::NOBREAK::

(Read Jack Malvern's entry on our newsdesk weblog to find out more about Home School).

The Graduate told the story of Benjamin Braddock, an idealistic but aimless graduate who is seduced by an older woman — the infamous Mrs Robinson. Benjamin finds a sense of purpose when he falls in love with Mrs Robinson’s daughter, Elaine, who becomes engaged to another man. In the final scenes Benjamin interrupts Elaine’s wedding by pounding on the church windows. He and Elaine escape their pursuers, including the furious Mrs Robinson, by sliding a crucifix through the handles of the church doors and fleeing on a bus. Home School picks up the story about a decade after Benjamin and Elaine escaped from California. They are married with two chidren and have settled in upstate New York — to be as far away as possible from Elaine’s mother. Mrs Robinson has been such a pest that the Braddocks have obtained a restricted-access order to keep her away. Benjamin and Elaine are also at odds with the local education authority, having withdrawn their children from school to educate them at home.

(Benjamin meets the school principal.)

Besides Benjamin, there were just two others at the meeting in White Plains. One was Frank Anello, superintendent of schools for the district in which the Braddocks lived. The other was Ralph Champion, the principal of Hillside Elementary School, which Matt and Jason Braddock had attended until three years ago. They were waiting for Benjamin in Superintendent Anello’s office. After a secretary in the outer office had shown him in, the others rose and shook his hand, then resumed the chairs they had occupied before his arrival.

“We were just commenting on that terrible flood in Iowa,” the principal said as Benjamin took the remaining chair. “Have you been watching that on the news?” “I have.”

“Devastation on that scale,” the principal said, “breaks your heart.”

Superintendent Anello cleared his throat and nodded at the principal, who pulled his chair closer to Benjamin’s and, looking with a slight frown at the carpet, said: “Ben, we’ve had some reaction in the community to the home-education experiment you and your wife are conducting.” Benjamin nodded. “I guess your wife — Elaine, is it?” “Elaine.”

“I guess she reviewed the conversation I had with her.”

“What were the reactions?” Benjamin said.

“Of the community?” “If you could be specific.”

Principal Champion pursed his lips, then unpursed them. “Well Ben, I’m afraid some of our parents — and our boys and girls — are having a little trouble adjusting to the home schooling.”