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Equal Access in Education is an organization which seeks to achieve
Equal Access for all, regardless of race, gender, age, religion or handicap,
to educational resources and opportunities. This goal is pursued through
research, education, and legislation.
The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that "The liberty of the Constitution
forbids the standardization of children by compelling them to attend public
school instruction only." (Justice McReynolds in Pierce v. Society
of Sisters, 268 US 510 (1924)). This means that parents or guardians
have the right to choose whether their child or children will attend public
or private schools or be educated at home, whether by private tutors or
by the parents themselves.
If the State (i.e., the Government) does not have the right to compel a
student to attend only public, accredited or approved schools, then it
does not have the right to penalize a student for choosing to exercise
his right to attend non-public, non-accredited or non-approved schools.
"Rights guaranteed by the Constitution may not be abridged by state legislation
that has no reasonable relation to some purpose within the competency of
the state." (McReynolds, op. cit.)
Please note the word "reasonable" in the above quote. While the State
may have the right to formulate rules for the orderly transfer of students
from public to private schools and vice versa, these rules must be contextually
reasonable. Since the context of these rules deals with education,
the rules themselves must be reasonable within an academic context and
such as are required by the nature of the case.
Many public colleges and universities, as well as elementary and secondary
schools, have "specialized requirements" for students from non-approved
schools who wish to attend. These requirements are based upon two
false assumptions: (1) that the State has the right to control
education, and (2) that unless a school is in someway controlled or regulated
by the State, it must be necessarily inferior. The first assumption
has been repeatedly disproved by various court decisions. The second
assumption has no basis in statistical facts. Since there is no valid
academic reason for these "specialized requirements", they must be seen
as arbitrary, unreasonable, and not in the public interest.
Our goal is to achieve Equal Access for all students to public educational
institutions, resources, and opportunities. Those interested in more information
may contact us at the email address below.
E-Mail Us Here!
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