly comforted Alyssa and told her that there must be a solution, even though Ellie had no idea what to do to help Alyssa.
Hanging up the phone, Ellie was uneasy for the entire afternoon, and she could not go on with her homework without thinking about it. As she worried about her friend, the afternoon quickly passed, and the sky darkened.
In the evening, when her father got home from work, Ellie eagerly took her father’s hand and told him the entire story, not leaving out any detail.
Looking at Ellie’s anxious face, Dad said, “Try not to worry. You should finish your homework first. We will talk when you are finished.”
After dinner, Ellie decided to discuss the situation with her father.
Dad: Do you think Alyssa’s father has the right to stop her from going to school?
Ellie: I think that Alyssa’s father doesn’t have the right to do so.
Dad: OK, then I am to argue for the opposite side so that we can understand both perspectives. Because Alyssa is a minor just like you, her parents are her guardians. As her guardian, her father has the right to make decisions regarding her life. Parents have custody of their children, and other people, including the school and Alyssa’s grandmother, cannot easily interfere.
Additionally, there are also many ways for a child to receive a proper education. He or she can choose to go to school or stay home to be homeschooled by his or her parents. Parents or guardians have the right to choose which kind of education a child will receive.
Ellie: Are these all of your reasons?
Dad: Yes, these are all for now.
Ellie: I have some questions that I would like to pose.
Dad: Go right ahead!
Ellie: OK, so my first question is: what is guardianship?
Dad: Guardianship, also known as parental custody, is the parents’ rights and responsibility to protect, guard, and educate their child. For example, parents have the right to protect the child from any physical harm and property damage. If anyone harms the child’s body or property, the parents have the right to hold the other party accountable. They are also responsible for helping the child obtain what he or she deserves to receive. For instance, the parents can decide if the child should receive others’help or donations. Of course, parental custody also includes teaching the child how to act properly and providing a basic education. For example, parents have to educate the children to prevent them from hurting others.
Ellie: Why can’t these things be decided by the children themselves?
Dad: Children are not mature enough, both physically and psychologically, and they can’t completely protect themselves yet. They don’t have the ability to make decisions on certain matters, especially major decisions. They need guidance from adults. Parents are the best choices when it comes to seeking for help from adults.
Ellie: So, what is the purpose of establishing custody?
Dad: It is to make sure that the rights of the children are fully and well protected.
Ellie: Even though it is established to protect the child,the parents’ custody over their children should still be limited in some way, correct?
Dad: What do you think?
Ellie: I think that there should be some restrictions. Parents can’t do whatever they want to with their children. For example,I don’t think parents have the right to beat their child up.
Dad: I agree. Although parents have custody of their children, those rights cannot be abused. There should be certain standards for their actions.
Ellie: In this case, what should be the standards for parental custody?
Dad: It should be based on whether or not an action is beneficial to the child. In other words, if an action brings only rights, without burdens, to a child, then even if the parents have custody of the child, they are not entitled to give up the rights on behalf of the child.
Ellie: Can you give an example of this?
Dad: For example, if someone offers you a large amount of donation or if you inherit a large amount of inheritance, as long as you don’t spontaneously give it up, neither your mother nor I have any right to force you to give it up.
Ellie: I understand now! Also, do these rights belong to the child or the parents?
Dad: These rights originally and always belong to the children. Parents are just there to help them to exercise these rights or guide their children to make the right decisions.
Ellie: If so, then I think Alyssa’s father has no right to prevent her from going to school.
According to the discussion we had just now, going to school is part of Alyssa’s rights, a decision that she should make herself. Going to school can help Alyssa gain more knowledge and skills, thus making her a stronger and more capable person.The knowledge she gains from going to school can be used in protecting herself and making money, and eventually, starting her own family. So, since going to school is beneficial to Alyssa and is something Alyssa wants to do, her father should not prohibit her from attending school.
Dad: I agree that it is the duty of parents to let their children receive an education. Parents have no right to deprive their children of their right to an equal education.
Ellie: So, are you saying that you also disapprove of Alyssa’s dad’s decisions?
Dad: Let me think about it. If Alyssa’s father is stopping her from learning new knowledge entirely, then I disagree with his decisions. However, if Alyssa’s father chooses for her to receive education at home, that seems like a legal thing to do.
Ellie: Then, do you think that a child will get a better education if he or she stays at home? Or do you think it is better for the child to go to school?
Dad: I am not sure. However, it was common for children 100 years ago to study at home. For example, in the novel Jane Eyre that you like to read, Jane was hired as a governess to educate the child at Thornfield Hall.
Ellie: Then, would you teach me yourself?
Dad: I would love to, but no.
Ellie: Why not?
Dad: Because I am very busy. I don’t have time to do that.In addition, I was hoping that sending you to school could help you make friends with who are around your age.
Ellie: I think the current situation is different from that of 100 years ago. Nowadays, children who go to school are more likely to absorb the knowledge than those being homeschooled.
Dad: Is it true? Why?
Ellie: Schools have strict schedules, attending classes at 7:30 in the morning and leaving school at 3:30 in the afternoon.Children go to school and leave school on time. Their study life and routine are very regular. In the long run, they can develop good time management skills.
On top of that, schools also have the ability to set up many different classes and subjects, such as English, math, science,history, foreign languages, etc., which not only helps the students obtain information systematically but also gives students the opportunities to get to know many different teachers and learn about different perspectives. Just like humans have to eat all kinds of nutrients to stay healthy, children also have to be exposed to different ideas and views from different perspectives,or else they could become “picky eaters” and only agree with one idea.
Moreover, there are many children of the same age in the school. Going to school means that you can make more friends and participate in more group activities.
