Paul Visits with Home Schoolers

FOR RELEASE: January 20, 2000

Rockport, TX - On Wednesday afternoon, Congressman Ron Paul spent time with a group of children and their parents who participate in home school programs in Rockport. Paul used this time to praise the parents for taking responsibility for their children's education, and he emphasized the need for programs that give working families more educational options.

"It's wonderful to see these parents taking such an active role in their children's education," Paul said. "They are not satisfied with the education establishment's latest curriculum fad, and they've decided to take matters into their own hands. Unfortunately, due to the immense tax burden, many others do not have the financial flexibility to take on such a task as home schooling."

Last year, Paul introduced the Family Education Freedom Act (HR 935) which is designed to give all parents the option of educating their children in any manner they see fit. The bill will give parents a $3,000 per year tax credit for each child's education related expenses.

Paul said, "I am working to give control of the education dollar back to parents through my Family Education Freedom Act. Unlike many education proposals that come from Washington, my bill would allow parents the maximum amount of freedom in determining how to educate their children. It would also be free of guidelines and restrictions that only dilute the actual number of dollars spent directly on a child."

Paul also stressed that the Family Education Freedom Act would especially benefit parents of handicapped or disabled children, because it gives them the freedom to use more of their own resources to meet their child's unique educational needs.

A longtime supporter of home schoolers, Paul said he believes the key to returning to a quality education lies in the hands of parents, teachers, and locally elected school boards.

"An answer to our education problems can be home schooling, but it's not necessarily restricted only to home schooling" Paul said. "It's the idea of empowering parents and teachers to take charge of their children's education. When politicians in Washington or Austin start mandating curriculum and education policies, they are taking control away from parents, teachers and locally elected school boards, and putting it in the hands of unaccountable bureaucrats."