Statism and Homeschooling Horrors

Statists exalt in raw power, and delight in stripping away anything which stands between big government and the naked individual. Thus things like the church, or voluntary societies, or the family – often referred to as mediating structures – are targeted by the statists.

Complete control with no competing authority structures is part of the statist’s vision. Every aspect of life must be controlled by the all-encompassing state, whether it is entertainment, the media, the arts or education. Indeed, we find just this spelled out in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four (written back in 1948).

It was a prophetic look at Big Government, and written when godless communism was providing a living example of all-consuming totalitarianism. And Big Brother’s Ministry of Truth was set up to control these very areas. Parental education is replaced by state education.

The state really becomes God: “At the apex of the pyramid comes Big Brother. Big Brother is infallible and all-powerful. Every success, every achievement, every victory, every scientific discovery, all knowledge, all wisdom, all happiness, all virtue, are held to issue directly from his leadership and inspiration.”

Turning parent against child and child against parent is also part of how Big Brother maintains his iron grip on power. And we saw all that perfected under communism last century. Just think of the Stasi in East Germany for example. There can be no loyalties outside of the state.

No independent thinking can be tolerated. So whether in fiction or in real life, all totalitarian states seek total control. And taking over education is a key part of this. When the Marxists came to power they of course clamped down heavily on all education. The state must decide what is correct education, not the parent or the church.

Thus the Nazis banned homeschooling back in the thirties. Indeed, “one of the first acts by Hitler when he moved into power was to create the governmental Ministry of Education and give it control of all schools, and school-related issues.

“In 1937, the dictator said, ‘The Youth of today is ever the people of tomorrow. For this reason we have set before ourselves the task of inoculating our youth with the spirit of this community of the people at a very early age, at an age when human beings are still unperverted and therefore unspoiled. This Reich stands, and it is building itself up for the future, upon its youth. And this new Reich will give its youth to no one, but will itself take youth and give to youth its own education and its own upbringing’.”

Even today all around the West we find an ongoing war on homeschooling. I have documented this on many occasions. And since it is often Christian parents who want to avoid the secular left indoctrination of the state schools who are doing the homeschooling, this is not just a war on freedom of thought, but a war on religion, religious freedom, and freedom of conscience.

Consider some more recent examples of this war. In Texas a Christian couple knows all about how Big Brother operates when it comes to the education of their children: “Four of seven children who were forcibly removed from their home in Texas have now been returned to their parents after the Christian couple spent two months battling the government in court over their right to homeschool.

“Trevor and Christina Tutt of Dallas have several years of experience helping at-risk children through both CPS foster care and the ministry Safe Families. In addition to five biological children (three of whom are now grown and living outside their home), the Tutts have three adopted children and are in the process of adopting another child.

“’We very much want God to bring our new children, the children that He wants to be in our family, so we are open to whatever children He sends,’ Mrs. Tutt told Examiner.com in late 2011. ‘Because of our experience with our children, we are specially equipped to handle children with special needs. In fact, we look for children with those special needs because there are so many children out there languishing in foster care because people don’t want to adopt a child who has extra challenges. It isn’t for everyone, but it is definitely for us!’

“Mr. and Mrs. Tutts’ commitment to their children—both educationally, with their homeschooling, and spiritually, with their Christian faith—is known throughout their community. . . . Despite the fact that Mrs. Tutt showed CPS workers numerous parenting class certificates and paperwork certifying her mental health, a local judge ordered the Tutts’ seven children to be removed from the home. In November, armed constables seized the children and kept them under government custody for nearly two months.”

You can read about this entire gruesome episode in the link below. And this is not a one-off incident. It is happening throughout the West. Since I mentioned Germany, let me give you another example from there: “A judge has issued a stunning verdict in a homeschooling case in Germany, ordering that the parents cannot have custody of their children because the family might move to another country and homeschool, posing a ‘concrete endangerment’ to the children.

“Dirk and Petra Wunderlich’s case made international headlines in August when 20 armed police arrived with a battering ram and forcibly took their four children from their home in Darmstadt, Germany, and enrolled them in public school.

