Coming from the position of Minister of Education, Prime Minister Holness withdraws his children from public school and starts homeschooling them.
Contact: Jeremiah Lorrig, Home School Legal Defense Association, 540-338-5600
PURCELLVILLE, Va., Nov. 29, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and his wife, Juliet, recently decided to homeschool their children but have faced public criticism. Homeschooling has been a growing movement in the last three decades, but there are some who still look down on the approximately 2 million children whose parents have joined the movement.
Before becoming Prime Minister, Andrew Holness was Jamaica's education minister for four years, and he continues to hold that position concurrently with the office of Prime Minister. Although Holness has worked to improve the public education system, he has indicated that his experience underscores his belief that education must accommodate different learning styles.
Homeschooling is a growing international educational movement. Families are discovering this form of education as they seek alternatives to the more institutional public and private education systems. In the November 24 edition of the Jamaican Observer, Mrs. Holness said that she wanted her children to have a more well-rounded educational experience and not have to spend as much time as publics school require doing mundane schoolwork. These are among the many reasons that over 2 million American children and hundreds of thousands of others around the world are homeschooled.
Academic research and real-world experience show that children who are home educated demonstrate exceptional academic and social outcomes. Michael Donnelly, Director of International Relations for the Home School Legal Defense Association, commended Prime Minister and Mrs. Holness for their decision to homeschool their children saying "We hope that their example will encourage many others to explore the joy homeschooling for themselves."
Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms. Visit us online at www.HSLDA.org
