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Two Articles on Public versus Home Schools
Submitted by David on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 17:19
What do we do with home-schoolers? Pastor Stein sees the Public Schools artifically inflating their graduation rates by having deadbeat parents "say" they will homeschool their kids. His response? Have the Government Regulate homeschooling.
McDurmon's personal critisism of Stein should be ignored unless you know Pastor Stein personally. His critique of what Stein says is spot on, though.
But then, that's the original issue, isn't it?-the Public school's drop-out rate. These kids were already drop-out material. The only reason they avoided actually sagging the drop-out statistics even further is because, allegedly, of the Public school unethically unloading them as fraudulent "home school" kids. No problems here! No drop-outs on our books! Please note two things:
1) These kids were already drop-outs as public-schooled kids. Their failure is the Public School's failure. Their failure is the State's failure.
2) Many of the flunkies would have ended up on social welfare programs anyway, however they were schooled. The only thing that has been improved here, then, is the Public School's drop-out statistic.
Think about it for a bit, part of the reason the schools are using this loophole, is because they have failed to teach the kids. The schools are regulated by the Government. So, how can you expect that extending that regulation to homeschools will help?
Anyway, that's not what I really wanted to emphazise. See this quote from McDurmon:
People worship God on Sunday, speak of God and family-then willingly herd their children into largely pagan asylums all day for five days a week. In these prisons of Statist corruption and vice, children are desensitized to everything about God and family. Christian parents willingly render their children to Caesar.
This is something that has puzzled me for a long time. Why do Christian parents send their kids to public schools? Public schools are some of the most profoundly un-Christian environments around. They teach things that directly contradict the Bible. They teach kids that it's ok to have sex outside of marriage. They teach that it's ok to lust after the same sex. They teach that your kids should keep their faith private and out of public life. They teach history in a way that ignores, and/or lies about, and/or minimizes Christianities influence.
I've heard parents say that they want their kids to be lights in the school for Christ. My response in my mind to that is very rude. How is it possible to believe that kids with little life experience, who are barely making their faith their own, to resist the un-Christian influence of the Public School system?
Think about it, how do you strengthen your faith? By spending time in God's Word, and by fellowshipping with fellow believers. Kids going to public schools spend most of their time fellowshipping with unbelievers, and sleeping. That is not healthy.
So, I believe that Christian parents should only send their kids to school if they can't homeschool them. And public schools should be the absolute last choice. It should be Christian schools first, then private schools, then any other options, then public schools.
I agree with you. I don't understand why Christian parents are so set on public schools, either, depending on their location. In North Dakota, where my husband grew up, they do things differently. They have higher standards than the rest of the country, and they are more likely to have Christian teachers in their schools that do not teach Evolution as fact. However, that is the exception, not the rule.
Expecting your children to be able to "evangelize" in public school is foolish. Youth groups at church don't seem to be able to keep the children in the pews, either. How can we expect our children to grow up in faith if we do not immerse them in it before they are old enough to be sent out on their own?
Which is more important? To be a math whiz, history genius, and science guru? Or to have saving faith in Jesus Christ? Our children don't have to grow up to be doctors and lawyers to be productive members of society. We need trash collectors and UPS truck drivers, too. What is most important is that they are grounded in Jesus Christ so that their eternal life -- the most important life they have -- is sure.
Great brief review. The idea of the government regulating home-schooling is laughable and defeats the whole point of home-schooling: to get away from government management of the system! If there is no evidence of actual home-schooling or there is evidence of schools lying about why kids dropped out, go after that issue, but do not regulate the whole system. As a long term home-school kid, with 3 home-schooled siblings, parents who sued the state of Texas (Leaper vs. AISD) and now a graduate of a top 40 law school, I am proof that home-schooling generally works. I find it offensive to suggest the overwhelming failure (up to 50% or more national drop out rate in some areas) should regulate the market whose success is far higher.
Good points! As I was reading your blog I thought to myself what a huge statement you made in such a simple response, noting yourself as a well educated man. The hard work of your parents has paid off.
I am a homeschooling Mom of three children. Homeschooling is not easy, and I will admit that I have my days when I want to quit, but then I remember that I would be throwing them to the wolves. But I really liked how you put it when you said, Public schools are some of the most profoundly un-Christian environments around. They teach things that directly contradict the Bible. They teach kids that it's ok to have sex outside of marriage. They teach that it's ok to lust after the same sex. They teach that your kids should keep their faith private and out of public life. They teach history in a way that ignores, and/or lies about, and/or minimizes Christianities influence.