“As WND reported at the time, the children, ages 7 to 14, were taken into police custody. They were allowed to return home three weeks later when their father and mother, given no choice by the federal bureaucracy in Germany, agreed to allow their kids to attend public schools despite their objection to the social and religious instruction there.”

Did you get that? Homeschooling poses “concrete endangerment” to the children! Welcome back Hitler. Welcome Big Brother. Welcome Ministry of Truth. Welcome Brave New World. This is ugly statism at its best – or worst: ripping children out of the arms of their loving parents and rearing them to become compliant wards and zombies of the state.

Homeschooling is becoming one of the big issues of our time. It is in effect a movement raising the flag of freedom, conscience and independence. It is about independence from an ever-expanding state which feeds itself by stripping away our rights and freedoms.

Mark Steyn got it right when he spoke of the menace of Leviathan: “Freedom is messy. In free societies, people fall through the cracks – drink too much, eat too much, buy unaffordable homes, fail to make prudent provision for health care, and much else. But the price of being relieved of all these tiresome choices by a benign paternal government is far too high. Big Government is the small option: it’s the guarantee of smaller freedom, smaller homes, smaller cars, smaller opportunities, smaller lives.”

We are seeing the shrinking of freedom everywhere as government grows. And this is just as true of educational freedom as anything else.

http://www.wnd.com/2006/09/38145/#BPqfXgZT140wzbgG.99
http://christiannews.net/2014/01/09/christian-couple-fighting-texas-officials-after-homeschooling-children-forcibly-removed-from-home/
http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/judge-homeschooling-a-concrete-endangerment-to-kids/

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35 Replies to “Statism and Homeschooling Horrors”

  1. This sounds like the Greens and Labor railing against the Liberals for making changes to their National Curriculum, lest it cause our education institutions to offer any education that does not honour and glorify extreme left secular humanism.

  2. What the current state of mainstream Protestant schooling is in this country, I do not know at first hand, though I can make an educated guess. But I do know that Australia’s ostensibly Catholic school system has reached such a pitch of intellectual and moral degradation as to be beyond reform.

    In such circumstances, only homeschooling can work. I attempted to explain in the following article, for a (non-Catholic) Wisconsin magazine, the historical reasons for Australian Catholic education’s collapse:

    http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/australia/item/15921-supping-with-the-devil

  3. I have to confess a lot of ignorance about home-schooling because I don’t understand how parents can “school” their children at home while one or both carries out a fulltime job as well. It is interesting how, many years ago, my own son asked why we didn’t home-school him….and he was only eight at the time.

    What did he understand that we, as his parents, did not? Or was it simply that he fancied staying at home? It took me considerable effort to try and explain to him why we didn’t do it, based on lack of availability, teaching skills and understanding.

    I suppose because we are getting a bit long in the tooth now and were brought through a standard UK education, we don’t have a full appreciation of what home-schooling actually is or what it entails.
    I agree though that the twisted agendas being forced onto pupils these days in state schools is far worse than it was when I was in school; and thus parents have every right to complain about it all.

  4. If I were a young parent these days I would definitely home-school to spare my children the PC indoctrination into feminist, homosexualist, environmentalist and multiculturalist ideologies that have replaced true education.

    Last year I complained to NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli about wasting taxpayers’ money on funding a trial programme called, “Proud Schools”, which addressed, “issues of homophobia, transphobia, and heterosexism in schools.”

    With class time devoted to such rubbish no wonder Australian children are doing so badly. In a healthy society young people should be concentrating on Shakespeare, calculus and foreign language vocabulary lists, or focussing on an apprenticeship, not fretting about their sexuality.

    Bill, I was appalled to read that home-schooling is actually illegal in Germany. How dare any government usurp the rights of parents who, at least according to the Catholic catechism, are the first and best educators of their children!

    Where are the German churches in this outrage? Why are they so gutless?

