public schools

false dichotomy.

true for home schooled kids as well

has nothing to do with socialization

 

You could swing it if you treated it as if it was a life or death situation. Most people who criticize homeschoolers don't really understand what it means to homeschool. There are all kinds of resources available these days that make it possible for almost anyone to do.

 

Many worry about indoctrination from the public school, what about the indoctrination that comes from the homeschooling crowd? Shouldn't that be considered equally as dangerous? Perhaps more so since it is shrouded in a air of religious certitude?

 

I'm not talking about blanket statements about other families, I am making a blanket statement about other Christian families who should agree that we are called to raise our kids in the way of the Lord. If Christian homes would be bold enough to take a stand and remove their kids from the government run public schools then you might see a drastic change in this country for the better. But as long as we just throw our kids to the wolves because we don't think we are smart enough or rich enough to teach them ourselves then the public schools will continue to get worse and worse.

 

Huh?

 

So are you a Christian or not? If so aren't you certain about what you believe?

 

Many homeschoolers are fundamentalists who interpret the Bible in very legalistic, repressive ways and pass that on to their children. Many of these children are more scarred than many public school products.

This is not the case as often as it once was, but there are many homeschoolers like this even today. Just being around them is toxic and abusive.

 

Thats interesting but hasn't been my experience. Are you talking about the Fred Phelps crew and others like that?

 

Wow, quite the thread.

Jaigner, I hear what you are saying. It is not limited to Christians. Many religious cults insist on homeschooling to isolate their children. But that is not typical of homeschoolers.

As I said earlier this is a decision for parents to make. Any broad judgments are incorrect.

If a family feels they can’t afford it than they shouldn’t homeschool. It is a matter of priorities and theirs are not where a homeschoolers should be.

Public school isn’t free either. When we mainstreamed our children we were shocked at how much “free” public school cost us. Starting with lunches and chorus uniforms and athletic fees. Then we had fund raisers and yearbooks and field trip fees. Our lunch fees are $2.50 per child and with four kids that is $10 per day or $50 per week. Add that up.

 

So that would be a no from you then?

I am worried about the fundamentalist, legalistic indoctrination that takes place in the homeschool environment. Homeschooling is held up as the great hope for the children of the future, I'm not so sure. Especially as it is tied in some strange way, by some (Al Mohler) to being a better Christian parent. That thinking is as dangerous with implications that are destructive to both faith and education.

 

I'm going to sound like a hypocrite here, and maybe I am.

I don't believe public schools are okay for the children of Christian families.

However, I send my children to public schools and I teach in them.

I didn't send my birth kids when they were young, (waiting until high school with one, end of middle school for the other two) but my stepchildren are young (I remarried) and were already enrolled in public school when I married their father. I did not go against the decision he made for his children.

We cannot afford private school and I believe I gave my birth children a strong educational foundation based on Christian concepts and they will always carry that with them. However, I hate the environment and the false foundations that subjects, especially science and history, are based on in the public schools in our area.

I am not capable of teaching them all of their subjects at the high school level. I would fail them at math and higher subjects that require math, such as advance biology and chemistry.

So...they go to public school. I can look at each child and see both positives and negatives of it, and I see how it has the capacity to tear one down while it has the capacity to make another stronger. Each child is different and some are more easily influenced than others.

I gotta say we gotta do what we can for each of our circumstances and work within those circumstances for the best possible outcome.

Still, I have to say that yes, I believe Christian families should educate their children on the rock of a solid Christian foundation. Sorry, but no, public schools don't offer that and the rare ones that do still have major problems with the curriculum once you reach higher levels. Many think they have the one and only great public school, but unless you work there in every single class, you don't know that. I was amazed at some things that I was clueless about and things that the kids were inadvertently exposed to just by being there.

I suppose that leaves people wondering why I keep them in public school when I feel so strongly that it isn't good for kids from Christian families to be educated in public schools.

I do it because I screwed up when I was younger. I did poor in high school and I rejected Christ for years. By the time I was pregnant with my first, I was still an atheist and still pretty uneducated.

