PUBLIC SCHOOLS - GET OUT NOW!

American Vision ^ | March 7th, 2006 | Gary DeMar

[Calugareni]

PUBLIC SCHOOLS - GET OUT NOW ! by Gary DeMar

Why do Christians waste time and money in defense of public (government) education? I heard a spirited defense of America’s primary governmental indoctrination centers at a conference I attended this weekend. While Christians try to “save” their beloved public schools, another generation of young people is seduced by the anti-Christian worldview of public education. This view is not popular with the majority of Christians. Blasting public education in America is akin to blaspheming all that is holy and good. In order to justify the continued support of public education, the following excuses are often given:

“We can’t afford to send our children to private schools.”

If Christians pulled their children out of public schools, voted down every tax increase having anything to do with education, voted to repeal the education portion of the property tax, and voted for candidates who would cut every dollar from education funding, then most families could afford the costs involved. The money spent on trying to save the public schools would go a long way in establishing scholarship funds for children whose parents cannot afford a private-school education. Yes, it may even take some sacrificing on the part of parents. Of course, home-schooling is always an option. Children can help out by working. Drive a fourteen-year-old car like I do. When your children get older, have them work to share the financial load.

“It’s not the church’s job to educate.”

I heard this one just recently. Christian school critics balk at turning over the church’s facilities for educational purposes because the tithe is designed to support the church's work, not the education of children. That’s why we pay taxes. So the church building is vacant six days a week while Christians complain that it’s too expensive to start a Christian school. The Sunday school classrooms are used for forty-five minutes a week! What a waste of God’s money. So we send our children to public schools where they are indoctrinated for thirty hours a week in the latest non-Christian propaganda. To combat secularized education, Christian school critics develop “youth programs” for Wednesday and Sunday evenings and lament the fact that parents don’t take advantage of them. These kids are getting at most two hours of weekly instruction, while a child in a Christian school receives thirty hours of training from a biblical perspective. There’s no comparison. Most of these “youth programs” are weak entertainment times with a “devotional” to give them legitimacy. There are exceptions, but not many.

“My child is a witness for Christ in the public schools.”

He may be. But I wonder how much witnessing really takes place in public schools. Most of the time children are sitting behind desks listening to a teacher lecture. From the time I entered public school no one ever presented the gospel to me. It’s the friendships that are developed after school that lead to witnessing opportunities: the neighborhood, playground, ball field. Witnessing can take place anywhere. Jesus met people at work and in their homes. He even went into the temple. If you want to follow Jesus’ example, then go witness to Jews in their local temples.

While there are few opportunities to witness in the public schools, students are captive to an anti-Christian worldview for at least six hours every day. This says nothing of the worldview promoted by a child’s peers from pagan homes.

“Our school is different.”

Maybe in degree. My guess is that most parents have no idea what’s going on in their child’s school. If they don’t hear any bad news, they assume that all is well. Keep in mind that public school children are not comparing their education with the public school education that was prominent forty years ago. And it wasn’t that great back then. The education students are receiving right now is normal for them. It’s the only standard they know, and it’s not a very good one. Anyway, a school that does not teach from a Christian perspective is at best third-rate.

“I want my child to be exposed to the ‘real’ world.”

What is the “real world”? The real world is where Christ dwells and where His Word is taught. Christianity is not unreal. If it is, then why not worship with pagans since their domain is the “real world.” Remember, Adam and Eve “fell” from what was normal, that is, from a world where they were in intimate fellowship with their Creator. A world without Christ is an insane and irrational world. The Christian school is a place of re-creation, a redemptive attempt to get back to the original design. Schools that Christians establish should act as magnets for unbelievers to be brought back to the garden. Christians should be setting the agenda for what’s real, honest, and good so as to be a light for those who are in darkness.

Balaam’s Donkey

I believe God has been giving us a very clear message through the modern-day equivalent of Balaam’s donkey: the court system. Balaam was called on by Balak to prophesy against Israel. God had warned Balaam to stay away from Moab. Balaam refused. The Angel of the LORD met Balaam on the road as he was going down to meet Balak, the king of Moab. Balaam’s donkey refused to confront the Angel of the LORD. Balaam struck his donkey three times to force him ahead. Finally, Balaam realized that it was the LORD who was directing him to turn around.

Repeatedly the courts have ruled against Christians and their attempts to bring Christianity back to the classroom. Like Balaam, they refuse to heed the message that God is giving through the Court. God is telling parents to seek a different route.

Prayers at sporting events and around flag poles do not constitute a Christian education. The entire curriculum must be Christ-centered. Saying a prayer at the beginning of the school day does not sanctify the secularization of education that takes place for the next six hours. The prayer ritual only gives unjustified validity to what is inherently corrupt.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gary DeMar is president of American Vision and the author of more than 20 books. His latest is Myths, Lies, and Half Truths.

[taxesareforever]

I don't know about your state, but in Washington State it is in its Constitution. It would take a change to the Constitution to do away with public education.

[Lurker]

Then I guess we better get busy.

I'm running for school board next time around. Wait'll they get a load of me.

L

[BurbankKarl]

I just heard that there is a lawsuit against LAUSD because 20% of the enriched studies students are white....above the 10% attendance average of all schools in the district.

[taxesareforever]

I admire those who run for this unpaid position. They become a beating post from all sides. Change is hard to get adopted but if no one steps up it will never happen. I wish you the best.