    To Chris: a dear friend told me about her and her brothers’ home-schooling because they lived in a remote area. Morning was for formal lessons, but after lunch they were free! Though (despite?) being unschooled, she was one of the most intelligent and best-read women I’ve ever known.

  5. Our boys have spent a number of years in a private Christian school as well as having had 5 years of homeschooling. We removed our sons from public education in their early years. That was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made – for many reasons. But just looking at it from an academic sense; our oldest son has now just finished year 12 and received an ATAR score in the high 90s. I doubt very much if he would have achieved that in public education. Mum knows!

  6. Bill, surely the teaching parent needs a thorough understanding of the major subjects and can actually teach it effectively? I could never have effectively taught my son English Literature, for example, or French….neither could my husband, because we didn’t do very well at school with either of these topics!
    Tell me someone, how does home-schooling cope with science and experimental lab work? There’s nothing like real hands-on experience….have all parents got chemistry labs at home?

    I guess I’m just too far past it to understand these new concepts of education. I’d have thought a strong move towards eradicating all the multi-culti and LGBT stuff from schools would be the first step towards improving education for all.
    Good luck with it….if you really think that parents have all the academic skills necessary to teach.

  7. Thanks Chris. You don’t need a dozen PhDs to be able to adequately and properly teach your own children. We know from research on this that home-schooled kids often go on to be the best and brightest academically at university. But I will let other homeschool parents tell their stories here.

  8. I haven’t home schooled but moved to one of Sydney’s more conservative areas with really good public schools. I also counter any anti Christian teaching at home and get my children to speak up where they can. It’s good to teach them how other people think and what strategies are used so that they can be prepared.

    I would object to home schooling being banned but have not done it myself.

  9. As a mother of three who plans to start home schooling next year in NZ I find this horrific. As missionaries in NZ we have already been bullied by Big Brother government department CYF’s (Child Youth and Families – NZ’s version of DHS). They appeared on our doorstep last year and announced, publicly and within earshot of two guests in our lounge, that we were accused of ‘severe abuse and neglect’ of our children.’ They then demanded to come in on the spot and inspect our children and home.

    It turns out they had received a malicious report from someone in Australia who disagrees with our Christian lifestyle which falsely accused us of physically disciplining our children (illegal here) and neglecting them (by not enrolling them in pre-school.) After long investigation, multiple un-announced visits, and threats to immediately take our children should they even suspect the accusations to be true, they closed the case as there was ZERO evidence.

    Do we have any recourse for the loss of reputation we suffered as a result of being treated as criminals with NO EVIDENCE against us? No. But the NZ Govt would prefer to waste its resources trying to dismantle strong Christian families rather than helping the hundreds of truly neglected and sexually abused kids that live in the neighbourhoods around us.

    Australia and NZ free countries??? I don’t think so.

    Linda Trevenen NZ

  10. After 18 years of homeschooling we only have 4 more children being homeschooled & still quite a few years ahead of us. I can’t imagine it any other way, even though it can be almost overwhelming at times. Two of our older boys went to a Christian school in mid high school, but by the end of that I was over school. Firstly, because Christian schools are still under the government thumb, and secondly, because sending kids to school was just as much work as homeschooling.
    Our adult children are all doing well in their chosen careers, while our 4th child spent 2013 at TAFE doing the Tertiary Preparation Course (equivalent to HSC in NSW) with excellent results.
    I sometimes think that if we did nothing but keep our kids out of public school we would still be ahead – but we do aim for more than that!

  11. Just going into my twenty eighth consecutive year of home educating and I have more than enough evidence that I have advantaged my children in every way and given them every opportunity to develop their God given potential.

    My eldest will be thirty three in a couple of weeks, followed by thirty, twenty eight, nineteen and then two foster children nineteen and eleven.

    I have always said home schooling is a lifestyle choice, not merely an educational choice. Most of those twenty eight years I have been a single parent. Being a mother at home has been my chosen career.

