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wisdom or procedure that can get
results from kids that nobody else
can geL l f you're talking about
advanced sciences and math,
those are indeed subject matters
that are beyond most people's
comprehension, and most people
wouldn't know how to
t~ach
those
subjects. Remember, though,
that most students don't get up to
those areas."
Home education sholild proba–
bly not be attempted by parents
who are not sufficiently educated
themselves. Unless parents do
have a reasonably high leve) of edu–
cation themselves, they probably
will not be able to do any better
than the local public schools, and
could do
much worse.
As a social trend, home educa–
tion is certainly in the avant
garde. Ed Nagel, head of the
National Association for the Sup–
port of Alternative Schools in
Sante Fe, New Mexico, says
home education is "happening all
over the country."
John Holt, a former public
school teacher himself anda lead–
ing spokesman for the home edu–
cation movement, believes that
more than 10,000 families across
the United States have taken up
home education. Mr. Holt believes
the education that children receive
from their parents is
superior
to
that received in the publ ic schools.
The former public school teacher
says,
" 1
know from my own school–
ing that
1
rarely got 15 minutes of
real teaching a day."
While there are possible legal
problems involving home educa–
tion, depending on where you
live, the series of legal victories
already won by parents who have
set up home education programs
is impressive.
In Florida, Worldwide Church
of God member Helen J. Voshell
went to home education when she
concluded that the school system
would "clash too much" with her
family's religion. "There is too
much they would have to partici–
pate in and go along with that we
do not believe in," she declares.
When Mrs. Voshell did not
enroll her son Joshua in the local
public schools, she was initially
charged with violating the state
June1July 1981
compulsory attendance laws. The
charges were dropped when stan–
dardized tests revealed that Josh–
ua was doing better in reading
and math than the national aver–
age for his grade leve!.
In Michigan, Mr. and Mrs.
Peter Nobel, a devout Calvinist
ra·mily, were also charged with
violations of the state truancy
laws. They were acquitted by a
state judge, who found that the
Nobel's
religious beliefs
were
sufficient grounds for exempting
them from the compulsory atten–
dance at the public school.
In Massachusetts Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Turano won their
battle for home education be–
cause of similar constitutional
rights, including the right to pri–
vacy and the protection against
involuntary servitude (slavery).
~~
A concerned parent
should fee/ at least
morally entitled to take
greater supervision
over the education of
his own children.
' '
Occasionally, the local authori–
ties are even favorable to home
education. In Alaska, the state
runs its own correspondence
course for youngsters in small vil–
lages. In Vermont, as one mother
wrote in John Holt's home educa–
tion newsletter:
"The local au thorities have
been friendly, supportive and
even enthusiastic. T he local
school board has bought all our
books and materials, to be
returned to them when we are
finished with them."
Not every school board, of
course, is so enlightened. Even so,
families have avoided legal has–
sles by getting prior approval of
their home-study program. Holt,
for example, counsels a low pro–
fi le. "The way not todo it is to go
down to the school screaming."
Any family thinking of home
education must realize it poses
serious hazards, even if legal
problems can be avoided. Home
education requires self-discipline
and character. Parents must be
prepared to work hard enough to
insure that their children can do
well on standardized tests. Home
education, says Imperial School's
Joseph Locke, is definitely only
"for self-starters."
·The problem with home educa–
tion that won't go away is some–
thing educators, in their awful
jargon, call "social interaction."
To a great extent, the dangers of
your child 's lack of "peer experi–
ence" (more awful jargon!) have
been exaggerated. School is really
an
artificial
social environment.
During few other times in your
life do you mix on a regular basis
with so many different people.
Nevertheless, . most parents do
want their children to be able to
reasonably get along with other
bei ngs. As Romans 12: 18 says,
"as much as lieth in you, live
peaceably with all men."
Obviously a good home educa–
tion should allow students oppor–
tunities to meet with others their
own age.
The Coming Revolution in Public
Educat ion
As a general rule, most of those
involved in public schools, in par–
ticular the teachers' unions, are
vehernently opposed to children
escaping the meat-grinder- like
approach of the public schools.
Writing in
Phi Delta Kappan,
Virginia Davis Nordin and Wil–
liam Lloyd Turner, two scholars
analyzed or described the grow–
ing number of "fundamentalist"
schools, and describe them as
"locked i11to rigid, theologically
based positions on many issues
while American society rnoves
forward."
Of course, what Ms. Nordin
and Mr. Turner say is "forward"
may be what the Bible says is
degenerate and sinful.
Grace Baisinger, "chairperson"
of the National Coalition to Save
Public Education, told a
U.S.
News
&
World Report
interview,
"We are concerned about the
quality of the education program
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