[Lurker]

It should be fun. I'll make damned sure there's a 'no strike' clause in every teacher contract. That's numero uno.

Then it's a complete independent audit of all expenditures made by the entire school system.

Then it's a 'no new taxes' pledge.

And that's just for starters.

L

[CowboyJay]

"Public schools that offer the opportunity for every citizen to obtain an education must always be available, or at least until that moment when there are enough private schools in the U.S. to be able to offer an education to every child, the parent's ability to pay notwhitstanding."

Something we finally agree on, LG.

Although there are some very valid points on this board about using Church facilities to start private schools. Would voucher funds be available for use this way under current plans?

If so, I'd support it. If not, heck no. We can't afford a nation of ignorant illiterates (just look where we are now).

[XR7]

“My child is a witness for Christ in the public schools.”

This is the most assinine statement ever.
The job of parents is to protect and nurture their children - not send them out as "sheep to the slaughter."
If the parent wants to "witness," fine.
But where is the scripture that says we are to send our children out to do battle with the forces of darkness?

[D-fendr]

From my public school experience…

Judging \ from \\\ your posts \\ thus far on this forum \\\ you are a fine example of Public School education.

Thanks for illustrating the point.

[NYpeanut]

Absolutely right. And if people have a problem with something in a public school they should get off their bottoms and change it. All things considered, public schools in the US do a great job of educating kids (backed by decent families) that come to them desiring an education. (I am not a teacher but I play one on TV).

[LowCountryJoe]

This works for Christians up until the point where some private school with a gay & lesbian curriculum would emerge or perhaps a school with druid or wicken leanings comes about for the fringe element in society. Many Christians would be so up in arms about the potential five (or so) percent of the kids that would attend these fringe schools with taxpayer subsidies, that they would kill the idea the minute a whiff of such a school's opening would come about.

And what of the potential schools with Islam as its foundation? That would nab up to 15% in some areas of the country. I honestly don't think that many Christians have the tolerance for these kinds of potential developments even though tolerance was something Jesus of Nazareth taught vehemently.

[AmericanChef]

-If Christians pulled their children out of public schools, voted down every tax increase having anything to do with education, voted to repeal the education portion of the property tax, and voted for candidates who would cut every dollar from education funding, then most families could afford the costs involved.-

Voting down the tax increases is something folks will never learn. The edoocashun sistem is very good at picking what they'll tell parents they'll "have to cut" if they don't get their money. Fees for extra-currikular activities will have to be paid by parents!! Oh no! How will we ever save for our vacation? Heck, when I went to school, your parents paid for all that stuff. Ski club is necessary? Don't think so!

[dakine]

I like the free lunch and after school care...

[LowCountryJoe]

I like the free lunch and after school care...

Problem is is that everyone likes the 'free lunch' and the after retirement care - on someone else's dime, of course.

[freeangel]

"Public schools must always be avaailable..."

And I imagine that we shall always pay taxes to fund such schools. However, lower enrollment will mean less money is being thrown at the NEA and THAT will be the big issue.

[Serenissima Venezia]

And I imagine that we shall always pay taxes to fund such schools. However, lower enrollment will mean less money is being thrown at the NEA and THAT will be the big issue.

That would certainly help - and send a message that change is needed. We also need more public outcry when things like our being last in international math and science tests happen or the education weenies decide to 'recenter' SAT scoring to make it look like kids are doing better. These events happen without even a whimper from the public. Of course, the NEA has its willing allies in the MSM covering up the facts.

[Serenissima Venezia]

mean, how many students 40 years ago left high school with 3 years of calculus (including diff-eq) under their belt?

I don't think very many do now either. Unless they go to a college for those classes and are quite gifted. The 3 calculi and either differential equations or linear algebra is all the math that's required for a BS in engineering and physics, so I wouldn't expect very many high schoolers to get to that level without going to a college for the classes. (The 3 calculi and DiffEQ would be 4 semesters or 2 years of math.)

But the goal of the curriculum of the top-ranked nations in math and science isn't to push kids through quickly, but to provide an indepth knowledge of the subjects. I did a research paper of the findings of the Third International Math and Science Studies (TIMSS) - and the findings are available for anyone to see. It's pretty shocking. We lack a national curriculum that is coherent (establishment of clear, disciplinary links between topics). Therefore, what kids are studying can vary widely from state to state - and even school to school.

Also, the persistence of old topics and lack of instructional focus on topics that are newly introduced show that we are not demanding that kids learn the material deeply so they can move on to more advanced topics. We concentrate more on breadth, not depth. The average U.S. high school math curriculum introduced 30 topics in one year, while in Japan they introduce only 10. But the kids learn those 10 well and they don't need to be repeated again and again - that's the main difference.

It seems that in our rush to improve a failing education system, the NEA did the opposite of what works - rather than rush to introduce new topics, we need to slow down and make sure that the relationships between old and new material is understood. Of course, there are other problems besides the curriculum, but I think that is the main issue. Teacher training, textbooks, commonality of preparation of the students, and assessments need to be changed as well.

[Conservativehomeschoolmama]

Amen to that!

[taxesareforever]

I'll make damned sure there's a 'no strike' clause in every teacher contract.

In Washington State it is against the Constitution for public employees (teachers) to strike. However, our court will not uphold the Constitution when teachers do go on strike.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Now, all you have to do is to make sure that yours is the only vote that counts on that issue.

My opinion on a subject cannot be wrong, it can differ from yours, but it's not wrong simply because you don't agree with it.