    I did taste the public education system, both my foster children were at public schools when they became part of my family. Those two horror stories did nothing but convict me that I had made the best decision for my children. Soon I was able to similarly advantage and undo much of the damage those children had suffered. I was so honoured to be given that opportunity.

    I willingly accept responsibility for the choices I have made and the consequences of those choices. I would do it all over again tomorrow.

    The stakes are high, I could not compromise. My conscience would not allow it.

    Your children, your choice and don’t let any government take that away from you.

  12. Chris Dark:
    Re Academic skills required to run homeschooling:
    We have 6 children, the first was homeschooled to year 10 then 2 years in public high school (HSC ATAR 90, incl Maths Ext 2, got his 1st choice at uni offers – Advanced IT), other children have various proportions of homeschooling / private Christian school / selective and normal public schools / primary and secondary. Hmmm – I think that just about covers all options, doesn’t it?
    So…
    Let’s take an academic route (i.e. aiming for HSC and university entry)
    Generally speaking, anyone with patience and love (and average intelligence) can teach most children to year 6, BY THEMSELVES;
    ADD homeschooling resources, websites, online courses, Open University and free MOOC courses (top universities)… then the average parent can pack a punch..
    ADD the input of local homeschooling communities that meet regularly for educational events, excursions, industrial visits, sports and all sorts of things that are easy to do while everyone else is stuck in school…
    ADD the fact that a homeschooled child can run at their own speed, can focus on their strengths, and avoid the destructive habits of working slowly and “doing time” in the school “baby-sitting” environment.
    However, it also depends on the child’s personality. Sometimes they get in a rut and have to go to school. (In balance, most schooled children are well-and-truly in a rut themselves – mostly the time-killing slow-motion syndrome)
    So…
    For the average Mr and Mrs Urban, who care enough to tackle the task – if you have the commitment, you can do it. I do think the benefit/risk ratio does change throughout the schooling years.
    The younger the child – the greater the benefit of homeschooling – and the easier to academic level. Even in the worst case (advanced HSC subjects, struggling to learn yourself with little help from a parent) is approximately the same as being is a class with a below-average high school teacher. (Most students suffer 2 or 3 of them each year). These are often the same ones that get highly offended by homeschooling.
    So it’s pretty hard to do worse than the average school experience – not that we want to aim low.
    Generally speaking, I would recommend home-schooling from the start, then look at putting them into school around year 5 (gives them time to set up for high school) or year 9 (gives them time to set up for HSC).
    Homeschooling the HSC should be full curriculum based, or have an educated parent with the available time, or have an unusually self-motivated student. Otherwise, pretty easy to drop the ball there.
    But now-a-days there are alternatives to the HSC. Things are much more flexible than they were 20 years ago.
    (I am a public tertiary teacher)
    Oh –
    And make sure you and your children know the answers to the easy questions – like “Where did Cain get his wife” or “How did they fit the animals on Noah’s Ark”, and have the evolution snuffers like “How did life evolve from non-life?”. It’s all available: http://www.creation.com, http://www.answersingenesis.com etc etc
    Is the publicly-funded educational system bent?
    You betcha.
    Watch Ben Stein’s “Expelled – No intelligence Allowed”

  13. I homeschooled my three boys for 4 years – all benefitted greatly from it and were well in advance of their peers when they returned to school. My second son only attended formal schooling for 4 years, but is now in a tutoring role at university, has written academic papers and been published, and has travelled to deliver papers in his area of expertise. Not bad for someone who only attended 2 years of primary achool and 2 years at high school. The other two have also suceeded at university, have have found themselves good jobs and are highly regarded by their employers, and have each just been promoted. I wonder why it is that parents, who have effectively taught their children a language before they reach school age (along with social skills and a multitude of other valuable lessons) suddenly become incompetent to teach their children when they turn 5 years old.

  14. Thanks guys. While homeschooling may not be everyone’s cup of tea or particular calling, the above comments make it clear that it is not rocket science, and that ordinary mums and dads can very successfully do it.

