Ask yourself a few questions...
- How well do you know the people, students and staff and teachers, that your kids are spending the bulk of their day with?
- How familiar are you with the curriculum your kids are being taught from? What is the worldview it teaches from?
- What will your kids hear or learn about God today other than hearing His name taken in vain 100 times?
- What are you doing in place of educating your kids today and is whatever you are doing more important than raising your children?
I am not saying you are a bad parent if your kids are in the public school right now. I am asking you to give some serious thought to what that means for your children.
Is it an issue of money? If you are an intact, two-parent family are you really financially further ahead by having both of you work? Are the goods and services you purchase with the extra money worth the cost to your child?
Is it an issue of ability? Because honestly you are probably as capable as most school teachers to teach most subjects and you are far more familiar with your child and far more flexible than a classroom full of 30 kids can be for 40 minutes a day. One of the great advantages of homeschool is the ability to be flexible with scheduling and style.
Is it something you have even thought about? Is your decision to send your kids to the government run, secular public school a decision made because you can't afford a private Christian school? Is it just what you do? Being a Christian parent supersedes being a citizen of the United States.
The stewardship of parents over their children is one of the most precious and solemn given to a Christian. At the very least it deserves prayerful thought and consideration. Before you put your child on that bus, make sure you know what you are doing and why you are doing it.
6 comments:
My kids attend public schools and I don't think someone homeschooling their child is any better a parent than one who sends their child to a public school.
You would be amazed at the parents behind the scenes advocating for the kids and advocating for change.
Jamey, I didn't say I or anyone who homeschools is a better parent than one who sends their kids to public school. Did you consider the questions I raised? Why public school? What are your kids learning? My goal is to have people give some thought to these issues and not just stick their kids on the school bus because the government says so.
I read your questions and maybe I just don't understand where you are going with them. As a parent who sends their children to public schools, I am very aware of the questions you have raised. The first thing you see when you walk into our public high school is a framed picture that says, "In God We Trust". You can't help but see it when you walk through those doors. And I believe that any parent can teach their children about God, regardless of where they attend school.
IMO, I honestly feel that you are judging those parents who choose to send their children to public schools.
Jamey,
Are you basing your decision on a framed picture? It says “In God We Trust” in the school entrance but in practice God is not mentioned. So what exactly are they trusting God to do? Empty expressions of civic religion cannot replace parental responsibility to raise children.
It is my contention that a secular public school is an inappropriate place for parents to send their children to spend much of their waking time for their formative years. They are taught in a setting where God is denied because He is not mentioned. Education is inherently not value neutral. It is either supportive of the faith or it is detrimental to the faith.
I do understand what you are saying Arthur and you make some valid points. On the other hand, some of the things taught in churches today are questionable.
I have met some homeschooling parents in our community and they have never tried to get know us because we don't homeschool. They act like they are more godly. If someone is that against public schools then why don't they do something about it. Maybe they could help another family homeschool who doesn't know where to start or maybe they could offer some free homeschool classes in their church that sits empty most of the week. Complaining and acting more righteous about something does not change anything, action and compassion does.
Jamey,
Those are fair comments. There are plenty of churches teaching all manner of screwball doctrines. I am a firm believer that the local assembly should have as one of its focuses the equipping of the saints for ministry, and part of that is to equip parents so that they can train their children themselves instead of relying on Sunday Schools for religious training and public schools for the rest. There also can sometimes be an "us versus them" mentality among homeschoolers. I hope that you can look beyond the flaws of homeschoolers (including and especially me!) and see the benefits of homeschooling!
Post a Comment