Replies

HOTD: I am completely comfortable with the institution of public schooling... and I do see benefits to society in it. From putting everyone together, we create, or have the opportunity to create Americans, rather than individual groups who stick with and listen only to their own.

Penny1: You raise a very good point about the emphasis on the "individual" as being a bit troubling--America has lost much of its sense of community, and while individualism is a big part of our national identity, it's not always preferable...

Why do you think government schools are necessary to produce patriotic Americans? I would argue that training children to become “Americans” began its decline with the federal government getting itself involved in the school system. Remember the system we have today we’ve only had since the early 1900’s (I think around the 1930’s, but I may be mistaken).

How on earth did we manage to have good Americans (as opposed to a ragtag nation of individuals) before the federal government got involved? Schooling used to be the purview of the family and the church. That system produced our best thinkers, our best presidents, our best generals, our best inventors, etc.

Today’s homeschoolers are attempting to recreate what used to be an outstanding educational system. A place where children are taught to become thinking Americans, not just cogs in the corporate machine. Children aren’t taught to think in today’s schools, they are being trained to work at a job.

-Kevin

I didn't say it was necessary to create patriotic Americans... and I am quite certain that all of you here are bringing your kids up to be "good americans". But I saw a sense of community and the necessity of mingling with, and getting to know everyone else as one outcome of "school". For purpose of discussion I don't care who runs it, although I would propose that the schools are still very much locally controlled.

Relax a little ksen, I don't know a thing about homeschooling and it seems foreign to me... I know that the most caring of parents are the ones that may decide to home school.

For me, questions arise when I see it as such a definate trend among conservatives, for the reasons I listed. Mine is a concern from the community, for the community as a whole.

What I was thinking about was not just patriotism, but involvement in the larger community. Now, granted, homeschoolers can teach their kids to be involved in their community, but not all will do so. And being in public school practically guarantees children will become involved with the people who live in their community, though sometimes not in good ways!

Beyond that, the parents also become more involved in the community if they become involved in their child's education at a public school.

I guess what really strikes me about the whole thing, as a Christian, is that in public school Christian kids have a way of impacting others in a positive way. While the "bad element" at school could have an adverse affect on the "good kids," the good kids also have an opportunity to be a positive, personal influence on their peers. It gives kids a place to witness. However, I totally understand not wanting to put one's kids on the front lines...

The other thing that I look back on is the fact that in high school, I learned to resist the pressure of my peers at a time when I was still under the protection of my parents. That made college much easier to deal with.

And now...I'm late for work....later all!

....and Good Morning! ;)