Pulpit Magazine has opened the proverbial can of worms in asking how a Christian family should educate children. “Home, Private, or Public School?” it asks. The conclusion is essentially whichever one best suits your family, which in a general sense I agree with. I am not opposed to Christians sending their children to public schools. If I were to have “my way” in the education of other people’s children, it would be that parents would become more intentional about how their children are educated. This may be a false perception on my part, but it seems that many make this incredibly important decision based on how they were educated, the decisions their peer group are making and the test scores of the local school district. I think Pulpit could have crafted their argument a little better, something I may come back to later. All quotes are from the entry.
The greatest pitfalls of public education are the humanistic philosophies taught at the expense of biblical truth, ungodly teachers and classmates seeking to influence our children, and the absence of spiritual or moral considerations within the educational process.
Are they really? We talk about this aspect enough on our blogs, in forums and in person one might think that Christian homeschooling rests on a single foundation: the rejection of our culture and with it the public school system. While some rave about the godless system, other Christians with children in public schools might think some of us have become unhinged. Their apparent blindness to the “obvious” truths, however, may not be the fault of being “immersed in Pharoah’s culture” or however we want to criticize their disagreement. It may well be that some pressuring parents to choose homeschooling have overstated their case in this regard.
We have discussed this kind of rhetoric before as well as the problems it creates in explaining to others about homeschooling. Essentially, however, the argument seems to say to me that the public school system really is the preferable way to teach children, but since these “humanistic philosophies” have taken over, Christians have been forced to seek other options. To me, however, “Christian education” is not an alternative. It is something of its own, to be thought through and developed. It neither copies other systems, nor reacts against them. Instead, it forms its own theological and philosophical basis, with methodology to match. It isn’t a desire to control a child’s access to opposing views, but a fulfilling of the parental responsibility to raise his or her child. To what degree that may include public school may be debatable, but I would rather see more of a recognition that education deals with all aspects of child rearing, not merely a child’s performance on a certain subset of academic skills.
Also, some Christian schools lack the quality and depth of education that public schools can offer—and that can apply even to the basics…
I do not like vague, unsupported claims like this. Of course, not all Christian schools are created equal. What is meant by “quality and depth of education?” And how is this inherently more present in the public school system? The criteria for judging is interesting:
To make an accurate evaluation you’ll need to make inquiries about the curricula, programs, teacher training, and comparative test results of each school.
This seemed to me a logical fallacy in light of the entry’s main criticism of the public schools. If the problem with the public school is the humanistic philosophies present in the system, as this entry states, then why would we judge Christian schools by the same measures that system uses? When we are evaluating teacher training, are we looking at certification? To ensure that each teacher has been satisfactorily trained in an accredited program, which is going to emphasize the humanist foundations in education? Are we going to judge performance by test scores created by the state system we are supposedly rejecting? When we evaluate the programs offered, are we looking for a plethora of extra-curricula activities like “good” public schools provide? And just what are we looking for in a curriculum? Something that is truly Christian? Or something that promises test scores, with some scripture verses thrown in for good measure?
Remember that the ultimate responsibility for the proper education of your children rests upon you—the parents—not the school or the church (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Ephesians 6:4). Those two institutions are vital to a child’s overall development, but standards, convictions, and moral strength should be implemented at home.
This is perhaps the best statement of the entry, and I wonder how differently it would read if the author had started from this philosophical point and built up a case for educational choice rather than beginning with a criticism of the public system and trying to work backwards for a reason to allow parents to go ahead and make that choice anyway. In the concluding thoughts, I finally found a clear statement of the principle underlying the article that bothered me from the outset.
If high-quality Christian education is available and affordable, that’s usually preferable.
Christian education is usually preferable for a Christian family? This statement only makes sense if one accepts that education refers primarily to academics. Even then, what exactly are “Christian academics?” Learning to read? Learning to add? But education is about the whole child and how he is to be brought up. It is about “enlightening the understanding, correcting the temper, forming the manners and habits of youth and fitting him for usefulness in his future station.”
My conclusion may not be terribly far removed from that of the author, but I prefer to see a clearer delineation of terms and philosophies. Meaning that I believe a Christian education is absolutely vital in Christian families. The degree to which the parent wishes to “outsource” certain academic portions of that education to public or private entities is up to the parent based on need and the quality and accessibility of other options. A Christian education, however, should never be subject to the quality and availability of local schools.
And if it is truly Christian, its effects will be beyond measure.
[tags]homeschool, homeschooling[/tags]
Several years ago, I was very “into” the study of Christianity’s Hebrew roots. I learned several things that stuck with me. One of those things is that God does not compartmentalize. In the area of education, from God’s point of view, all knowledge comes from Him. For a believer, all of life should be separated unto God, including education.
For me, one of the essential problems with public school isn’t being under the influence of the ungodly, it’s that the government seeks to control what is taught, how it’s taught, when it’s taught. Government school is to produce “good” citizens and “good” workers.
My opinion on private schools is kinda poor, too. I have seen too many people with “bad” kids, who were no longer welcome in ps, seek to place their kids in a Christian school. The hope was that the school would straighten them out.
Again, this is mostly a parenting issue.
As I have said before, so say I know again- it seems to me that when someone becomes a Christian, their IQ drops several points. As if “OK, now I am going to Heaven so I don’t have to logically defend anything I believe.” They don’t even read their Bibles, but they’ll read books about the Bible. Uhm- why are you reading books about a Book you don’t read? Would you even know if the author was off his rocker? (the ‘you’ here is a general ‘you’, not a specific ‘you’)
I have posted on my blog how home education is just another way I can live out my Christian faith with my family. The public school system doesn’t have to be a cesspool of wickedness for me to believe that homeschooling is more consistent with Biblical principles of parents being the primary teachers and trainers in a child’s life. And I don’t believe that Christian schools are any better- many are public schools with a cross on the front door. They employ the same faulty methods of teaching that are employed in every other traditional classroom, and have the same groupthink and peer dependency issues.
If I were to have “my way” in the education of other people’s children, it would be that parents would become more intentional about how their children are educated. This may be a false perception on my part, but it seems that many make this incredibly important decision based on how they were educated, the decisions their peer group are making and the test scores of the local school district.
Ditto that. I’d just like to see parents not making major life-changing decisions by default. Some folks put more thought into what movie they are going to see this weekend than how they are going to educate their kids. If you ask parents why they chose public schools, they are thunderstruck- “What ELSE is there?”
If I hear “salt and light” one more time in reference to my kids not being in PS, I am gonna’ to put a hurtin’ on someone!
**If I were to have “my way” in the education of other people’s children, it would be that parents would become more intentional about how their children are educated. This may be a false perception on my part, but it seems that many make this incredibly important decision based on how they were educated, the decisions their peer group are making and the test scores of the local school district.**
I agree with much of this, but tend to feel that average parents in general don’t really get that intentional about education decisions; I feel much decision making is purely out of default; like you mentioned–based upon how they were raised.
I also question why so many homeschoolers feel/think/contend that most teachers in public schools are ungodly? My experience with this is the exact opposite: my 4th grade teacher was my church’s organist, my 7th grade social studies teacher was a long standing member of my church, my 7th grade Language Arts teacher was a Quaker, my children’s school nurse was a long standing member of my church, many of the school aides are members of our Catholic church, my son’s HSing coordinator is Christian church going woman. I don’t understand this generalization… or is it more of a rationalization on the part of Christian HSers? Or as you so eloquently stated, some are over stating their cause?
I also love how you bring into question using standards that public schools use to measure a Christian schools superiority! It does seem very contradictory when arguing superior choice.
Very good analysis! These foundational ideas are so important and so lost. Thank you for working to rebuild them by inspiring us with a glimpse of what education can and should be.
Yes, truly Christian education has effects beyond measure! Life is planted in the hearts of our children that will burst forth with love and liberty.
(I think I put the correct website url there.)
I believe home-schooling is best for my family right now. I live 1.5 blocks from the best public elementary school in my town. I can not say I believe home-education is the best for everyone.
However, I do believe a parent-directed education is best for everyone. Parents anymore so blindly turn their child over to the school system and expect them to raise and educate their children, while the parent sits back and does nothing. I have heard parents say, “It is the schools job to educate my child.” No, it is most assuredly the parent’s job to educate their children.
Parents also say to me, “Oh I admire you doing that. I could never teach my own child! It would drive me crazy.” Who taught her to walk? Who taught her to talk? Who taught her to tie her shoes and catch a ball? Parents begin teaching their child at birth, why hand them over for someone else to teach just because they are 5?
Christy, I agree. God doesn’t compartmentalize. That is why I think we need to change what our view of education is a little. There is so much more to it than just phonics and math.
Sunniemom, I think I disagree with you about losing IQ points upon becoming Christian. I think what you are seeing (and what I see as well), is just a cross-section of Americans. A lot of people hold to beliefs they do not really understand, but since we are historically a Christian nation, that is the belief that is easiest to reach for. Believe me, I know a few New Agers who I wonder about. Seriously.
And I agree with both of you that many Christian schools are not much different than public schools.
Shawna, some have had bad experiences, and a single bad experience speaks louder to an individual than a pile of statistics. For some, it has more to do with the system. It is a godless system, regardless of the faith of any of its members.
