Education - Who Knows Best; Father or Big Brother?

A couple of recent news items have attracted my (Mike's) attention so I'd like to share them with you and offer my opinion (for what it's worth!).

A recent article from USA Today (click here to read it) talks about a study that has found that more and more of today's teens probably wouldn't understand the title of this post because they've never been exposed to a significant part of America's cultural, political, and social history.

I believe this knowledge is important because it is part of what creates and maintains a "culture." Part of being an American is sharing a basic understanding of things that are uniquely American, including literature, movies, historical events, TV shows, music, etc.

Personally, my day-to-day conversations and much of my writings are filled with references to American culture. For example, anybody who knows me has probably heard me say "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" more than once. Few movies are more beloved in America than the Wizard of Oz. And even fewer phrases can instantly convey - at least to people who know the movie - the concept of imperfect human beings trying to cover up their shortcomings by projecting a strong, intimidating persona. How sad would it be if we as a culture no longer shared that common ground. I'm afraid this study shows we are headed down a path that leads to an America that is less united by common understandings and values.

The question then is how best to pass along that cultural knowledge? The USA Today article talks about a group that believes the answer is to increase the teaching of humanities in our public schools. While I agree our schools should increase the study of classic American literature and place more focus on the social and political context of historical events, I do not believe we should place full responsibility for educating our children on schools - particularly public schools.

That is not to say I think poorly of the people entrusted with teaching our kids. On the contrary, I know many educators - including our daughters Shannon & Elizabeth - who have a God-given gift for teaching and nurturing children. I am thankful there are people like them who are willing to take on this important role in society.

What I am saying is that parents have the ultimate responsibility for the quality of their children's education. That responsibility can be exercised in a number of ways, from supplementing what their kids are learning in public school all the way to home schooling. And exercising that responsibility requires they have the freedom to do so without undue government interference.

Which brings me to the second news item. A recent ruling by California's 2nd District Court of Appeal could have significant impact on parents' ability to home school their children. (Read about it here.) The implications of this ruling are huge. On a practical basis, not only could it mean the end of homeschooling in California, it could significantly impact the ability of private schools to operate (which currently can hire non-credentialed teachers) and independent study programs offered through "charter schools" within the public school system (which have parents supervise their children's education at home).

There is, however, a more frightening "Big Brother" component to this ruling. (If you don't understand the reference, you should read George Orwell's novel 1984 - click here to see the Wikipedia entry about the book.) I believe this ruling by the appeals court is based on the idea that government, not parents and families, should have full responsibility for educating our children; that "they" know best when it comes to what and how our children should be taught and that anything that contradicts the government's approach is, at best, ignorant, and at worst, illegal.

I couldn't disagree with that philosophy more, especially in light of recent California legislation (SB 777) that forbids any materials in California’s public schools that “promote discriminatory bias” toward forms of sexual deviancy, including homosexuality and bisexuality. The practical effect of this law is that phrases like "Mom and Dad" and "husband and wife" and the concept of the traditional family could disappear from public schools, replaced by the idea that homosexuality is a valid, healthy lifestyle without any negative impacts. God's Word says otherwise, a concept that has been backed up by numerous studies. (Click here for a look at the Myths and Facts of homosexuality.)

Homosexuality is just one topic about which I and many other parents feel public schools are sharing wrong - even harmful - information with our children. Parents have a God-given responsibility to raise their children in a way that accuractely reflects His commandments to "Love God" and "Love your neighbor." Therefore, parents should have the right and ability to ensure their children are being educated in whatever way they feel is most appropriate to fulfill that responsibility.