On the contrary, in terms of homeschooling, even if they are well educated, parents are very busy, which means they don’t necessarily have enough time and energy to teach children the knowledge that they need to learn. Moreover, many parents might not have the general expertise in English, math, science,history, and foreign languages all at the same time. The most important thing is that if a child stays at home alone without a friend of the same age, he or she would be very lonely.
Dad: That was a good argument! All of those reasons sound very valid and convincing!
Ellie: Thank you! My position is that many people,including you, would choose to send their children to school to receive their education.
Dad: However, you have to consider that every family has a different situation at home and that different parents also have different plans and ideas regarding education. Plus, being homeschooled also has its advantages.
Ellie: What are the advantages?
Dad: I think that studying at home means that the parents could spend more time with the child. That could encourage an emotional bond between the two, and the parents will pay more attention to the child. At the same time, homeschooling means that the parents have increased flexibility when it comes to planning their children’s activities and can help a child develop interests in different areas. Having a customized schedule for him or her helps the child to stand out from others and build a more unique personality.
Ellie: These reasons sounded reasonable and intriguing, but they don’t convince me.
Dad: Why are you not convinced? Help me understand what you think I’m missing.
Ellie: I agree that being educated at home means that the child can spend more time with his or her parents and that the child will get more attention, but that doesn’t always benefit the child. Having all the attention at all times might also stress out the child and subject him or her to more pressure. Sometimes,I act like I do not want to communicate with you, but that’s because I think maybe we need a little space from each other.
Nowadays, most schools offer extracurricular activities like sports and clubs after school, which means that the child can still be himself or herself at school and develop interests for a specific field. If that is not enough for the child, then parents can sign the child up for additional activities outside of school.
Dad: So, you are saying that the advantages of studying at home can also be satisfied by sending the child to school?
Ellie: That’s exactly it! In my opinion, sending a child to school has considerably more advantages than homeschooling.
Dad: I think you have proved a valid point! That is why I chose to send you to a school instead of homeschooling you!
Ellie: Yay! But what are the laws regarding homeschooling?
Dad: The laws in different countries are not exactly the same. Have you heard of the concept of “compulsory education”?
Ellie: When I attended school with Alyssa, I saw a label on the textbook that says “Compulsory Education,” but I haven’t thought about the definition of it.
Dad: The countries that adopt compulsory education have laws and regulations stating that children in a certain age range,such as grade school through high school, have the obligations to receive proper education in a school. This is not only the child’s responsibility but also the parents’ responsibility. In other words,during a certain stage, the children are obligated to learn, and the parents have obligations to allow the children to learn.
Ellie: So, does that mean Alyssa can go back to school?
Dad: Hold up!
Ellie: What other questions do we have to consider?
Dad: Even though most countries have laws stating that all kids must receive education, the rules for receiving education vary. Some countries stipulate that compulsory education must take place in schools. Other countries have regulations stating that even though the children need to receive education,parents can choose to educate their children themselves. For example, parents can choose to send their kids to school or choose to educate their children at home. If parents choose to homeschool their children, they must get the approval from a government agency in charge of education requirements. When they are approved by the agency, it means that they have met the conditions and are allowed to educate their children at home.
Ellie: I understand now. In other words, whether a child goes to school for a systematic education or not, the parents are obligated to provide the child with some type of education because it is their responsibility to do so!
Dad: Yes, however, some countries have different standards.
Ellie: For where Alyssa is attending school, do regulations follow compulsory education?
Dad: Yes.
Ellie: That’s amazing! Alyssa can go back to school now!
Dad: Wait one second! I want you to consider one last question.
Ellie: OK. What?
Dad: Why do most countries have laws regulating the compulsory education of children?
Ellie: Is it to ensure that children have the basic ability to live independently when they grow up?
Dad: You got it. For a state, it has to ensure that every child has the chance to receive an equal basic education, where the children become literate and educated to some degree, ensuring that they will have the basic abilities to attend work in the future.Some examples include teaching the kids how to read, write, do basic math calculations, etc.
Ellie: Does the time span for compulsory education differ for each country?
Dad: Yes, some countries define compulsory education as just consisting of middle school education, while others define it as all the way through the end of high school.
Ellie: So, is college education compulsory?
Dad: What do you think?
Ellie: I don’t think so. I think that when a child graduates from high school, he or she has already grown up. At this time,he or she can decide his or her own life and future. The child can choose to go to college and continue his or her education, or he or she can choose to work. His or her parents and others can no longer interfere or decide for the child.
Dad: Yes, a society needs people with different skills and educational backgrounds. If everyone chooses to go to college,the society will have too many college graduates, more than what the society needs. We don’t want the college graduates to do the work that senior or even junior high school graduates are also capable of doing. That would be a waste of the society’s resources. Therefore, not everyone has to attend college, and it should be up to one’s personal decision.
Ellie: Great, I will call Alyssa now and tell her that her father has no right to restrict her from going to school!
Growth Revelation
Although parents are the guardians of and have custody over their children, parents’ exercise of guardianship is not unconditional, and it should be based on the principle of “in the best interest of the child.” Learning is a way to gain knowledge,something that is beneficial to a child’s growth, so parents have no right to deprive a child of the right to learn. Parents should let their children receive education, whether at school or at home.
There are pros and cons of going to school compared to receiving education at home, and countries have different legal regulations regarding this issue. In some countries, children must go to school at a certain stage, such as high school or middle school. Some countries allow children to receive their education at home, but only under the conditions that the child will be educated according to standards set by the government. In short,no matter what kind of education parents choose for their child,the child must receive proper education.
Think and Consider
1. Why didn’t Alyssa’s father let her go to school?
2. Which do you think is better, studying at school or at home?
3. Do you think children need to ask their parents for consent before making certain decisions or doing certain things?If so, give some examples.