SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline)-Parents do not need teacher certification to teach their own children at home following a change of legal opinion issued by the California state Appellate Court on Friday.

The victory for home-schooling organizations reverses the court’s previous opinion issued in February, which organizations viewed as a ban.

Supporters argued the ruling could seriously damage the growing business of home schooling, while impinging on a parent’s right to choose the course of education for their own children.

The court’s latest opinion on the subject states, "California statutes permit home schooling as a species of private school education."

With an estimated 166,000 children currently being home-schooled in California, the impact of the decision and the potential precedence for other states to follow suit posed a significant threat to the industry as a whole.

"This is a great victory for home-school freedom," said Home School Legal Defense Association Chairman Mike Ferris, who was part of the legal team that argued the case in court.

Friday’s ruling seemed highly unlikely following the initial ruling, he said.

"It is unusual for an appellate court to even grant a petition for rehearing as this court did in March," Farris said. "But it is truly remarkable for a court to completely reverse its own earlier opinion."

Jerry Brown (D)

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