  15. I shudder to think what our society would be like if the only education option we had was the public system. That said there are some fine public schools, however witht he push to introduce sex ed at an early age they (the schools) will be forced to comply. We have homeschooled our children and whilst they are now in ‘normal’ schools are doing very well indeed with some continued ‘home schooling’.

    Our childrens education is our God given responsibility (the parents) and the right to home school should be available to all who desire to do so.

    Lets not forget that many past leaders and dignitaries were home schooled, such as Washington, Lincoln, Edison, and recently, C S Lewis, Lindsay Lohan just to name a few.

  16. I am considering homeschooling our child. I know of friends who do it well. The education standard in public and private (at least most private schools in general) is an absolute joke. It goes hand in hand with the moral decadence. Children are not taught how to think but what to think. They are being exposed to left sexuality agencies at a ridiculously young age. They can’t do basic sums or read or write in high school. Not to mention kids know all their supreme “rights”. The whole system is a joke. Somehow bureaucrats have interfered in the private sphere of education.

    It is a good four or so years away before my child will need to be educated but I wonder whether it will be possible to home school him by then. I have to keep check on the legislation till then. To become a teacher is much harder these days. You have to have specific degrees and actually nowadays I think more teachers are I’ll equipped to teach despite the technical degrees. So yes I believe parents by and large can do better. Actually most uni degrees spend more time teaching students ideologies to approach teaching (read propaganda) rather than helping them to be good teachers. The whole system is a joke. But my concern is by 2017 I may be required to have a specific degree before the state grants me the right to homeschool my child.

  17. I used to think it wold somehow be worthwhile fighting Big brother, especially in Australia where we actually have a Christian Heritage to return to, but Maybe that is not the kindest option for the children involved. Maybe it is better to give in, have them in a public school but still be able to influence their lives in the rest of the time at home.
    The state wants to be everything to all, so they shouldn’t be surprised when people hold their hand out and ask for compensation for everything, yes, even for the results of drought as recently happened in Queensland. Droughts and floods and hurricanes used to be attributed to “an act of God” and therefore were out of our hands and people just did what they could with what they had. And if businesses went broke they looked at what they might have done wrong and what they could do more effectively in the future, but now, it is hand out to the state regardless of what it is. Well, that might bankrupt the state and then families and churches will have to be asked to fix things again. Wrong will always shoot itself in the foot and be brought to its knees.

    When I read your report about the family in Germany I was wondering if they pursue parents who are likely to abuse their children to such a degree, fearing they may leave the country and abuse their children there. Or has home schooling now become the greater crime?
    Many blessings
    Ursula Bennett

  18. I’m a teacher who has taught in Primary, High School and Tertiary institutions. I don’t and won’t home school as I believe the public schools around here are doing a good enough job and also because I think my children benefit from the perspective they gain in the outside world and we discuss some of the questionable things at home in detail. There are some fantastic teachers in the public system in NSW.

    Home schooling can work well and I totally understand why some people would revert to home schooling but it’s not for me/us.

  19. I understand that Germany today does not allow home schooling – strange in view of its prohibition by the nazis. I have known some home-schooling parents whose views are (to my mind) very strange – but that is better than to have the state banning it and imposing its own views on everyone.

  20. There is plenty of Scriptural backing for the PRIMARY responsibiltiy of parents for raising their children in Godliness and not allowing ungodly influences into their lives.

    Within our context here, Christian home-based education really requires a conviction from God that it is what He is calling you to do.

    Unfortunately “homeschooling” is an expression that rolls off the tongue, but it does not adequately describe what we do to teach our children. It is not “school at home” with all the attendent administration, overhead and superstructure.

    Parents are as capable as teachers of grasping a subject to teach it to their children. Quality Christian resources are available, and science experimentation doesn’t really require specialist lab equipment – even up to year 10 or higher. Don’t forget, the early scientists simply made their own gear, or used what they had available.

    If you are considering home education, find a support network nearby to help with your specific circumstances.

    Bill has my email address, and he can supply it to anyone who asks. I can help put people in contact with support groups in most States.

