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Lawmaker Wants Tighter Regulations For Home Schooling

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WBBM) -- Hundreds of home-school rights activists are expected to rally in Springfield Tuesday, against legislation that would require home-school children to register with the state.

As WBBM Newsradio 780's Mary Frances Bragiel reports, Illinois State Sen. Edward Maloney (D-Chicago) believes the state's oversight on home schooling is weak. He says the point of the legislation is to make sure the nearly 50,000 home-schooled kids in Illinois are, in fact, receiving an education.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Mary Frances Bragiel reports

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The legislation would tighten the registration requirement for those who are educated by parents or guardians.

Some parents are crying foul, as are some groups, including the Illinois Family Institute.

"What is the purpose of registering home-school students in the state of Illinois, if not to try to dictate or regulate their curriculum?" said executive director David Smith.

Smith said current ACT scores for home-schoolers show they are testing above average, although he concedes there are some exceptions.

The United Republican Fund has also come out against the bill. Executive director Dennis LaComb said in a news release that it "strips away parents' rights to choose their children's education. Any legislator that considers themselves proponents of limited government and individual rights cannot support this political overreach."

Critics say similar legislation was introduced more than a decade ago, and it was immediately defeated.

A hearing on the issue is scheduled for Tuesday, and testimony is expected from both sides.

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