Posted on 03/14/2005 2:54:06 AM PST by JohnHuang2
Is it not possible for a parent to send his/her child to public school and still educate that child in "the very purpose of life"? I would freely acknowledge that it isn't the role of a public school teacher to educate my child about God, but I don't believe it follows that if I send my child to public school, I am abdicating my child's spiritual education. Their spiritual education is going to come from the home no matter where they obtain their academic education.
Did you address your comments to me? If so, why?
Call me old-fashioned, but I always ponder the morality of funding schools with money that has been taken from it's rightful owners at gunpoint if necessary.
I agree wholeheartedly.
I did not expect that God would be mentioned, let alone discussed when I chose to send my child to public school. That God is not only mentioned, but prayers to Him are unashamedly requested, is just an added benefit.
Every once in a while my daughter will add the relative of a classmate to grace at dinner or her evening prayers because an illness or whatever was mentioned in school and the person was requested to be added to everyone's prayers.
I never thought anything of it until a few weeks ago when I was attending a parent function in the morning, and we were asked to include the principal's mother in our prayers and to add her to our prayer lists or circles.........and a few minutes later during morning announcements to the student body the children were asked to include his mom in their prayers.
I spent 12 years in Catholic schools, so that was not unusual..........it took me until I was leaving school later that it dawned on me that this occurred in a public "government" school.
DO YOURSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE A FAVOR AND GO FOR 100%.
Possible, but far more difficult. (I understand that many people have no alternative.) First, there is a sin of ommission. Children are missing out on a God-focused education for 6 hours per day, 30 hours per week. As a Catholic homeschooling parent, I can tell you that the difference is enormous. My children tell me stories from their First Eucharist classes that are pretty sad.
Secondly, children may not worship overtly for the greater part of the day. Yet Jesus instructs us to "pray constantly," and "wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am also." The Bible tells us that parents should raise up a child in the way that he should go and that when he is an adult he will not depart from it. How can parents form children when they have little control over their education?
Thirdly, because God is never mentioned in school, children learn either that: 1) questions regarding God are not worth studying 2) we don't study God because we can't know anything about God with any certainty 3) God is not related to important things like academics and career prep 4) people are hopelessly at odds regarding God so it's best that we don't even try to talk about Him 5) God doesn't exist 6) important stuff happens at school/ practice your personal religious preferences at home 7) important stuff happens at school/ home is just a place to hang your hat 8) society has determined that God is not worth discussing at school/ keep your personal religious preferences at home.
Young children rarely contemplate these ideas consciously, but the ideas exist in a confused state in the young child's mind, coalescing more forcefully in the teen years, when hostility to the family's religion becomes overt.
I would freely acknowledge that it isn't the role of a public school teacher to educate my child about God,
But by what authority do they enjoy the right to school your child for six hours a day? Parents have the natural, God-given duty to instruct their children, not teachers.
...but I don't believe it follows that if I send my child to public school, I am abdicating my child's spiritual education. Their spiritual education is going to come from the home no matter where they obtain their academic education.
See above. School does provide a spiritual education, albeit a negative one. Normally, it opposes the spiritual education provided at home. And they have six prime-time hours per day to do it in. You probably have less.
I continue to point out that my daughter's public school is terrific and it's not like we enrolled her and forgot about her.
She goes to school and church and religous class through the church.
I'm sick of public school bashing for the sake of it.
When specific problems in specific schools are cited I am second to no one in knowing right from wrong, but this painting with a broad brush is silly.
Nicely put, Grace.
Since moving to DFW over 8 years ago, my kids have been in the public school system (Coppell ISD). Overall, we have been very pleased with the quality of their education, and they have had opportunities that would not normally be available at private schools: a band trip to Ireland last year, and a drill team trip to Florida (the girls had 60+ members performing).
However, in their drive for notoriety, I feel that marginal students (like my son) can get lost in the cracks. Again, no district is perfect.
