| Parents have every right to educate their children | | | | - concentrate on their work; |
| at home, based upon knowledge gathered | | | | - are persistent and complete their projects; |
| throughout their lives. They should and can do so, | | | | - are inquisitive; |
| with a fair dose of responsibility. I admire who is | | | | - show great will to learn; |
| capable of achieving such a deed, because the | | | | - are motivated and with tremendous thirst for |
| amount of stress involved in the task is only | | | | knowledge; |
| comprehended by those who actually do it. | | | | - express a strong interest for the arts; |
| However, the results are unmatched by the ones | | | | - manifest an expanded view of the world; |
| obtained by the public school system. We have | | | | - have happy, positive attitudes; |
| the example of the Villena Family, in Brazil. This | | | | - are friendly and charming; |
| case serves to show how a country's educational | | | | - have charisma for others, knowing how to deal |
| system takes a long time to be updated in | | | | with others, demonstrating good manners; |
| comparison to the advances achieved in the world | | | | - appreciate the success of other children; |
| as to child education and about the citizens´ | | | | - aren't critics with other kids and have tolerance |
| right to seek the very best way to educate their | | | | with each kid's rhythm, with their individual |
| children. | | | | differences; |
| In 2004, I was asked to give some theoretical | | | | - don't become inhibited by outside opinions; |
| support to the Villena Family, defending the choice | | | | - aren't exhibitionists and pompous; |
| that they made to teach their 6 kids at home. In | | | | - are spiritually and mentally well adjusted; |
| the occasion they had just entered with a judicial | | | | - lead and are well succeeded, without much |
| order, (in Portuguese, "Mandato de Seguranca" | | | | effort; |
| (MS 7407/DF) seeking the Superior Justice | | | | - adapt easily to different situations; |
| Tribunal of Brazil to evaluate the demands that | | | | - possess advanced logic and think analytically; |
| the educational system had required from them. | | | | - have a phenomenal ability to solve problems and |
| In fact, what the government was asking for | | | | demonstrate different strategies of thought; |
| went against the family's goals, since they wanted | | | | - believe that human relations are important; |
| to keep home schooling their kids. The educational | | | | - are independent and wish to try out everything; |
| system intended to obligate them to enroll their | | | | - are responsible for their own learning; |
| children in the Brazilian formal educational system. | | | | - like to teach what they know; |
| At the time, the Minister Dr. Franciulli Netto, asked | | | | - ...Among many other positive characteristics! |
| for evidence in the legal procedure, and I sent | | | | Aside from these theoretical arguments listed |
| (under their family name and at their request) a | | | | above, I witnessed my experience with my three |
| theoretical justification on the importance of | | | | children, 24 years before then, in which they |
| educating children at home. My intent was to aid in | | | | were objects to home schooling and that the |
| the Minister's decision, thus helping the resolution | | | | Brazilian government had recognized our efforts, |
| of the case. | | | | giving them the right to be accelerated in school, |
| I began my defense of home schooling by | | | | taking into consideration what they had learned at |
| claiming that it is what's scientifically proven by all | | | | home. I explained that we also had gone through |
| the modern education institutes of the world to | | | | a judicial legal procedure and that the Federal |
| be the most up-to-date. I criticized the fact that | | | | Council of Education of the period had recognized |
| the family had seen denied their right to educate | | | | my family's right to give education within the |
| their kids at home, in the family's environment. I | | | | home. The case could not have been |
| requested that the analysis of the legal procedure | | | | characterized as the same, since my kids went to |
| at hand should start from the evidence that had | | | | school and were, at the same time, helped at |
| been listed in the legal proceedings, that contained | | | | home, with specialized attention. However, I added |
| documents proving the initiative's success and | | | | that the objective had been reached by both |
| that these legal proofs could, in little time, open | | | | families, mine and the Villena´s. And that, in |
| doors to new legal courses of action to improve | | | | consequence, we were both examples of success |
| even the quality of schooling in Brazil. This | | | | in the initiative of giving the best possible |
