Parents—Not Schools—Must Be in Charge of Their Children

Families, not government institutions, are the foundation of society, and parents should be trusted to guide their children’s upbringing and education.

A parental rights advocate raises a sign during a school board meeting in Orange, Calif., on Sept. 7, 2023. Mei Lee/The Epoch Times

Commentary

Earlier in March, the U.S. Supreme Court had to step in and reaffirm the basic reality that parents, not schools, must be the primary decision-makers for their children. In the Mirabelli v. Bonta ruling, the court determined that the California law, which barred schools from telling parents about their child’s claimed gender identity, violated parents’ constitutional rights—both their First Amendment free exercise rights and their 14th Amendment rights to make decisions about their children’s upbringing.