I see your point. Basic literacy is a good thing, and necessary in a teacher, right? So how could this minimal standard be wrong? I think this view is dangerously naive in the field of political reality.
A test like that is not going to be drawn up by some impartial party interested solely in the education of children. It's going to be drawn up, directly or indirectly, by the NEA. The NEA's motivation is to outlaw homeschooling, because it is a threat to their members.
It would be the equivalent of having the Democratic National Committee draw up a basic civics test before any Republican Congressmen can be seated. Basic civics is a good thing, right? So how could such a minimal standard be wrong?
The other obvious problem is that every study I'm aware of shows homeschoolers outperforming those in government schools. Wouldn't common sense dictate that perhaps the basic literacy test ought to be applied to the underperforming public schools before applying them to the better performing homeschooled?
Camel...nose...tent.
Sure, the poor ignorant parents might miss getting qualified in
"THE EVILS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION",
"CONDOMS FOR KIDDIES",
"GAY PRIDE, 1 TO 69",
"ISLAM'S MORAL SUPERIORITY", and
"HOW CAPITOLISM IS DESTROYING THE EARTH".
I can see why this sounds logical to you, but there are a couple of issues. First, what gives the state the right to determine that parents are incapable of educating their own kids? These are not the state's kids. Second, who deterimines what the test will cover? There's a lot of 'new age' crap being foisted upon students getting education degress that has nothing to do with truely educating a child. I wouldn't want to see parents being 'required' to have basic compehension of that kind of nonsense.
We as citizens do not owe the state anything in regards to our educational level, or the educational level our children must attain. As a teacher, I would hope that every individual parent and child would opt to become life-long learners, and enjoy many years of learning... but... allowing the state to mandate what we learn, how long we are required to learn, who may or may not teach (outside of "their" schools), and where we must go to school is absolute foolishness. It is sad that we have let the politicians and unions get as much control as they already have. Giving them more, especially considering the record they have piled up on the national scale, is worse than foolish... it's an open invitation for ever-increasing bureaucratic control over every aspect of our lives from a very early age.
The use of force to stick your nose into someone else's business is a basic problem. It is none of the state's business.
Not to mention, their certified "teachers" are mostly illiterate and incomprehensible.
Who would determine what was on this test? It would have to be a peer, wouldn't it? Literacy could possibly mean something different to an Amish person, who speaks using a different speech style and reads different types of things than the mainstream.
What about a Wiccan? Perhaps that Wiccan doesn't want to teach their child anything but organic gardening using the phases of the moon. If you allow the State to come in and dictate what the person is required to learn, you might as well hand your child over to them, since you don't get to determine it anymore.
It comes down to freedom and parent's rights. A parent is solely reponsible for the education of their child (or lack of.) This is not an area the State has any authority in, until you hand your children over to the State.
Many people who feel that the State must have authority over the children of free people think it's so the child doesn't grow up ignorant and thus being on the government dole. I don't believe we'll see homeschoolers pounding down the welfare doors. There are plenty of State-run public school gradutes doing that.
Why should they have to pass anything when the government screwel teechers don't even have to pass (and most could not pass) the High School proficiency test?
How about: What would be so wrong with a state requiring a citizen wishing to exercise free speech to pass some sort of basic literacy/comprehension test?
Feel free to add any other right in this sentence.