A Brazilian family has been charged with intellectual abandonment for choosing to home school their children.
Cleber and Bernadeth Nunes of Brazil decided to home school their children three years ago despite the fact it is against the law in their country. Cleber says they made the decision because it was in the best interest of their children. "It's well-known the fact that education here in Brazil is a failure," the father says. "The statistics show that more than 70 percent of teenagers from 15- to 19-years-old [are] illiterate." He also adds that violence in school is rampant with more than 80 percent of teachers suffering some form of violence from students. Guns and other weapons being brought on school grounds also add to the problem. Cleber says that as parents they could do a much better job of taking care of their children. As part of the trial involving the Nunes family, the children were tested by 16 teachers in a variety of subjects. Cleber says they passed with very high scores and then were ordered to undergo a mental examination. "The psychologist reported that they are mentally healthy," he says. Yet despite the growing evidence against the charges, the judges refused to drop the case. One of the judges ruled that the test scores should not even be considered because the quality of public schooling versus home schooling was not on trial, and that home schooling can never replace public school. According to Cleber, that decision proves that the court is ignoring the welfare of the children, and that the real goal is to indoctrinate children in order to be controlled by the state. The Nunes plan to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, the Brazilian Congress is reviewing a bill that could legalize home schooling in that country. Cleber hopes his case will help show that home schooling is a legitimate form of education and that there are alternatives. Cleber adds that the "American people are doing a good job on this issue." He acknowledges that home schooling in America is a growing movement, and shares that he looks to the U.S. with hope that Brazil can follow that example.
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