So now I struggle to make that up, but screwing up when I was younger means I can't provide the best for my children. That never occurred to me THEN, of course. Now I know and hope that if any younger people on here read this, they will prepare themselves NOW for the future. Until you have children of your own, you can't imagine the pain a parent feels when they realize their mistakes affect their kids, and the love a parent has for a child is so intense that until it happens, it's about impossible to understand how deep that pain can cut when you know it's your own fault for the choices you made in the past.

 

What are you talking about? It's apparent you don't know any real live homeschoolers. You obviously are sold on the public school indoctrination system and have preconceived notions about homeschooling.

I don't know who Al Mohler is, nor do I think one who homeschools is a better Christian parent. But I do think that for a Christian parent, Teaching the kids at home would be the obvious choice.

 

You dont know who Al Mohler is, and you are posting in a baptist only forum? :laugh:

thank God for the priesthood of the believer concerning these kind of subjects.

 

As a homeschool parent, I'd like to see the public school system go back to what it was in the early 1800's in rural America. The townspeople got together and formed a board and hired a teacher, who conducted class in a one-room school. Kids learned to "socialize" with other children of ALL ages, not just the ones with birthdays in the same school year as themselves.

The teacher was a respected member of the community, well known and thoroughly scrutinized in every action. Children were expected to learn, obey, and become responsible adults. The teacher taught this and it was reinforced at home. The teacher was expected to attend church and live a moral lifestyle.

Nowadays the public school system is a joke. We have tons of tax dollars pouring into the pockets of administrators and people who do NOT have our children's best welfare in mind. We have teacher's unions and dumbed-down teaching, bratty kids who disrupt and make it hard for others to learn, and parents who refuse to support the teachers. We also have godless people teaching godless curriculum, and living vile lifestyles in front of the children.

 

Yep I'm go to a Southern Baptist church and I didn't know who Al Mohler is. I checked though and now I know who he is. Looks like he is SOMEBODY for sure. From his resume if Baptists' had to elect a Pope I would definately vote for him.

Your priesthood of the believer comment is another one of those short "one liners" that I just don't get.

 

Well Said :applause:

 

I think the majority of the time a parent spends with their child is much better than the hours the public school will spend.

Just curious, what is it about the Homeschooling crowd that you think is bad?

As well, the any negative indoctrination has more opportunity for my family to combat.

 

You don't even address the issue. What about the lady whose husband dies and is left with no means to support her children. She has to work two jobs to support them. Is she commanded to homeschool? What about a family whose wife is mentally handicapped due to an accident and the father works shift work in a factory and they cannot adequately homeschool their family? What would you do for them? I think this falls onto the church, but our churches are currently not equipped for these challenges.

Sometimes, like with Daniel who was educated by Babylon in their religion and ways, you have to trust God because situations are horrendous.

For 90% of the families out there, I believe they should either homeschool or private school. However, for the other 10%, they have few options.

 

I aggree. Obviously if you are in a coma you cant homeschool, but like you said the majority of Christians are quite capable.

 

From what I've seen in the private schools, I'd rather public school my kids if I didn't homeschool them. At least you expect the world to act like the world. If my kids are going to see evil, I don't want them to see it coming from other "Christians." Many private schools are worse about clicks and peer pressure than the public schools I've seen.

We are capable of doing much more than we think. Ten years ago I wouldn't have dreamed I could homeschool. I made every excuse in the book, but I've learned that if God calls you to do something, He will equip you to do it! Over and over He has provided the funds, resources, encouragement, etc. for us to homeschool. It hasn't been a walk in the park. We've had to get creative and make sacrifices and learn discipline. There are days I would love nothing better than to dump my kids off on someone else all day so I can have a break--but God gives me the strength to get through. Where there's a will, there's a way, because God will make a way if it's His will.

I say this to ENCOURAGE, because I think we have been conditioned to accept failure or limitations, and some parents feel trapped about having to public school their kids. Know that homeschooling CAN be done if you really want it.