But,;why;public school?
Because that’s what we did. Regardless
of our memories and experiences, nos-talgia;has;a;way;of;making;us;want;some
of the same things for our children that
we had: friends, football games, inspiring
teachers, etc.
That’s the way our family does it.
When we have siblings who put their
children in public school, and cousins
who put their children in public school,
and neighbors, and church friends, and
work;colleagues;.;.;.;all;who;put;their
children;in;public;school,;it’s;very;hard
to;buck;that;trend.;We;don’t;like;to;go
against;the;flow.
It’s what our culture does.
Regardless of how much we teach our
preschool children at home, how much
we read to them, teach them their colors,
and numbers, and letters, and regardless
of;teaching;them;to;walk,;speak,;eat,;say
“please”;and;“thank;you,”;tie;their;shoes,
put;on;socks,;take;care;of;pets,;look;both
ways when crossing the street, take a
bath,;take;out;the;trash,;count,;turn;off
the;light,;change;the;transmission;fluid;in
the car . . . lo and behold, when they turn
five,;they;need;“formal”;schooling.
Kindergarten;happens.;You;can’t;stop
it. And what do they learn there? Colors,
numbers, letters, and standing in line. All
the rest, we still have to teach them when
they get home.
Problems with the public school
model
There are lots of problems with the public
school;model,;and;they;don’t;have;any-thing to do with children being left behind, or the US not being at the top of the
academic chain compared to other countries around the globe. Here are a few:
Arbitrary grouping and expectations
of students. Up to a certain level, every-
one within a given political boundary
and;born;within;a;year;of;September;1st
of a given year is given the same course
of study in every subject, regardless of
strengths,;regardless;of;weaknesses,;re-
gardless of calling. A second grader has
second-grade English, second-grade
math, second-grade science, second-
grade;art.;But;not;every;child;performs
at the same level in every subject or en-
deavor. Keeping everyone of the same
age on the same level is unnatural to the
abilities and aptitudes God has given
each. Those who excel in a subject are
held;back;;those;who;struggle;might;not
be ready for the next level as early as their
classmates.
One of the most glaring examples is
reading.;Some;master;it;at;age;five;and
can read chapter books quite easily at
that;age.;In;institutional;settings,;they’re
expected to reach that level by age eight,
certainly by the end of third grade. Starting in fourth grade, most of the rest of the
curriculum is built for readers to be able
to read along and comprehend the les-son.;For;some;children,;reading;doesn’t
click;until;age;eleven;or;twelve.;The;in-ability to read with comprehension does
not mean that a child cannot understand
and even excel in other subjects. On the
contrary,;“late”;readers;often;excel;in;oth-er areas, if given the chance.
So;the;“early”;reader;has;to;wait;three
to;four;years;while;his;cohorts;“catch;up”
before he can move into more self-taught
methods;of;education;;the;“late”;are;la-
beled;“slow”;and;get;left;behind;because
the public school model cannot afford
to teach a non-reading seventh grader
another science in another way, while
continuing;to;work;through;reading.
One size fits none. There is no individ-
ual;approach;to;educating;a;specific;child
according to his or her inclinations, tal-
ents, gifts, or calling. “Train up a child in
the way he should go: and when he is old,
he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22: 6).
Gregg Harris, author of The Christian
Homeschool, has argued that “in the way
he;should;go,”;could;also;be;translated;as
“according;to;his;bent.”;In;other;words,
the way God created him, gifted him, and
shaped him, according to His purposes.
The public school has a concept of the
fiftieth;percentile.;This;is;the;bull’s-eye
middle;mark.;Half;of;the;students;per-form below this; half perform above it.
This;is;not;an;actual;person;;it’s;a;statis-tic. Even if somehow a student managed
to hit this exact score for every subject
in;a;given;year,;it’s;still;a;statistic,;not;a
person.;But,;this;is;the;mean;to;which
the course is geared. Those above it and
ready;to;move;on;can’t;;those;below;it
and needing extra help might get it, but
at some point the class has to move on
with or without them.
But;there;are;as;many;different;bents
and levels of aptitude as there are stu-
dents;(that’s;an;estimated;50. 1;million;in
public;school;for;the;fall;of;20132), and
they’re;stratified;across;each;subject;;no
one child has the same level of aptitude
in everything.
Incomplete course of study and reward.
For the most part, only academics and
athleticism are rewarded. There are no
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Anything that requires
me to get out of bed
requires me to love the
Lord with my strength.
