Through a LDS homeschooling group online it was made known to me that some people in the church believe that homeschoolers are disobeying God, so-to-speak, for keeping their child out of public school. These people believe putting our children in public school is obeying God by being a "light unto the world". They believe our children should be an example to others and that by keeping them out of public school there is no way they can be so. It has since been revealed to me that this is a truly common thought among members of the church. While this all-knowing knowledge was not directed at me personally, I take deep offense to it.
My first thought about this was that there certainly are ways my children get out, and will get out in their youth, to let their light so shine. Homeschoolers are certainly not prisoners, but that's an entirely different discussion. If you hold this ill-conceived thought about homeschoolers, perhaps you should actually speak to one homeschool family about what their child's weekly schedule is like. Then maybe you will end up feeling quite silly for thinking homeschooled kids can't possibly have influence on other children.
Now if my first thought didn't calm me enough (chalking it up to ignorance and letting it go), then why am I deeply offended over this notion? Let's consider how I feel about education. Most of my feelings about education stem from my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our knowledge and experiences we obtain on earth is the ONLY thing we can take with us after we die. This is something that I value immensely for my children. Their brains are very precious to me. I can't in good conscience send them to a public school where they will most certainly pick up bad habits, bad examples, where improper thought is not only encouraged but displayed, where educational standards and curriculum are not only sub-par, but experimental, in many cases false, misleading and harbor negativity. I can't send them to a place where administrators and beaurocrats believe they are stewards over my children's minds above parents who work with teachers. I can't send them to a place where they will be one mind in the background among 40 other minds, a statistic and piece of data. I can't send them to a place where their creativity is not just limited, but stifled, and freedom for thought and expression is basically non-existent because they're told exactly what they need to know and learn in order to pass tests that are exactly the same as all the other kids in the country. No child deserves that. All children deserve a learning environment where questions can be answered in great detail, where they can wonder and explore different paths so they can choose for themselves. My children need to be able to be taught the things they need to know in an environment where they can go at their own pace and really have everything sink in. When I think about the teachings of Jesus Christ, the things we learn in the temple, the things I read in the scriptures, and the words of the prophets, I know public school is wrong for my children. Am I to take risks with the minds and spirits of my children on the notion that they can't be an example in the world without attending a public school? No I will not! I have often felt like I have had a lot of support in my local community by members of the LDS Church. They applaud me and give me encouragement and offer resources, even if they choose to keep their children in public school. So when I read about this sentiment among other members of the church that homeschoolers were disobeying God, it surprised me so much. To people who hold this mindset I say: Please recognize the value of the education we obtain on this earth. As a member of the church, someone who knows the true gospel of Jesus Christ, we should appreciate and encourage those who take the education of their children so seriously. "Being an example to the world", is a commandment, yes. But it does not hinge AT ALL on attending a government school. These thoughts are considerably irrelevant to that commandment.
Feel free to leave your comments.
DISCLAIMER: It is not to be misinterpreted that I believe all children who attend public school will take on the bad habits and thoughts that are rampant in the public schools today and have it take over their entire character. It is also not to be misinterpreted that I believe kids cannot be supplemented with a good education at home if they are attending public school. In fact I believe this is something parents should do, be involved in their child's education no matter what. It is to be properly interpreted, however, that this is just not the risk we, the Woodruff parents, feel we should to take. Every family is different and basically I think it is a terrible thing for anyone to blanketly judge a persons righteousness based on which educational path they choose for their children. Let's think about who is making the grosser error here.
