Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Homeschoolers
And then there are the social aspects of going to school. Homeschooling parents tend to want to shield their children from negative influences. But this quest often runs counter to the idea that schools represent society and help promote tolerance. "No parental couple can offer a breadth of education [that can] replace experienced teachers," says Kraus, of the German Teachers' Association. "Kids also lose contact with their peers." (excerpt taken from above article)
I beg to differ with Kraus (surprise, surprise). This is probably the most argued point about homeschooling. I have heard “certified” teachers gasp and say things like, “who do they think they are (homeschooling parents). It is a slap in the face to think they can do our jobs.” I must admit at one point I thought it a bit insulting myself. After all I had attended college for six years to become a NY State certified teacher. I had to take out student loans on which I still owe lots of money. What would make a parent think they were equipped to do my job? Well, thankfully some of my prideful thinking has been corrected. Maybe it was my experience as an elementary school teacher that led to my change of thinking. Maybe it was becoming a parent myself, or a combination of the two.
I have taught in the projects and in a beautiful suburban village. I have worked alongside some of the finest teachers there are. There is no limit to the influence a teacher can have in the life of a child. There is a saying “to teach is to touch a life forever”. How true that is. I often think of a few teachers I had. They bring tears of thankfulness to my eyes. They were the ones who made me want to be a teacher. I hated school. But there were a few teachers who made me want to change that for others, to make school different, even if just for a couple of students. So I am not saying there are not wonderful teachers out there, making a difference, believe me there are and I count it a blessing to be able to have met them.
However… the thing that I did see that saddened me as a teacher were how children whose parents were working so hard to instill in them certain values were exposed to certain things that could never be taken back. I do not think that the young age of six or seven is the time to start explaining why certain people do certain things to the degree that this would involve. Yes, children know that not everyone does things the same way, but to have them exposed to this on a regular basis and think it isn’t going to affect them negatively…well, that is too much of a risk for me. I remember how it broke my heart to see the look on a child’s face when they saw one of their classmates misbehaving. Please don’t think I am unsympathetic to those children who were acting out. They were some of my favorite students. They have their own set of problems that led to their acting out behaviors. I did my best to help them and give them the attention they craved.
So yes I believe in the parents’ decision to “shield their child”. After all aren’t we as parents called to do that? I also believe it is the parents’ responsibility to train their children and help them to build a strong foundation so they will know how to handle certain situations in the world. It is not the country, state or school district’s responsibility, it is the parents’. As for the statement Klaus makes about kids losing contact with their peers; Hogwash! There are so many homeschooling activities available as well as other community activities with which to be involved, if the parent wishes. What about the interactions homeschoolers get to have among their siblings? You don’t hear too much about that, but how precious it is to have siblings learning alongside one another. Parents can do a fine job of educating their children. I am sure there are some homeschoolers that are not taking seriously their obligation to teach their children, just like there are some teachers that do not take seriously their responsibility to teach their students. Does that mean that the state has the authority to determine who is best to teach your child? I think not. In this wonderful country of the USA, let us remember that our country was founded upon the God-given right for individuals to pursue life, liberty and happiness. If we don’t remember this principle it may be taken away from us. May that never be!
