The Indiana House advanced a bill this week to prohibit state employers, colleges and universities from making prospective employees or students take extra skill tests because of the type of school they attended.
In Indiana, students from nonaccredited and nonpublic schools, like homeschools, are not required to demonstrate any skills or proficiencies to receive a high school diploma.
HB 1348 says a high school diploma is legally sufficient to show someone has met all requirements to graduate high school, regardless of how they were educated.
Rep. Tim Wesco (R-Osceola) is the bill’s author. He said the bill will prevent discrimination against people who were homeschooled.
“One of the largest law enforcement agencies in the state denied an applicant on the basis of their homeschool diploma, even though this applicant had a college degree from Ball State University. And this happened more than once,” he said. “This is what this bill is addressing.”
Rep. Vernon Smith (D-Gary) said he is very supportive of parents’ choice to homeschool their children. He said he has seen many cases where it was incredibly beneficial for children’s education.
However, he said he also knows about cases where parents pulled their children out of public school to homeschool them, but those children ended up babysitting younger siblings or only receiving religious education.
“And that’s why we have laws, for the exceptions,” he said. “And believe me, there are a lot of exceptions.”
READ MORE: How do I follow Indiana’s legislative session? Here’s your guide to demystify the process
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Smith said students at accredited high schools must follow a framework to ensure they learn about certain topics and develop particular skills. He added that it is not unreasonable for homeschool students to demonstrate their skills since it is vastly unregulated by the state when compared to schools that receive accreditation.
“If there’s proof in the pudding that you’re doing well, why shouldn’t you be willing to submit yourself to an exam to prove it?” he said.
The bill passed the House 62 to 29. It now moves to the Senate.
Kirsten is our education reporter. Contact her at kadair@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair .
