The
Choice to Home School
Today
in America, over seven million children are educated at home. In the wake of the
school killings at Jonesboro, and more recently, at Columbine High School, more
and more parents are making the decision to home school. Some parents educate
their children at home because they feel that the quality of education that is
available in the public school system is inadequate. Still other parents choose
home school out of a feeling that the public school system is sorely lacking in
qualified and concerned educators, who in spite of years of post secondary
education, certification and accreditation, bring with them to the classroom the
preconceived ideas, notions and prejudices that affect most of us in society.
While a great number of parents home school their children out of concern for
their safety, a desire for a better education, or the desire for their child to
have teachers who genuinely care for them and their well being; the majority of
children are home schooled because their parents wish to impart on them the
moral values and personal beliefs by which they should govern their lives.
The
education of an individual does not merely consist of reading, writing,
mathematics, science and the academic subjects that the state deems "a
complete education." An individual is shaped by his or her social
interactions, familial environment as well as the greater community. Our
children must make decisions on a daily basis that may seem trivial to us as
adults, but in the formation of their social conscience, individual
responsibility, and spiritual well being, can be monumental. Whom one sits with
at lunchtime, plays with at recess, or even converses with for a few moments in
the hallway, can immediately lock a child into a group, which in turn, locks
that child into a role. Children live up to our expectations, if a child is
expected to be a troublemaker, eventually, a troublemaker is what he (or she)
will be. A child who is accepted into the "A" group or clique is
disadvantaged as much as the child who is not. The child who is accepted will
eventually carry out behaviors that will keep him or her in that group, while
the child who is not part of the group will either try to become a part of the
group or will suffer at the hands of its' members. Either way, how they have
treated another, or have been treated has an impact on their psyche. We live in
a society in which importance is based not upon one's character, but upon one's
financial standing, not upon righteousness, but upon popularity. It is the
"A" group or clique, but on a much larger scale.
Teachers
are, without argument, the most underpaid and unappreciated people in our
communities. The measly salaries that we pay those who are charged with the
education and development of our children, demonstrate the skewed priorities of
this society. Many Americans no longer think twice about the exorbitant salaries
that we pay to professional athletes, but will grumble bitterly about a 4% raise
for teachers. It is this imbalance that causes teachers to become uncaring and
bitter, and justifiably so. By no means are all teachers unqualified or
indifferent to the education of our children, but even the most diligent, the
most caring, the most professional teacher has his (or her) limitations. In a
good scenario, better than most schools actually have, a teacher will have
fifteen students in his (or her) classroom. It would be nearly impossible to
give each child the attention they need, and it is impossible to give all of the
students equal time. How then, does a teacher decide which child to pay more
attention to, and which child less? Would they base their assessment on skill
level? On personality? On parental involvement? Race? Religion? Economic status?
Parents
who choose to educate their children at home come under attack from many sides.
We are questioned about our motives and our qualifications. We are accused of
segregating our children, giving them a substandard education and depriving them
of a social life. The first thing I always say to detractors is that, no one
loves a child more than the parent. Therefore, no one wants better for that
child than his or her parents. Home school parents are some of the most
meticulous and diligent teachers to be found, for the simple fact that it is
their own child's future that they hold in their hands. When you home school
your child, there is no one to blame for their failures, no one to blame for
their shortcomings or inadequacies. It falls squarely on your shoulders. Home
schooling children is no easy task, and not one to be undertaken lightly.
The
beauty of educating your child is that their development does fall squarely on
your shoulders. There is great freedom in being able to choose what and when
your child learns different concepts. If your child is 8 years old, but can read
at a fifth grade level, he (or she)
may read at a fifth grade level. He (or she) does not have to wait for
the class, he (or she) is not bored doing work that he (or she) has already
mastered. The teacher, the parent, knows exactly what her (or his) child knows
at any given moment. In addition to the academic subjects that the child must
master, and please-- make no mistake, your child will be tested, she (or he)
becomes completely educated in the eyes of the people who love her (or his) the
most, her (or his) parents.
For many families that home school, the decision was based on their own moral and “spiritual” beliefs. “Spirituality” and religion are different things, one can be religious about watching the same television show on Thursday nights. A religious person is not necessarily a “spiritual” one, and vice versa. “Spirituality” is much greater than visiting a building on a designated day of the week, it is part of who you are, and is incorporated into your way of life, it is the measure by which decisions are made, from what you eat and where you live to what you wear and whose company you keep. If a family is indeed centered on “spirituality”, why then entrust its most valuable members, the children, to anyone or anything that does not coincide with that family's belief system? Home schooling is not for everyone, it is a task that must be undertaken with love, patience, dedication and support. Home school families are continually criticized and judged, however, any family who keeps the development of the children into complete beings at the forefront will be successful. PEACE