| evidence could help the country's educational | | | | education for our children. I gathered that my kids |
| history to advance into consolidating the family's | | | | had entered early in the university and are, today, |
| right to seek out what's best for their kids, acting | | | | happy professionals well integrated in society. And, |
| as an initiation cell of teaching in society. I claimed | | | | given the many that went through the same |
| that his decision could promote education in the | | | | process, the children of this family could also, and |
| country and clarify as to a series of prejudice | | | | with absolute certainty, achieve much success and |
| that clouds the thoughts of many jurists and | | | | be happily satisfied in life. |
| educators, such as "the family doesn't educate", | | | | I argued that my testimony, along with |
| "the children do not belong to the family", and that | | | | information itself could avoid, with the support of |
| "the education of the Brazilian is an obligation of | | | | his positive decision, that yet another Brazilian |
| the constituted State". | | | | family be discredited and discouraged in their |
| I argued that the Brazilian State at the time | | | | efforts and sincerity in trying to permit a better |
| wasn't responding for its obligations regarding | | | | education for their children, an education which the |
| education, letting it be seen that we had a crisis in | | | | Brazilian State still isn't capable of providing. I also |
| higher learning and had data showing that we | | | | said that I expected a family not to be hindered |
| have millions of illiterates populating Brazilian | | | | by the official institutions´ lack of information |
| territory. And that, if a family was giving a great | | | | so that we wouldn't see this same family seeking |
| example of dedication to their kids, the Brazilian | | | | alternative means for their children's education |
| State should exalt them and take it as reference | | | | elsewhere, outside our homeland, thus causing the |
| and not, take from them the right to exercise | | | | evasion of intelligent minds to other scientific |
| acts of citizenship. | | | | centers. I finalized arguing that the Villena Family, |
| I argued that the success of the educational | | | | like so many others like them in Brazil, and that |
| modality called home schooling throughout the | | | | hadn't expressed themselves yet, mine included, |
| world, led us to assert that the children observed, | | | | and that believed firmly in their kids´ talent, |
| in various countries, and that were submitted to | | | | believe that we are a wonderful people. They |
| this kind of specialized education, presented | | | | believe that the right to have their voices heard |
| behavior and/or results that I would clarify for | | | | throughout all national territory should be a |
| him with great pleasure. Based upon Dr. Neil | | | | guarantee, a must! Voices that will echo favoring |
| Harvey, in his book Kids Who Start Ahead, Stay | | | | new insights for the evolution of the human |
| Ahead (Avery Publishing Group, New York, 1994), | | | | being's intelligence as a whole. Voices that know |
| I showed and argued, based also upon my | | | | how to exercise the hope of better days for our |
| personal experience and that of other Brazilian | | | | nation and for the world. |
| mothers, that most children that have | | | | My intervention didn't help much. The Villena |
| experienced and/or experience Home Schooling | | | | Family, 14 years after my family had been |
| end up being or are: | | | | authorized to educate the kids in the home |
| - interesting and imaginative; | | | | schooling system, could do nothing but watch their |
| - Comunicate well; | | | | kids be impeded, in the same (memory-less) |
| - love language profoundly; | | | | country, of continuing to study at home; and, |
| - present advanced vocabulary and a vast | | | | were, by the legal means of force (the law had |
| knowledge regarding what they say; | | | | now been differently interpreted), forced to enroll |
| - never demonstrate to be out of ideas; | | | | their children in formal schooling; to accomplish, |
| - can talk to anyone about anything; | | | | most certainly, many less interesting deeds than |
| - are incredibly creative, inventive and surprise us | | | | those they were accustomed to in the family |
| with interesting observations; | | | | environment. |
| - build their own toys; | | | | So here's my criticism to those countries that still |
| - rationalize beyond their age level; | | | | don't value the power of home schooling. And my |
| - are disciplined; | | | | protest and legitimate support to the families that |
| - are cooperative; | | | | have obtained success with the initiative |
| - are positive when establishing goals to | | | | throughout the world. What a beautiful example |
| accomplish; | | | | we've been giving society as a whole! |