Education - Part II

"Jack from Jersey" pointed out that I didn't really say where I stand on this issue, so I will try to lay it out. It is a delicate and difficult topic to write about; delicate, because nobody who has school-aged kids can be neutral on the issue - to take a stand on one of the three major modes (public, private, or home) is by definition to stand against other parents - often good, godly, and intelligent parents - who have chosen otherwise; it is difficult to write about because there is just so much that could be said, so many angles from which to approach the issue. I'll attempt to be brief.

Let's start by being idealistic, and work toward realistic. Idealistically, our kids would be educated by qualified, gifted, godly Christian teachers who excel in their respective academic disciplines, integrating a Christian worldview into every subject; who motivate students to learn, who appropriately discipline them when they are out of line, who model and teach what it means to live a godly life. This would take place in a school full of other kids who exert positive peer pressure on our own, with an evident spirit of Christlikeness and a shared passion for ministry; this school would offer many extracurricular activities, without imposing too significantly on a family's own time, would allow students to advance academically at their own pace,and would, best of all, be free. There could be more, but this list will do for now. I would go to great pains to send my kids to this school, although it shouldn't be that difficult, since this school is free. Realistically, however, this school does not even exist -I know of no school even close to this. Therefore, parents have to choose which of these criteria are most important, and thereby make their decision.

A few caveats before I lay out where I stand; first, money will make the decision for some people, for better or for worse. Private/Christian schools are expensive, and not all families can afford it; we certainly could not right now. I wouldn't, however, trade Christian education for my kids for a new Hummer for me. Secondly, you have to weigh the availability and quality of schools in your area. A small, rural high school (say, Fairview) would be easier for me to consider than a large urban school (say, Saginaw High). If your area doesn't have a good Christian school, then that really isn't an option either. Thirdly, if considering home-schooling, you have to consider whether you have the time, energy, or skill to teach your own kids at home. "A student will not be above his teacher," Jesus said, so if you struggled in school or find learning difficult you might be well-advised to solicit the help of an established school with credible teachers to educate your kids. Furthermore, a mother of several young kids might find it almost impossible to teach her 5-year old if she's got three younger kids running around the house. This is no small difficulty, and one I've given some thought to, without any satisfactory answers yet.

Having stated my criteria, and then my caveats, I would like to suggest that homeschooling is the best option for those who are able. I would never have said this 5 years ago, and the chance exists that, 5 years from now, when Owen is old enough to go to school, and we (hopefully) have a couple more kids, that I'll change my mind again, but I doubt it. The only thing that might possibly change my mind is the presence - in whatever town we're living in 5 years from now - of an excellent, reasonably affordable Christian school, and I'm of the opinion that such a creature is rare: if not extinct, at least endangered. There are some that are reasonably affordable, but few that are excellent, and almost never both. Public schools, despite the convenience, are fraught with enormous risks, greater than I am willing to take right now. Many great Christians have graduated from public education, and many more may in the future. But many have also made shipwreck of their faith, and the public school is a godless institution: not relatively so, but categorically and structurally so, save for the influence of some christian students and teachers, which, although not negligible, is itself structurally marginalized. This risk, which I think is undeniable, is nonetheless greatly mitigated if parents are actively and aggressively instilling biblical character and a biblical worldview in the hearts and minds of their kids at home, and if such teaching is being reinforced in the church. However, a family that neglects this kind of aggressive and purposeful spiritual formation in the home, and then sends their kids to a public school, which will pursue an aggressively secular formation in their hearts and minds, is (in my estimation) taking a reckless and foolish risk.

Well, there you have it, although I could say much more. I may make a later post on some of the things that I think are (theoretically, at least) great about homeschooling. Since the only people that will read this are friends, I want to say two things in closing. First, I'm really hoping not to offend anyone - I don't have any kids in school yet, so I'm just contemplating decisions that many of you have already had to make in reality, which is certainly more difficult. Secondly, though, I'd like to humbly and gently suggest that it is possible to make a poor decision in this matter, whichever of the options you in fact choose. Everyone does have to make their own decision, based on their location, finances, family situation, etc.; but, it doesn't follow logically from that that any decision is as good as any other. As individuals, we need to think carefully, examine the motives behind our decision-making process, and pray for wisdom. As churches, I think we need to give careful thought to how we can help families in these matters. Parents (at least those who will read this post, if anyone has made it this far) want to do right by their kids in this matter, and the church should consider how it might advise and assist.

As always, thoughts and criticisms are welcome!