Advocate: Home-Schooled Kids Should Have Access to Oprah's Contest
by Jim Brown
February 8, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Daytime TV star Oprah Winfrey is under fire again, this time from home education advocates. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has asked the influential talk show host, actress and media entrepreneur to stop excluding home-school students from an essay contest she is sponsoring.The contest is currently restricted to high school students in "in a public or state-accredited private or parochial school." HSLDA president Mike Smith says the contest, which will judge essays on the book Night by Elie Wiesel, should be opened to home schoolers as well.
"Home-school students are participating in a lot of contests now, nationwide -- in the Geography Bee, in the Spelling Bee," Smith points out. "What we're hoping is that, as time goes on, there will be a natural reaction [by sponsors] to say, 'Whenever we have a contest, we better make sure we include all the students out there, including those that are being home schooled.'"
The head of the HSLDA says he has written a letter to Winfrey on behalf of some of the association's members, urging the popular media magnate to drop the contest's restriction against home-educated students.
"Certainly in the future we would like for Oprah to know that there's a group of students out there, two million of them -- and maybe 200,000 or 300,000 would be in the age group that could participate in this little essay contest," Smith notes.
Many of these home schoolers would undoubtedly like to take part in "Oprah's National High School Essay Contest," the Association spokesman contends, "and what she's done now is basically excluded them. They have no way of participating."
Smith says the Oprah Winfrey organization has so far refused to commit to including home-schooled students in future contests. Winners of Oprah's National High School Essay Contest this year receive an expense-paid trip to Chicago (along with a companion), two days and one night of hotel accommodation, and an opportunity to attend a taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
