Convictions

Hello again, dear readers, I was talking with a dear friend today, and she encouraged me to write down some of my thoughts, specifically those about which I am particularily passionate. So here goes!

First of all: public education Since WHEN did the government get permission to stuff our young children full of their personal worldview!?!?!? When did responsibility transfer from the family to the state?! Since when do parents only interact with the educators of their children on a quarterly or semi-annually basis?! When did parents LOSE the ability to dictate what is and isn't taught to THEIR OWN offspring!?!?!? As you might have guessed, beloved readers, this subject "gets my dander up," so to speak. I am so very passionate about the responsibility of families to educate children, and so very against the idea-that-is-present-reality of the government controlling the promotion of the worldviews that shape the next generation.

God set up the biblical model in the Old Testament: parents were to educate their children, from a very early age, about the Scriptures. Later, a local, family rabbi might further instruct students, but keep in mind that the rabbi was only instructing the children about more and more Scriptures and commentaries that were already discussed and taught at home!!! I think that now for our current situation, a homeschool co-op is one of the best models of God's model. The parents are the main educators of their children, but for some subjects that are not the parents' particular strong suit, another parent would step in and teach the subject.

For example, my mother is an English major, so I know English backwards and forwards. However, when I finished Algebra 1 and continued into Algebra 2 and beyond, my mother found another person, who shared our beliefs and convictions, to help me understand the mathematics that I now so adore.

However, I have found that I am the exception to the rule, rather than the rule. Most of my peers were educated at public schools, and all I can say is that I am grateful that I was not! My passionate dislike of public schools encompasses more than just the worldviews taught and the way that it contradicts God's model; I don't like that the teachers don't expect practically anything of their students!

Excuse me, but in "real life," as in after graduation, bosses and college instructors don't give assignments for you to do "if you have time..." or "if you want to..." or "if you feel like it..." Teachers and bosses tell you to do something and they expect it to be done on the time line they give you, and to the specifications that they require. But you never would learn THAT in a public high school!

Let me give you one example: a former co-worker of mine attended a public high school that has a reputation for academics. His senior English class was assigned a 5 page paper. My co-worker wrote 2 & 1/2 pages... and got an A. I asked him how on earth he got an A on a 5 page paper that was half the assigned length, and he shrugged and said, "At least I turned it in. Some kids didn't."

I ask you, readers, what do you expect of future presidents' inauguration speeches? Do you think they will stay the same length they are now? Do you think that there will even be speeches? How many of these future presidents will have college degrees? I don't even want to think about it!

Well, dear readers, this is only one of many subjects about which I am passionate, but I'm saving more for later. I hope you enjoy, and I hope that this causes you to ponder education in new ways, and to pray for leaders to rise up and speak out for biblically-based education.