  21. As someone who has worked in schools for over 25 years, in state, private and catholic systems, I have seen plenty of good reasons to home school. Not only does it enable us to avoid the confusion caused by opposing views being taught, it also allows us to educate our son at his pace, rather than him waiting for others to reach his level.
    While I am the trained teacher, it is my wife who does the teaching at home, with great results.

    Those who have little understanding of home schooling are often shocked at the fact that we do it. They ask how old our son is as they are taken back by his knowledge and confidence. Then they ask what school he is at. When he tells them that he is home schooled, confusion and hostility often show in their reaction. It seems to be offensive to some people that a home schooled child could be more advanced and social than a school educated child.

    People appeal to the need for social interaction with other children, which he gets with his home schooled friends. They seem ignorant of the fact that sending children off to be taught by someone else, who may not share your educational aspirations for your child, is not the way things have always been done.

    Too many Christian schools are Christian in name only, so they are no longer the best choice. For people like Tim and Linda who need to be free to move when necessary, putting kids into schools and then having to change schools is an unnecessary hassle and expense, not to mention the disruption to the children’s education. Home schooling gives that freedom and consistency.

  22. As someone who has worked in schools for over 25 years, I have seen plenty of reasons for Christians to home school their children. When people find out that my son is home schooled, the reaction is frequently one of hostility and confusion.

    The conversation often gets started as they are taken back by how advanced his understanding and conduct is for his age. They want to know what school he is at, and when he tells them that he is home schooled their demeanour often changes. It seems to be offensive to many that you don’t let someone else teach your child. The fact that he gets to learn at his own pace and is ahead of other children his age seem to get them scratching for reasons why it should not work.

    When you consider the focus of today’s education system and that you have little if any say on what you child is taught and at what age, why would you hand over your child to the state system. Unfortunately some so called Christian schools are not much better in many areas, so they are no longer the best choice.

    For people like Tim and Linda, who need to be free to move when necessary, home schooling provides that freedom along with consistency in their children’s education.

    One of the main issues people raise against it is the need for socialization with other children, but home schooling groups provide this. It is our son’s social skills that get other people’s attention, so it seems silly to me that they then use that as an argument against the means of the results that they clearly see.

  23. Years ago I noted in church the children who were better behaved were the ones who were ‘home schooled’. This got me thinking, as previously I had no knowledge of such. I started to ask the parents questions and went from there with more research on it.

    I remember learning all my nasty tricks in organised schools before grade 6, bullying, being bullied, spitting, swearing, stealing, hatred, cruelty, sexual perversion, pornography and more. Along with that I didn’t get the education help I needed and missed out on getting properly educated. In the end I stayed at school for one reason, profits…..drug profits.

    I was a drug dealer in 2 Victorian high schools. One of which had the worst reputation in the southern hemisphere and I was one of 10 people who were removed in order to clean it up. I really wish I had of seen an in your face no compromise born again Christian there to stick it to me with Jesus…i might have gotten saved, but nah, they were all too quiet and frightened…if any were there at all.

    Today we have 4 out of 7 of ours being home-schooled. We do the ACE program which doesn’t require you to be a teacher, rather a supervisor. You have to do some learning and sit a test to be accepted as such, but its not rocket science.

    You have on call help when you need it. You are held accountable so that no one falls through the cracks. The kids do the same end of year test that all the school kids do, there can be combined sports days and more going on of which you can join and more.

    The differences are, I get to keep them a little longer from some of what the world will shove in their faces soon enough. Spitting, swearing, hatred, pornography, perversion, bullying, assaults, et cetera.

    I get to keep them from a pressured government whose schools are bombarded by lobbying and name calling groups and media groups demanding I teach my kids their religions and perversions.

    I get to keep them from ‘teachers’ who may be of these persuasions and may seek to do a little more than just share their beliefs to them.

    I get to keep them (or supervise them) from other children who may be infected with the world so that friend time is healthy.

    I also get to watch and make sure they are properly learning and not missing out on a good education.

