by orsorama
We have always home educated our children, except for a brief foray into GradeK-1 for our eldest daughter. Having said that, let me state that I am not of the view that says ‘everyone-should-homeschool-because- it- is-the-only-way”. I am not against school, but I do think that it is one of the most important decisions you can ever make in your life… rather in your child’s life.
Over the years I have tried to be patient with every one who has genuinely asked, “Why do you homeschool?” I believe that most of us have been so deeply indoctrinated by the world that we honestly can’t see what is wrong with the public school system. But like I have written elsewhere, I do not have all my ducks in a row– I don’t have it all together.
Our lifestyle is one that we deliberated upon and prayed over and researched together and so I know the ‘why’ of what we do. I’d like to know why you do what you do. I want to ask you the reader, this question. I don’t ask in anger nor with any malice. I really would like to share in your thoughts. I promise to be gentle, as I hope you will be too.
Previously I have asked homeschoolers why they chose to homeschool… but now I’d like to hear from public schoolers.
If you are a parent and a Christian and you send your children to a public school then please take a few minutes to leave a comment.
Why do you not home educate your children? Why don’t you homeschool?
I’m a homeschooler, but I’ve asked this question before of state schoolers, and by far two answers are the most common among the people I’ve asked
Professionals need to teach and unless they’ve studied teaching parents won’t know how
Or
So that my children can be a light to the others in their class/school/peer group and bring them to Christ.
I take serious issue to the second one, a tree needs protection from the elements like wind, sun and rain, while it is young or it will be destroyed and die. That tree must be exposed to each element, but in a controlled and limited manner, for it to grow healthy. But once it’s old enough to bear fruit of it’s own, it can tollerate the hot sun and flooding rains, and the wind itself is often what brings out and spreads those seeds to create new children in christ. I apply this analogy not only to our children, but to the young in Christ.
Having said that, others don’t feel that way, and the most notable advocate I’ve known of children being light in their schools was a conservative presbyterian pastor! There are also major movements in Australia (Youth Alive and Exo Day to name the two I was once involved in) which push to an extreme the idea of children saving other children.
Hi Abba,
Yes, I think you have picked up on two common points. As a long term homeschooler I can remember my thoughts and beliefs many years ago but they seem so foreign to me now. Much like a public school parents may feel about the homeschool philosophy, I imagine. That’s why I’m really curious to hear from the Christian public schoolers. 🙂
Thanks Abba, 🙂
I homeschool & the usual reason I hear for people putting their kids in school is that they couldn’t stand to have them around all day every day. Close 2nd is that their kids wouldn’t work for them. I used to work as an aide & the amount of wasted time on any given day is in the hours. Actual teaching time is maybe an hour & a half a day! Out of what? 6 hour days? And the literacy level in our state is horrendus. My kids can at least read well ~ even my super dyslexic ones. One of the primary reasons we now homeschool is what I saw when working & how much time I had to put in outside school hours anyway to stop my kids falling through the cracks in the system. I have got pretty impatient with people complaining about the system when they won’t make the effort to either be involved themselves or do the job properly themselves. No, it’s not easy ~ especially if you have, as I do, a super bright but non~academic child. Worth it? Absolutely!
Thanks Ganeida, for sharing. Appreciate it 🙂
Why publice school INDEED!!!.Well dear Susan, I’ve been asking myself that question for the last 2 1/2 yrs & everyday is a big heavy ordeal for me as I send my 7yr old ds to public school!!…As you know, dh has chemical sensitivity and therefore needs constant watching in case of collapsing, etc. We have one car between 5 of us to share & for me to h’school ds, this would mean we would have to somehow work out a miraculous way of sharing the car for Tafe, work, & h’school outings…which causes a problem. Because my ds has always wanted same age children’s companionship.Hence the public school system…Many of the h’school groups are far away & this makes it hard for me to join in their ongoing activities for ds. SO I’ve regretfully given in to sending him to secular schooling. As of the last 5 weeks, I have been back & forth having meetings with his teacher & principal in regards to his , wait for it—- DEPRESSION, NIGHTMARES, VOMITING, and this is not from sickness.It is because of the constant shouting of the teachers in the school, the ongoing bullying of other children (because ds’s strategies of games take too long to do and remember!), the misunderstanding attitude of the teacher towards his way of working out math problems & forming of sentencing(my ds loves elaborating with expression) etc. Now he begs me not to send him to school, & only this morning(saturday) he cuddled up beside me & asked,”Mum why are we even living for every day?” I calmly asked him, “Would you rather be dead & not alive sweety?” He said, “Yes, I’d rather be in Heaven with Jesus & all the family than in this ugly world with mean people…..”
