# FILE NAME: 00000494.soc
# TITLE: Should the state subsidize parents who choose to homeschool their children? [331fae420c1063107f482f7bb6da3c95]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 4
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - No, parents have the ability to access the education service but choose not to. Education is free in the UK and therefore I do not feel that any subsidies should be given as they are not contributing to it anyway. If they are subsidized that all tax payers without children should also be subsidized.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - In general, the group was opposed to the idea of subsidizing parents who choose to homeschool their children. A number of reasons were put forward including that if a parent is choosing to keep their child at home, they do not need the money, they have chosen to keep their child at home so therefore they do not deserve to receive the money, and if a parent chooses to keep their child at home they do not need to use the public services. The participants did also point out that there may be cases where a child is very sick and can’t go to school so in those cases, it may be appropriate to subsidize the parents. Conclusion: Therefore, after considering all of the opinions, and the pros and cons of the issue, the group decided that they do not think that parents who choose to homeschool their children should be subsidized by the state.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - The state should not subsidize parents who choose to homeschool their children. As much as the parents may have good intentions they are not qualified to teach their children on a wide range of subjects, schooling will be poor and as such, a waste of money. This money would be far better used for schools who can make better use of the funding, for example, you can purchase 1 book which 1 homeschooling child would use for £20, or you could buy 1 book for £20 which 10 children freeing up funding for other materials. In this exercise, the word "should" was used to assess whether or not the consensus view of the group matched that of the individuals. The graph below shows the word "should" being used when a consensus view was presented and that the graph peaked at 100% when the consensus matched that of the individual participants.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - The state should not subsidize parents who choose to homeschool their children. Schooling is a fundamental part of the childhood of most individuals in the UK. It is a place where children can learn, grow and explore. It is the place where we are encouraged to think, to question, and to enquire. As such, it is a very important part of life. It is therefore the responsibility of the state to ensure that children are provided with the best possible education and learning environment. As such, it is not right for the state to subsidize parents who choose to homeschool their children, as they are not contributing to the education of the next generation of citizens and thinkers. It is the responsibility of the state to provide education, and this is not the responsibility of parents, however much they would like it to be.
2: 3,4,2,1
1: 1,2,3,4
1: 4,2,1,3
1: 1,3,4,2