    The course we do is different to the organised school system where they only need to get a certain percentage to go up a grade and they can fail certain subjects and still pass the year. With the ACE program they need to obtain a 90% pass all of their subjects or resit the entire thing again, so emphasis is placed on the child actually learning the subjects and showing forth that learning by an end of year test to anyone who asks.

    Universities and what not receive the exact same criteria as organised schools, so there is no loss there either. We can join with other groups or schools at times for certain educational things if needed.

    My wife and I get to also add in more schooling that they may not get in organised schools. Things such as other books for reading, other life lessons, hunting, fishing, gardening, swimming, certain sports, survival skills, cooking, mechanical understandings, farming, animals, travel, and the list goes on and on.

    Make no bones about it, its more expensive than putting the kids into a public sector. Its also a commitment to sit them down, but it would be worth it if it was even harder imo.

    These are just some of the reasons why we choose to home school our kids at present.

  24. I remember hosting a meeting to discuss homeschooling and Christian School for our region in Oz – I went ahead with public meeting despite opposition from other ministers and Christian teachers – one result was among many was although no Christian Schools in region and ministers association saying one was not welcome I encouraged (though working towards a Christian School with a good curriculum ) was one of families withdrew all three children (who were not doing well at school bullied and marks down etc) by the end of the year had an average mark of 95 % and we gave out awards to them at Sunday morning service- also noteworthy the character of all three had improved out of sight no longer rebellious sour and frustrated but blew me away – and this in spite of harassment from people that should be supportive – their parents were overjoyed and relieved their children were reaching their potential .

  25. Sorry meant to say in body of previous ” one result among many ………………I encouraged homeschooling by parents who wanted to do better for their children and were able to do this (with support ) ……one of the families. withdrew all three of their children ……….by the end of the tear had an average mark for the whole year of 95% (average for all 3 over all subjects – one had average of 98.5 % lowest was around 90% plus)….

  26. Homeschooling for me was one of the best decisions my parents ever made for me. (besides bringing me to church and that lol)
    I’d previously been in a “normal” school until I reached the end of Grade 2. Although looking back at it now I realise how young I was I still remember understanding and seeing so much. I remember starting to bully kids and I don’t even know why I did, personally I believe because I saw most other boys my age doing it so I thought it was what we do.

    I learnt very little from school besides basic reading, and I can honestly say the few years I had in school didn’t benefit my academic skills and I certainly picked up more bad than good.

    I’d gone to both “Christian schools” and non-Christian schools and saw little difference in all areas. The teachers were the same, the kids were the same, the classes were the same. Sure the Christian ones had their prayer in the morning and their little be-good do-good “speeches” but honestly I didn’t care too much about it and I believe this was because the other boys around me didn’t seem to either. I remember feeling so held back and wanting to learn more but I couldn’t because I had to be where the class was. And visa versa being confused but given little help because the class had “moved on.”

    Eventually we were taken out of school and my mum began to homeschool us. I remember not being sure what it was or what we were going to do but being excited and it just felt so right having my brother and sisters there with me.

    The beginning was very basic, projects here and there, writing practice, book-reading, and such like but my Mum seemed to learn much quick and soon we had established routines and I was learning heaps!

    Homeschooling let me go at MY pace not the set standard by the school system. I remember being so happy when we first sat down to do our test book thing to see where we were and being so excited to show what I actually knew and once I’d finished I was I believe 2 grades ahead.

    Anyways as I got older I was able to be more self-independent with it and my mum was free to do stuff and we would do ours. So the thing about there not being enough time I believe is incorrect, the start is hard but I think its like starting a new job, once u know what ur doing it easier.

    There’s literally hours of positives to write about homeschooling for me and I can’t stress enough how amazing it was/is.