I’m sorry I’m so blunt with this but why should a 7yr old child in this day & age be having such dreadful thoughts as these? ….It’s pushed us to the limit. After all this, the teacher wants to meet so we can agree on ‘some kind of plan to make education better for him, for her and for the school…” Well, I have a plan……HOMESCHOOL, HOMESCHOOL, HOMESCHOOL!!! WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Oh Lina,
That is a hard one… because I am aware of your family circumstance. Have you asked your hubby? What does he say about it all? (Not that you have to answer here nor to me )
I’ll say that when we had one of daughter’s in school I found it very difficult to undo all the negative attitudes that I saw emerging in her. I won’t blame the teachers or other students… but she was obviously not strong enough to handle all that the school system would throw at her. Problem is… how many children are strong enough? Often it is a case of ‘Survival of the fittest’ and that is horrible.
But I believe that homeschooling an ‘only’ child, and not even getting out to all the hs events will still be better than the school alternative- academically, but more so spiritually and emotionally.
http://susanpriolo.com/blog/2009/05/27/only-but-not-lonely/
Know that I’m praying for you today as you head to the school…
Good question, Susan. I’m interested to know the reasons too, and you have inspired me to go searching around some other Aussie Christian bloggers and see what they say about their choice of schooling.
So far, I’ve found a slight cultural bias – Sydney Christians seem more willing to send their kids to Public School – and then support the school community (over Christian Schools, at least) than Melbourne Christians. They do see problems in the Public system (eg subtle persecution of Christian kids) but are willing to get involved in the school and maintain a Christian presence. These parents are not forgetting their responsibility to teach their own children the faith, in fact they see choosing Public education as a good reminder that the kids are learning academics at school but NOT their faith, so parents need to be diligent in the home (contrasting with the hypothetical parents who choose a Christian school and then slack off their own faith teaching because the school and church must have it covered, or the hypothetical homeschooling parent who thinks that protection from worldly influences is enough and neglects to actually prepare their child to meet the world) .
Hey Rebecca,
Wow you did your homework! That’s great. I love to see that rather than just ‘public school bashing’ which can sometimes happen in our circles. It doesn’t often but the tendency is there. KWIM?
What you shared remind me of a post I wrote about being emotionally absent. Even though I was homeschooling and had the children with me all day, every day, I was not *with* them. How is that better? I don’t know if I would answer that. Thankfully, God dragged my sorry butt out of that- He picked me up and slapped me down again.
Emotionally Absent: http://wp.me/p1IRp0-aB
I think the key is to recognise homeschooling as natural extension of parenting but it isn’t the only option available. However, what is NOT optional is being *intentional* and *deliberate* in our roles, regardless of where we are.
Bloom where you are planted!
Thanks so much for your visit!
I found a really good one!
http://168hrs.blogspot.com/2009/10/why-we-dont-homeschool.html
If you’re interested, Susan, this is a great post explaining one (Australian, Christian) family’s decision to enrol their kids in Public Education over homeschooling. Not an anti-homeschool rant at all, btw 😉
Thanks fro that Rebecca! A very interesting read…
Some great thoughts and discussion here everyone. Thanks all for sharing but feel free to share this post around and ask your non hs friends to drop by with their thoughts. 🙂
When my daughter began school I hadn’t heard of homeschooling or met any homeschooling families. I always had the idea that my children would go to a Christian school like I did, but there wasn’t one nearby. I remembered the exhaustion of traveling 90 minutes each way every day and really wondered if that outweighed the benefits. When she was school age there were five children in our church all starting at the small local primary school, so it seemed the logical step.
I became quite involved in the school, taught Scripture there and made sure we kept up with family prayers and Bible study at home. The local church had Sunday School and an after school club, so I felt she was getting plenty of Christian input.
My son was a different story, he and school did not mix from day one. God is amazing though, Within two years of him starting school we went from not having heard of homeschooling to knowing three homeschooling families. It took another horrendous year before my hubby was convinced (he still isn’t 100%) and we gave it a go. In the beginning I was still very “school” minded. It was going to be a short term thing, until he had got up to the right level and had regained confidence. Four years later I am loving it and wished I had known about it from day one.
I just wanted to add that the friends from church Eleanor started school with back in 2000 are now scattered about, one (Eleanor) even living in a different continent, yet they are all still close friends who keep in touch regularly. Sorry Susan, I know that is of topic, but I have always thought it was special.