I’d like to point everyone’s attention to Harper’s Magazine’s cover story for the month of September.
“Against School” is John Taylor Gatto’s damning indictment of the public education system. Although most everyone is familiar with the outcome of public education, the origins of compulsory schooling is much more esoteric.
Born of Prussian ideology and early industrialization, public schooling was the perfect antithesis to democratic thought. Through a system of reflexive learning, forced conformity, standardized testing and artificial socialization, it is no wonder why children’s critical thinking abilities are constantly immolated.
This is just one reason why we have chosen to homeschool our two daughters. I simply cannot, in good conscience, hand my children over to the state for 12 of their most impressionable years. I am convinced that what they can learn from us, and our support group, will far outweigh the drivel they would consume in our local “education” factories.
I am not shy when talking about my intentions. I am lucky enough to live in a state with some of the most liberal home school laws on the books. But even here, I am confronted with a myriad of reactions when I inform people, usually as a result of their inquiry, that my wife and I will be homeschooling our children.
The responses run from “Wow! I could never do that!” to “You can’t do that!” to “Good for you!”.
Fist, “Wow! I could never do that!”. Sure you could! More and more people are homeschooling today. In fact, it is estimated that nearly 4 million children now receive their education at home. This is astounding as not more than 15 years ago, homeschoolers were being carted away by the authorities for breaking any number of state sponsored laws. With more and more parents getting intimately involved in their child’s education, states are losing ground in any number of legal battles. Overzealous prosecutors, and state politicians are getting the message that children are not, in fact, a commodity of the state. Children’s education and knowledge are by rights their own intellectual property. So, now is the best time to homeschool. Sure, sacrifice is needed on the part of parents. However, with the rise of homeschool associations and legal defense funds founded primarily to defend the idea of homeschooling, the practice is becoming easier as it becomes more widespread.
Next, “You can’t do that!”. This statement is most often delivered in a matter-of-fact tone, sometimes with a smirk, sometimes with a faint snarl. The reasons are legion. It creates a disadvantage for children who are schooled publicly. Your child will suffer from a lack of socialization (whatever the hell that means). You cannot possibly be smart enough to educate a child for 12 years. You lack any accreditation. Ad infinitum it goes.
First, I really don’t care about children in public education. They have parents to worry about them. I worry about my own children thank you very much. As for the tired old “socialization” argument. I love and respect my children so much that even though I am willing to sacrifice countess hours of my time, and a second income to ensure a solid education, in doing so, they will never leave the house, never interact with another child…blah blah blah… Our girls attend ballet lessons, they have play groups, they will be starting music lessons soon. You see, instead of being a target for any random psychopath our public schools, they socialize with other children with like interests, and they have fun doing it. Remember fun?
I am not a teacher. I hold not one teaching accreditation. There are subjects I am weak in. I recognize that and strive to improve myself daily. Homeschooling is a learning process for both parent and child. If I am uncomfortable teaching a subject (like mathematics for example), I will find a tutor or a homeschooling group to teach this subject for me. A great deal of work, to be sure. However, nobody ever said having children would be easy.
And that is the crux of the problem as I see it. Too many people have children without realizing the consequences involved. Why worry about their education? After all, the state takes care of that. Well, not in this house buster. My children will grow to become good citizens instead of just good consumers.