    I remember going to a school to do the NAPLAN tests and being like HOW DO KIDS LEARN LIKE THIS?! I was abhorred at the school system and shocked by the lack of learning. It was like a kids club, not school. When we sat down to do the 45 minute test I was done in 5 mins despite some of the stuff being unknown or brand new to me. I found also that although I didn’t know some of it I figured it out anyways by just thinking logically. When I’d finished I was shocked to see EVERYONE still doing it and some looking greatly confused so I went back over it thinking surely I’d stuffed up bad but I was confident with my answers and when the scores were received in the mail a few weeks later I was WELL above average and some were nearly off the charts (my sister I believe was off the charts).

    Being with my family all the time was an added bonus and I learnt to act more mature because THEY were my role models, not the class clown or bully. I built character and grew up but make no mistake I was still a kid and had loads of fun.

    Now I’m finished, currently 16 (15 when I finished in December 2012). I’ve already worked at two places with both extremely satisfied bosses and my hospitality boss was already after 2 months I think putting me through courses and planning on making me a manager. I’m always saddened by other workers ethics and happiness. I don’t blame them though, 1. they don’t know Jesus, 2. the school system doesn’t work IMO.

    To any considering homechooling I say give it a fair crack of the whip! Your kids will be so thankful in the end as am I and there’s loads of support out there. I wish more kids were homechooled because whether theyre “slow or “fast”, “smart” or “unlearned” they can go at their pace and learn how THEY learn. And is there anyone who knows them better but their own parents? 🙂

  27. Home schooling can be pretty tough – mostly due to lack of moral support – but I consider it to be a good lifestyle and certainly preferable to the indoctrination going on in schools.

    It’s not for everyone, but it should not be attacked by the state.

  28. Also to those who question whether parents can educate their own children properly, I would say that it doesn’t say much for the parents’ own school education if they cannot at least simply pass that on to their own children.

    Plus, there is no rule which says other people cannot help – either through distance education programs, or co-operatives etc. Many parents do make use of such helps.

    Also,children can learn any amount of things through reading on their own etc. It isn’t necessary for every child to do chemistry experiments either. Who says they have to learn it at all? I didn’t learn anything useful in the chemistry lab at school until 11th grade, at which point the subject was no longer compulsory anyway.

  29. Im a mum that homeschools. And I love it for my kids. I do the ACE program. im a supervisor not a trained teacher. the books are set out easy for the child to understand. teachers are on call for help whenever we need and my children learn at their own pace. my oldest daughter loves science , so I make it my job to do projects, buy microscopes, plants books etc to add to her learning. I change her sports regularly and take all my children on excursions with other homeschoolers. my oldest is doing extremely well in her studies and I have just begun my 4 yr old as she is very smart for her age and passed a primary assessment for the ACE program.
    I do believe some parents do a “un schooling” program but I agree to keep to the Victorian curriculum of education standard.
    i believe it to be Gods will for my children to be home schooled and i do my utmost to ensure they get the best education and support to grow into disciples of Christ, For his Glory.

  30. The greatest opposition to homeschooling i found was socialisation, people were so concerned with the children not having interaction with other children their own age. As if hanging out with a large groups of peers is absolutely essential for social development.

    I have worked in the “outback” on stations where there may be one family sometimes 2 on the one station. You may have a family on the next station but interaction with them may be once a week or fortnight. Where is there social interaction? Yet these children were the most well rounded kids you would come across. They handled altercations or disagreements with maturity and could hold a conversation with people of all ages.
    Why? They had mature adults as their role models. You couldn’t hit someone and get away with it, like you could at school.

    For me character and life skills are far more important than “education.”
    Teaching children to finish what they start, be honest in dealings, don’t give up, resolve conflicts, diligence, discipline, etc

    If i was an employer i would chose an uneducated person who had character over someone who was highly educated but lacked character.

    See my sons comment above (Kedesh) to see the fruit of homeschooling, that is the best recommendation for homeschooling.

  31. There can be no doubt that the alternative life style exponents, cannot come to grips with the truth of the Bible. Sadly they are in for a rude awakening. We can only pray that they have a revelation of God’s Word.
    Same sex education is a dagger in the heart of innocence if they believe that it is “normal”. Full admiration for any one who refuses to allow their children to be subjected to such animalistic views and home school their children.

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