My youngest is now 3, and we look forward to placing him in our parish school in a few years. Nathan is a really sharp kid (know any 3 year olds who can sing the theme from "A Mighty Wind", and has perfect inflection on the Indiana Jones theme?--of course, he also says the "s" word on occasion, and corrects himself by saying "sugar"), and we want to immerse him in the educational opportunities that will be initially offered at the K-4 level.
As to spiritual education, we are blessed that our parish has incredible programs from pre-kinder to a very dynamic LifeTeen program. I've personally had the pleasure and honor to teach my kids (and nephew) when they were in 6th grade. We'll be especially proud of our two oldest when they participate in the Mexico Mission this summer.
I know I've made plenty of mistakes along the way...that's life. For those who home school, or send their kids to private school, I applaud them. However, I do not feel I need to apologize to anyone for placing my kids in a public school.
For the record, my daughter will finish in the top 10% of her class (of 700), and has been accepted to Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and the University of Dallas. As a Gonzaga grad, I'm trying to nudge her to U of D, but most of her friends are going to Tech or UO.
Plus, she's heard the "horror stories" of academic life at Jesuit colleges...and they don't have football, either!
Compulsory, government schooling is inherently wrong. Education is the responsibility of the parent, not the government.
Any individual school MAY be fine, but the system itself is ripe for corruption and for uses OTHER than educating children. That is why many thinking people reject the concept of it.
It's not "for the sake of it" that most people "bash" it.
Um, I already knew all that but hope you feel better.
LOL
I spent 12 years in Catholic schools and we did not spend 6 hours a day God-focused, nor did we pray constantly.
Even in religious schools, regardless of the denomination, there is the understanding that beyond the openning prayer at the beginning of class religious teaching remains in religion class.
Why do you choose to ignore the fact that God is mentioned in my child's school? Is it because that defeats the purpose of your arguement that all public schools are godless dens of evil?
Tuscon's a great area. I have many good memories of traveling through there, and when I had friends stationed at Ft. Huachuca, and trips to Tombstone.
Good luck to your Wildcats.
Your comment didn't indicate that,,,and I feel fine.
So am I.
When specific problems in specific schools are cited I am second to no one in knowing right from wrong, but this painting with a broad brush is silly.
It's worse than silly. Can you imagine the outcry on this forum if those of us who choose public school were to use such a broad brush against private or home schoolers?
Why is it acceptable to call those using the pubic schools all types of names and use all kinds of stereotypes against us...........but Heaven forbid if the tables are turned?
Not all public school systems are terrific, in fact I would have to agree there are a large amount that are pretty bad........but there are also good systems out there. Not just good teachers, but good systems. Broadbrushing all with the same tar undermines those that are working to breakaway from the stereotype. It also demeans the parents involved in those systems and with their children's education.
My comment certainly did indicate it.
Thanks for the luck.
(btw, the weather has been flat out perfect, but a "cool down" is on the way--high of "only" 67 tomorrow after we've had about 80 for several days...~sigh~...lol)
AMEN.
For the record, my daughter will finish in the top 10% of her class (of 700), and has been accepted to Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and the University of Dallas.
That's wonderful!!!!!!!!!! Good for her, and you.
Not to worry about that... they only SAID they were going to use the revenues to fund schools, the money really just went into general revenues. I know, I know, it's still immoral, I just couldn't resist the irony.
What's really scary is people are proposing a federal lottery to fund social security.
Absolutely..........and fortunately as parents we have choices as to where to acquire that education for our children.
Some of us choose to utilize the pubic school system and supplement it at home, others choose private or homeschooling. It is a matter of what works best for those involved.
I have never disputed that. Or even implied that I do.
BTW, the correct description is government school. Any school which is open to the general public is a public school. The government owns and operates these institutions. And the product is indicative of that. It depends on the government who owns and operates the school as to the quality of the product.
Please note, I never excoriated anyone for sending their children to these places. I don't recommend it however.
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