On Wednesday, the Chamber of Deputies approved the main text of the bill proposing homeschooling. If passed, it will become official through an amendment to the Law on Educational Guidelines and Foundations (LDB).

From the perspective of a diverse and inclusive education, the danger of a bill like this lies precisely in limiting our students’ opportunities for socialization. Families bear responsibility for their children’s education, but we cannot overlook the importance of the social environment that school provides, the state’s responsibility, and the opportunity to observe, interact, reflect, learn, and relearn from those who are different from us.

Furthermore, we must consider that, due to inequalities, many families lack the resources to provide their children with a complete education on their own. And will this affect concerns about the quality of education in schools? In my opinion, it certainly will.

Schools serve a social function. An education focused on diversity empowers the individual. Transformation through education requires an understanding of roles and of economic, ethnic-racial, gender, territorial, and generational dimensions. The more comprehensive and effective the assessment of these situations, the greater the likelihood of improving educational policies.

Allowing homeschooling in basic education (preschool, elementary school, and high school) poses a threat to all the progress we have made through legislation, public education policies, investments, and funding. Not to mention that complementary and supplementary education programs address a range of needs among students throughout our country.

Janine Rodrigues is an educator, writer, founder of Piraporiando, and one of the leading authorities on diversity education in Brazil.