“Christian education” is not an alternative. It is something of its own, to be thought through and developed. It neither copies other systems, nor reacts against them. Instead, it forms its own theological and philosophical basis, with methodology to match.” BRAVO!!!!! BRAVO!!!! Well said.
Wow Dana! This is so excellent! As always you have given me food for thought! Thanks for making me think. ( :
While many of the classroom teachers and principals are committed Christians, by and large the higher level administrators and the professors in schools of education are hostile to Christianity. They are especially hostile to traditionalists such as Evangelicals and Catholics. They are big proponents of moral relativism and “constructivism” (the idea that there is no objective truth out there). They feel that the black-and-white nature of Christianity is “too judgmental” and often “hateful”. In the name of “tolerance”, they are highly intolerant of those holding traditional values.
This type of anti-Christian bias unfortunately too often finds its way into the curriculum of government-run schools
I am a public school graduate of public school teachers…soon choosing to homeschool my children. Please pray for me! :0)
Sunniemom, this made my husband and I laugh (in a sad tragic, but still funny way) “And I don’t believe that Christian schools are any better- many are public schools with a cross on the front door”
In my observations, the Christian School in our area is used by parents to “outsource,” as you said, both their children’s basic education and spiritual growth. Some of the worst, and I mean *worst* reputations in our little town are owned by Christian School students.
I sometimes wonder if it is all the so-called “Sunday Christians” who choose to go the CS route (again, I am generalizing my local area). You can’t expect your kids to become diligent disciples of Christ through a school, especially if nothing in your life lines up with His. His way is to lead by example, hence Deut. 6:4-7.
Good thoughts, thanks.
Excellent!!!
Dana- You are right- every group is made up of individuals coming from varied walks of life. My point is that one of the fundamental tenets of Christianity is to “study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. I don’t see that happening much. It is essential that Christians be “instant in season, out of season” and to be able to “give an answer to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in you”.
Rose- that was my ‘Christian school’ experience. There were a few Christian families there, but most were kids whose parents wanted their children in a ‘wholesome environment’, or who had troubled kids and considered our school some sort of reformatory. Out of the twenty in my graduating class, 3 girls were pregnant before graduation, 1 had an abortion in 10th grade, several kids were ’social drinkers’ and recreational drug users. I was assaulted more than once, and once sexually. I spent many an afternoon at the mall claiming to be studying for debate or a speech tournament. I still graduated with a 3.95 GPA. I have gotten in touch with quite a few kids who went to that school, and several homeschool now- like I’m surprised.
I would rather see more of a recognition that education deals with all aspects of child rearing, not merely a child’s performance on a certain subset of academic skills.
That bears repeating.
As a radical unschooling mom but not a Christian educator, this thread got me wondering whether an “unschooled” Christian education would be desirable or even imaginable, in which children were lovingly, respectfully parented but not diligently disciplined, schooled and indoctrinated in anything — not behavior, beliefs, academics, the Bible and religion or general character and values. Do you think they still could possibly end up as strong, lovely, moral, accomplished and well-educated Christian individuals?
In other words, take the child-led, unschooling approach to education, and apply it to whatever you consider a well-educated Christian young adult. Could they possibly fit together, do you think, if not in your home then in any home?
JJ,
I can only speak for myself, but my faith is now who I am- I can’t separate what I believe from how I think and feel any more than I can surgically remove an aspect of my personality or shed my skin.
Every parent teaches and trains their child based on what their philosophy of life. There is no such thing as the transfer of information in a perfectly sterile environment free of bias or personal perceptions. Even a radical unschooler who is not religious operates within certain boundaries of propriety and morality and priorities.
Of course we all have personality, biases, beliefs, perceptions etc. And mostly they do get imparted to (if not adopted by) our kids — but it’s that “teaching and training” part you throw in, the “schooling” part. That was the whole point I was questioning, because there’s no teaching, training or schooling going on in our home but we’re not focusing on religious education, so I was wondering if in Christian education, diligent schooling IS considered the only way?
Iow, it’s the educational method of imparting who we are and how to live to our kids, that I was wondering about. For example, I am the biggest book-lover and passionate writer you will ever find. Yet as a radical unschooling mom, I’ve never pushed that on my kids, never taught or trained or schooled them in reading, never assigned them a single page to read or a single sentence to write. I have never tested them on reading and writing or taught them the parts of speech and how to diagram a sentence. I don’t even take them to the library every week on some regular schedule, only when they want to go. We have never restricted videogames and tv until they did the day’s reading and writing, etc.
And yet somehow as teens both are passionate book-loving writers.
This is an honest question I don’t know the answer to, that’s all. Can Christian homeschoolers imagine Christian unschooling as one effective way of raising well-educated kids, or is there something about Christianity itself that you believe depends on “schooling” and teaching and training to impart?
