Government now requires social interaction for homeschooled students

Did you read the news reports this morning? A number of items related to student loans and education were added to the health care bill. In particular, all student loans will now be issued directly by the government. Now some of the small print is coming to light.

It turns out that, buried in one of the footnotes of the bill, there's a new requirement: In order to receive a student loan to attend university, homeschooled students must first take and pass a new exam called the SSAT - where the first 'S' stands for 'social'. It seems the government is concerned about the lack of socialization among homeschooled students, and this new exam will test their social skills. In particular, students must confirm that they've spent at least 4 hours every week during their high school years interacting with other students.

How ever is the government going to enforce this new law? How can they know how much time a student has spent with other students? It sounds outrageous to me.

 

Steve,

Can I get some documentation (i.e. the particular section of the bill)?

 

I'll see whether I can find a link to the bill and the quoted footnote.

 

I would like to see the link too. Although, as long as you don't plan on using any student loans you don't have to worry about that. Right?

 

I'm anxious to read it, too. Can you imagine the quetions on the SSAT? What does "cisyhw" mean in a text message?/How many points will you earn for getting pregnant on prom night?/Which of these is not a social group: emo, goth, prep, creationist?

 

My thoughts exactly Brooke.

 

If that's true, I'm surprised HSLDA hasn't said anything about it yet. Definately something to keep listening for!!!

 

Probably because it's burried in the footnote of a completely unrelated bill.

I'm still trying to figure out what the heck student loans have to do with health care.

 

OK. It took some digging, but I found a link to the new bill and to the specific footnote. Here it is.

 

How did I know? :roll:

 

I think it's Dr. Brian Ray, of NHERI, who has already done research into this in the form of some "socialization scale" or other (I don't know if it's SSAT or not), but found that Homeschoolers come out better socialized than public schoolers -- was there any doubt? I tried to find this report just now, but I don't have time, maybe somebody here does...

 

I found this, here: http://www.nheri.org/Fact-Sheet-I.html
Social and Emotional Adjustment

Dr. Johnson (1991) concluded that home educators carefully address the socialization needs of their children in every area studied (i.e., personal identity, personal destiny, values and moral development, autonomy, relationships, sexuality, and social skills).

Studying actual observed behavior, Dr. Shyers (1992) found the home educated had significantly lower problem behavior scores than do their conventional school agemates. And the home educated have positive self-concepts.

Dr. Taylor (1986) found that the home educated have significantly higher self concepts than those in public schools.

The home schooled are well adjusted socially and emotionally like their private school comparison group. The home educated, however, are less peer dependent than the private school students (Delahooke, 1986).

Dr. Montgomery (1989) found that home schooled students are just as involved in out-of-school and extracurricular activities that predict leadership in adulthood as are those in the comparison private school (that was comprised of students more involved than those in public schools).

 

Also found this here: http://www.nheri.org/Fact-Sheet-II.html
Social and Emotional Adjustment

Dr. Larry Shyers observed children in free play and group interaction activities. Conventionally schooled children had significantly more problem behaviors than did the home educated. This is probably because the primary models of behavior for the home educated are their parents.8

Home educated children are more mature and better socialized than are those sent to school, according to Thomas Smedley's personal interaction and communications approach to understanding socialization.9

Dr. Gary Knowles, of the University of Michigan, explored adults who were home educated. None were unemployed and none were on welfare, 94% said home education prepared them to be independent persons, 79% said it helped them interact with individuals from different levels of society, and they strongly supported the home education method.10

 

BE SURE to read the second link Steve posted! VERY important!!!

 

OKAY, first time today -- I've been had!!! Got me!!!:lol:

 

:lol: You ain't right! :lol:

 

LOL! I sort of suspected it!

 

Ha! Ha! You sure did get me.

 

I started reading this and thought, "Now wait a minute here, isn't today is April Fools Day?" You almost had me though Steve.

 

I thought that right away. Steve is our official prankster, hehe.