Article appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 6/8/2008
You see them at the grocery, or in a discount store.
It's a big family by today's standards - "just like stair steps," as
the old folks say. Freshly scrubbed boys with neatly trimmed hair and
girls with braids, in clean but unfashionable clothes follow mom
through the store as she fills her no-frills shopping list.
There's no begging for gimcracks, no fretting, and no threats from mom.
The older watch the younger, freeing mom to go peacefully about her
task.
You are looking at some of the estimated 2 million children being home
schooled in the U.S., and the number is growing. Their reputation for
academic achievement has caused colleges to begin aggressively
recruiting them. Savings to the taxpayers in instructional costs are
conservatively estimated at $4 billion, and some place the figure as
high as $9 billion. When you consider that these families pay taxes to
support public schools, but demand nothing from them, it seems quite a
deal for the public.
Home schooling parents are usually better educated than the norm, and
are more likely to attend worship services. Their motives are many and
varied. Some fear contagion from the anti-clericalism, coarse speech,
suggestive behavior and hedonistic values that characterize secular
schools. Others are concerned for their children's safety. Some want
their children to be challenged beyond the minimal competencies of the
public schools. Concern for a theistic world view largely permeates the
movement.
Indications are that home schooling is working well for the kids, and
the parents are pleased with their choice, but the practice is coming
under increasing suspicion, and even official attack, as in California.
Why do we hate (or at least distrust) these people so much?
Methinks American middle-class people are uncomfortable around the home
schooled for the same reason the alcoholic is uneasy around the
teetotaler.
Their very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an
indictment of our lifestyles. Those families are willing to render unto
Caesar the things that Caesar's be, but they draw the line at their
children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and
effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of
defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return.
Just as the jealous Chaldeans schemed to bring the wrath of the king
upon the Hebrew eunuchs, we are happy to sic the state's bureaucrats on
these "trouble makers." Their implicit rejection of America's most
venerated idol, Materialism, (a.k.a. "Individualism" ) spurs us to heat
the furnace and feed the lions.
Young families must make the decision: Will junior go to day care and
day school, or will mom stay home and raise him? The rationalizations
begin. "A family just can't make it on one income." (Our parents did.)
"It just costs so much to raise a child nowadays." (Yeah, if you buy
brand-name clothing, pre-prepared food, join every club and activity,
and spend half the cost of a house on the daughter's wedding, it does.)
And so, the decision is made. We give up the bulk of our waking hours
with our children, as well as the formation of their minds,
philosophies, and attitudes, to strangers. We compensate by getting a
boat to take them to the river, a van to carry them to Little League, a
2,800-square- foot house, an ATV, a zero-turn Cub Cadet, and a fund to
finance a brand-name college education. And most significantly, we
claim "our right" to pursue a career for our own "self-fulfillment. "
Deep down, however, we know that our generation has eaten its seed
corn. We lack the discipline and the vision to deny ourselves in the
hope of something enduring and worthy for our posterity. We are tired
from working extra jobs, and the looming depression threatens our
401k's. Credit cards are nearly maxed, and it costs a $100 to fuel the
Suburban. Now the kid is raising hell again, demanding the latest Play
Station as his price for doing his school work . and there goes that
modest young woman in the home-made dress with her four bright-eyed,
well-behaved home-schooled children in tow. Wouldn't you just love to
wipe that serene look right off her smug face?
Is it any wonder we hate her so?
Sonny Scott a community columnist, lives on Sparta Road in Chickasaw County and his e-mail address is sonnyscott@yahoo. com.
Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 6/8/2008, section 0 , page 0
Ha! That's great! I was a homeschool kid too, at least in elementary. It was probably one of the best things my mom could do for me!
I was listening to a show on Reach FM titled "Public School and the Christian child" (or something along those lines). I'm pretty sure my child(ren) is(/are) going to be either homeschooled or going to a private Christian School. But whatever the Lord wills. That was really good though. Americans complain that they can't afford this or that but are buying fast food/eating out multiple times a week. How many times have we looked at a full cabinet/pantry/refridgerator/freezer saying "there's nothing to eat." We as Americans need to change alot of things about our lifestyles.
Homeschooled homeschooler...and I see the insanity of the culture...
I'm a bit in disagreement with this article. For one thing, the more religious a family's reasons for home schooling, the lower the academic standards appear to be. My parents home schooled me through third grade because my mom wanted me to get a good education. I plan on doing it with my children because 1) NC is 1st in flight and 49th in education and 2) The state allows Home schooled children equal opportunity at all extra-curriculars, so if I can give my son a better education and he still has all the "Social opportunities," why on earth wouldn't I? But we had home schooling friends who talked about the evils of public school all the darn time. One such family had 7 children, 5 of whom were home schooled. When the oldest of these was 16, none of the 5 were capable of reading beyond a third grade level, had no knowledge of the scientific or mathematical worlds, let alone any sort of history, and their "budding musicianship" was little more than being able to play a few chords on Dad's guitar. statistics have shown that a high school dropout who is intentional about home schooling his/her children will get better results than a public school filled with PhDs, but I think we often discount just how many un-intentional home schoolers there are. The family in California WAS one such school, not to mention the State's truancy laws call for all children under 16 to attend school, no exceptions. The State Supreme court all but told the Legislature to amend the law, but in the mean time their hands are tied. Also, in regards to second incomes being necessary: Between day care/child care, a second car, "work clothes," the added gas, insurance, phone bill, and the high likelihood of an increased food bill due to a lack of preparation time, the average two-income household with one child spends enough to have that second income that in order to be earning just an extra $100 per month, the secondary income would have to be a full time job that paid over $8/hour, or $16640 gross/year. For a two child home, that number jumps to around $20,000+, just to break even. It's really not worth anywhere near what people think it is. If you're Michelle and Barack Obama, I suppose it pays off, but really the only people benefitting from a second income are people who would be able to subsist comfortably off of one, but just want more money.
@Romans_837@xanga - "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us," I can do the dance if you like
Comments (4)
Ha! That's great! I was a homeschool kid too, at least in elementary. It was probably one of the best things my mom could do for me!
I was listening to a show on Reach FM titled "Public School and the Christian child" (or something along those lines). I'm pretty sure my child(ren) is(/are) going to be either homeschooled or going to a private Christian School. But whatever the Lord wills. That was really good though. Americans complain that they can't afford this or that but are buying fast food/eating out multiple times a week. How many times have we looked at a full cabinet/pantry/refridgerator/freezer saying "there's nothing to eat." We as Americans need to change alot of things about our lifestyles.
Homeschooled homeschooler...and I see the insanity of the culture...
statistics have shown that a high school dropout who is intentional about home schooling his/her children will get better results than a public school filled with PhDs, but I think we often discount just how many un-intentional home schoolers there are. The family in California WAS one such school, not to mention the State's truancy laws call for all children under 16 to attend school, no exceptions. The State Supreme court all but told the Legislature to amend the law, but in the mean time their hands are tied.
Also, in regards to second incomes being necessary: Between day care/child care, a second car, "work clothes," the added gas, insurance, phone bill, and the high likelihood of an increased food bill due to a lack of preparation time, the average two-income household with one child spends enough to have that second income that in order to be earning just an extra $100 per month, the secondary income would have to be a full time job that paid over $8/hour, or $16640 gross/year. For a two child home, that number jumps to around $20,000+, just to break even. It's really not worth anywhere near what people think it is. If you're Michelle and Barack Obama, I suppose it pays off, but really the only people benefitting from a second income are people who would be able to subsist comfortably off of one, but just want more money.
@Romans_837@xanga - "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us," I can do the dance if you like