Death to Homeschooling!
I know people have strong opinions (myself being chief among them) but good grief. This tirade against homeschooling seems to go over the top. And I'm not even a big fan of homeschooling.
I am often at odds with fellow Christians regarding education, primarily because I have a different focus on the issue. Many people that I know that choose not to send their kids to public school primarily do so for two reaons: worldly influence upon their kids and lack of discipline. I don't disagree that these are worthy considerations; afterall I actually believe that there is a place for "sheltering our kids". However this misses the point of what a school's primary objective is, or should be. Certainly education must be primary. If a school isn't educating kids, is it even a school?
It is for this reason that I reject the argument that Christians must send their kids to public school. For the most part, public schools in this country are a complete failure. (I am more than happy to debate this issue, as most members of my family and many of my friends have been teachers). Are we to sacrifice our kids education in order to be missional? If so, I would argue that there are many places to be missional other than a school.
In defense of homeschooling, I think that it is a misrepresentation to assume that homeschooled kids have little if any interaction with other kids. While in some cases that may be true, most homeschooled kids I have known are extremely involved in outside activities that put them in touch with many kids not like them.
Now that I think about it, I was probably more in an "evangelical cocoon" when I was in public high school than many homeschooled kids today. Almosts all of my friends at school were either from church or were in Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
I guess I don't like it when someone says that you must send your kids to a certain kind of school or you mustn't send your kids to a certain kind of school. At the very least though, remember what a school's purpose is: EDUCATION.
I am often at odds with fellow Christians regarding education, primarily because I have a different focus on the issue. Many people that I know that choose not to send their kids to public school primarily do so for two reaons: worldly influence upon their kids and lack of discipline. I don't disagree that these are worthy considerations; afterall I actually believe that there is a place for "sheltering our kids". However this misses the point of what a school's primary objective is, or should be. Certainly education must be primary. If a school isn't educating kids, is it even a school?
It is for this reason that I reject the argument that Christians must send their kids to public school. For the most part, public schools in this country are a complete failure. (I am more than happy to debate this issue, as most members of my family and many of my friends have been teachers). Are we to sacrifice our kids education in order to be missional? If so, I would argue that there are many places to be missional other than a school.
In defense of homeschooling, I think that it is a misrepresentation to assume that homeschooled kids have little if any interaction with other kids. While in some cases that may be true, most homeschooled kids I have known are extremely involved in outside activities that put them in touch with many kids not like them.
Now that I think about it, I was probably more in an "evangelical cocoon" when I was in public high school than many homeschooled kids today. Almosts all of my friends at school were either from church or were in Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
I guess I don't like it when someone says that you must send your kids to a certain kind of school or you mustn't send your kids to a certain kind of school. At the very least though, remember what a school's purpose is: EDUCATION.
posted by Dignan at 12:04 PM Permalink
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