Socialist French President François Hollande is unhappy with the "inequality" of education in his country.  He thinks it's unfair that some children get schoolwork help from their parents at home while others don't.  To address this perceived injustice, Hollande plans to ban all homework in French schools and force all students to complete their work at school.  In typical socialist fashion, he wants to "foster educational equality" not by raising performance standards and increasing educational opportunities for everyone, but by punishing those children whose parents take an interest in their education and dare support them at home.

As reported by France 24, President Hollande pledged last week "to ditch homework" for all French children as part of his latest socialist reforms.  His wide-ranging changes are "aimed at improving standards for over-worked French pupils, especially those in disadvantaged areas."  Hollande justified his actions by claiming that an "education program is, by definition, a societal program. Work should be done at school, rather than at home, in order to foster educational equality for those students who do not have support at home."

The socialists in France believe that "it takes a village," and only a village, to educate a child.  Parents have no business butting in.  Families should not give their progeny any educational advantages outside the school confines.  This is, after all, the birthplace of socialist and communist ideologies.  Bourgeois principles such as traditional families, involved and caring parents, individual achievement, personal responsibility and accountability, and the ability to freely pursue one's dreams cannot be tolerated. 

In typical communist fashion, Hollande is promoting the "equality of outcomes" mentality that underscores the envy of other and class hatred themes so prevalent in Marxism.  Rather than strive to implement the more ethical, just, and fair "equality of opportunities" ideal, French politicians would rather sacrifice the educational opportunities and welfare of all its children in the interests of the socialist definition of "equality." 

This latest education reform spectacle in France showcases the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of socialism.  In the delusional view of leftist ideologues, good parents and stable families have no right to support their offspring's education.  Their children must be prevented from unfairly getting any educational advantages over other students from "disadvantaged" households.  However, parents who are derelict in their duties and fail to educate their children will be protected and rewarded by the state.

As Winston Churchill so rightly proclaimed, and as millions of French citizens will again experience firsthand, "socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy[;] its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."

Chris Banescu regularly blogs at www.chrisbanescu.com and www.orthodoxnet.com/blog.