Tim Challies has just finished a two part series entitled “Why I Do Not Homeschool.” While it may sound hostile towards homeschooling what he is really doing is describing his own thought process in making a decision regarding his children. He is calling for parents to think carefully about their decisions and to be faithful as parents. The series is helpful in guiding us in how to think about those who make different choices than us and it is certainly provokes thought on the subject. The following is a taken from his concluding thoughts.
I think it is important to note that, in any educational choice, work remains to be done. Homeschoolers have to be deliberate about building bridges to the community and neighborhood. They have to deliberately seek ways of inviting unbelieving children into their homes and finding ways into the homes of unbelieving families. They have to seek ways of building credibility with those who live around them, of building community with them and of finding ways for their children to learn to witness to others. With those of us who choose to send our children to public school, we must be deliberate about understanding what our children are learning, interpreting it for them, and ensuring that they have a Christian worldview that allows them to filter these things themselves. We must ensure that they understand their sin and see that it is only the Holy Spirit that makes them any different from the other children in the school. In either case, academic education is only the starting-point for building a life that honors God and fulfills His commandments and commission.
“Why We DO Homeschool”
Our thought process in the decision-making regarding homeschooling certainly took into account many of the points Mr. Challies mentions: building bridges to our community/neighborhood, seeking ways of witnessing to unbelieving children, and building credibility, to name a few. However, our choice also includes the invaluable decision to omit one step in the public schooling choice: reteaching. Isn’t our time more valuably spent by educating through the eyes of God’s word and His creation rather than from a non-biblical position and then having to “debrief” after school hours? Even in a Christian school, you cannot guarantee good, biblical teaching. Another factor we truly love is having the time in our day to spend with unbelieving families — time that is all too often wasted in classroom settings. (You know what I mean if you’ve ever volunteered in your child’s classroom! Have you ever timed how many minutes a day they spend “lining up”? Yikes!) It is our desire, as I hope it is in most homes, to do the very best we can do for our children — after all, isn’t that what God commands us to do in Proverbs 22:6? “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” It is our desire to rise to God’s standards rather than excuse our poor choices and lower the standards. Praise God for a free country in which to raise our children up in the Lord! (Tim, you didn’t think I’d let this go by so easily, did you?:)
History lesson for today for those who are home schooled as well as those in alternative educational processes:
Jesus was home schooled, and His mother was pro life
There’ll be an open-book test later!
Ah, so it was thought provoking- undeniable poorf- Challies’ post was indeed thought provoking! This is good to hear.
Katy, thank you a ton for letting us know why you do homeschool. Let me point out here what I think is perhaps the most valuable part of what Challies said- you thought through it and have reasons for doing it. It isn’t just something you do because the people around you were doing it or because it was the default thing to do. You do it because you are seeking to honor God and be faithful as parents. Thank you!
Thank you also for giving us some additional aspects to consider when making decisions about our children’s education- namely time, varrying quality, the issue of reteaching, and freedom for ministry. We could probably add to this even more factors to take into account.
One thing that I think could have mistakenly been taken from the post was the idea that public school was somehow inherently better than homeschooling. I hope that you didn’t take it that way. I enjoyed being homeschooled myself and am immensely grateful for the education that my godly mother provided for me. Public schooling is not inherently better than homeschooling. Homeschooling is not inherently better than public schooling. The fact is that there can be no objective, timeless and transcendent statement of this sort one way or the other. This is one of those issues in which their is freedom- yet in that freedom our constant goal is to live before God for His glory.
One more thing that may be helpful and stir more edifying discussion. Katy, for families who homeschool and those who do not, maybe you could share what you guys have found to be effective in reaching out to and getting to know unbelieving families.
Anyone else have thoughts on this topic?
I always KNEW there was that “something special” about you, Tim! It’s nice to meet other “grown up” homeschoolers, isn’t it? Although our social skills are quite obviously lacking, we’ve done okay, haven’t we?
Sorry for that joke. I always smile to myself at that first question from anyone who hears we’re homeschooling: “But what about their social life?”
I also am truly grateful for a mom who selflessly spent those many years homeschooling my sister and me — and a dad willing to be the sole breadwinner. I am a true believer that homeschooling is not a panacea — just like you can’t memorize the bible by sleeping with it under your pillow each night, your children will not grow up with a Christian world view without endless hours of parenting to the best of you God-given ablilty. To Him be the glory.