Actually, JJ Ross, you bring up a fascinating question I cannot very well answer at the moment. It is something I’m not sure how to address, exactly. The last time I got into a conversation like this, the only real response was how ignorant I must be so I have been reluctant to speak about it. We can just say that the idea that certain principles of unschooling exist was rather rejected on the notion that it is an all or nothing thing. (Compared to vaccinating…you cannot adhere to certain “principled” of vaccinating a child, you either do or you don’t.)
I don’t have time now, but if you promise to bear with my through that and let me speak about certain principles, I’ll take some time later.
Gladly, Dana, thanks. I’m playijng with the ideas in my own mind already, imagining what Christian unschooling would be, if indeed there’s any such thing — some sort of WWJD maybe? — going on Oz-like “walkabout” meeting people and telling stories, and on occasion sitting under a tree pondering fascinating questions (like this one [grin]?) a la Socrates?
Ah! Mission trips would fit that, maybe?
Here, let me post this much. This is sort of the ideal in Christian education to me, but I’ll explore the thought further.
At least you can see how I teach spiritual lessons:
http://principleddiscovery.com/2006/09/30/the-bread-of-life-a-lesson-plan/
It isn’t schooling so much as it is modeling and being involved in continual conversation, developing the relationship. Because you cannot force anyone to be a Christian through any means.
It isn’t schooling so much as it is modeling and being involved in continual conversation, developing the relationship.
Very unschoolish!
JJ,
I think the disconnect is in the use of the words ‘teach’ and ‘train’. Because of our own experiences in school, we think of teaching as being some kind of separate activity involving force and restriction. Teaching takes place any time we model a behavior (like reading) or demonstrate a skill. We tend to think of training as system of rewards and punishments, when IMO it is about developing the ability to reason out why certain activities and behaviors are desirable, while others are not.
‘Teaching’ by example is a Biblical principle. The Bible deals very much with heart issues, as the thoughts and intents of the heart are the reason for our behavior, not the other way around.
1Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
I am not a radical unschooler- I suppose I am an eclectic/relaxed hybrid of some sort. I use what works for our lifestyle and toss what doesn’t. But I have not had a problem being a relaxed homeschooler and still remain faithful to Biblical precepts.
Most folks who have come out of the PS system tend to recreate ’school-at-home’. It takes time to deprogram or deschool parents just as much as the children. Christians are no different in this respect.
**They feel that the black-and-white nature of Christianity is “too judgmental” and often “hateful”.**
This SO WHAT describes me… and yet I am not anti-Christian nor God-hating. I have a strong relationship with God. My faith has been a part of me since I can remember.
I guess that is why these things raise such questions for me: I love my God and yet I see much judgement and intolerance in those claiming my same Christianity.
And I really like the question regarding unschooling in Christian families!
Sunniemom, maybe such a non-coercive, relaxed approach to thinking and reason is closer to real education and natural learning than schooling is, and actually MORE reflective of biblical precepts — wouldn’t that be a discovery?
Well, JJ, I think it is. Even though the Bible is known for its “Thou shalt nots”, those commandments are not just beneficial to others, but to oneself as well. I don’t want to be allowed to kill or steal from others, ’cause I don’t want nobody killin’ or stealin’ from me!
The Bible never commands one to be a mindless robot- there is verse after verse about how to build knowledge and wisdom- “line upon line, precept upon precept”, and how not not only gain knowledge, but understanding. Do you know how many times in the Bible people argued and reasoned with God? Have you ever read the Acts account of Paul standing before the most powerful world leaders of his day and defending himself against a death sentence? He makes The Dream Team look like toddlers throwing Legos.
Sorry- I get excited about the things I have learned reading the Bible and how it relates to our lives and its role in world history. SO cool, IMO.
Anyhoo, a ‘Christian’ education doesn’t have to look a certain way any more than home education needs to have a particular method or face. Christians, while bound by certain foundations of faith, are free to live their lives in an expression of their own enthusiasms. That is why a place like my church, chock full of very individualistic folks can be so cohesive when it comes to accomplishing a purpose. We endeavor to live out our liberties and yet still serve a ‘whole’ in a unity of purpose. Picture 14 women in a kitchen happily making dinner for 400 people, and having a great time doing it. IT’S A MIRACE! :p
Which may explain in part why some Christian groups got to the ‘forefront’ of the homeschool movement as they did- it wasn’t IMO a conspiracy or plot to take over the HS movement, but just Christians being themselves about something they believed in.
Oh well. I was hoping for an inroad on the conspiracy, Sunniemom. : )
JJRoss, I’ve spent enough time contemplating an answer, I decided to just make it a post. What I planned to post will be as relevant next week as this. But that get started after I finish doing what I’m supposed to be doing right now. : )