Go Against the Current When Educating Your Children – Part 1

Except in rare circumstances, Catholic or Christian parents should not enroll their children in a public school.  These government-run, atheistic schools are simply inferior to other, far superior, virtuous options.

It is obvious to many that our government is often corrupt, dishonorable, and self-serving. This is evidenced by everything from politicians’ behaviors to the incompetency of the many departments and agencies – all the way down to the local DMV. Yet, many modern-day moms and dads still rely on government employees to tell them how to raise their kids!

It’s really rather sad.  Today’s parents let the federal and state departments of education tell them when their kids are ready to read, what their kids should know about morality, and how their kids learn best.

But why would sane, rational parents want to turn over their children’s souls and impressionable minds to a government system commonly run by secular, morally corrupt employees? I tend to think that it is simply because government-run schools are free.  But recall the adage, “You get what you pay for,” and the axiom ”Nothing is really free.”  Think about the ramifications of “free, government run schools.”

Catholic or Classical Schools Are One Option

A popular option for parents who quit the public schools is to enroll their youngsters in the local, diocesan Catholic school. But the 21^st century has seen a developing crisis in Catholic education. Many parochial schools have lost their way.

Instead of appropriately focusing on teaching academic basics and passing on the truths of our Faith, many Catholic schools are no better than their public school counterparts. They follow a woke, experimental curricula.  And they have diluted their religious instruction so as to not “hurt feelings” by preaching truths. Additionally, these superficially Catholic schools employ many lukewarm, semi-practicing Catholics.

Parents need to scrutinize their local Catholic school before enrolling their children.  Is the school teaching tried and true, fundamental academics along with authentic faith formation that positively benefit their children’s souls? In other words, is the curriculum worth the cost of tuition.

One way to verify the scholastic strength and proper Catholic identity of a parochial school is to use this checklist from the article, “Can Your Catholic School Check-Off Everything on this List?”

If a family cannot find an authentic parochial Catholic school, a second option is to enroll their children in an independently-run, classical model, Catholic school. Classical model Catholic schools will more likely have a higher, more demanding curricula. And just as importantly, the classical Catholic schools adhere more devoutly to Catholic doctrine. They expect their students to study Scripture to a greater degree and frequent the sacraments more consistently.

Parents can check out maps both here and here to locate classical Catholic schools in their areas. Specifically for high school education, Catholic families should consider one of the 74 secondary schools in the U.S. operating as part of the Network of Chesterton Academies.

The schools at these sites may please Catholic parents searching for a better school environment. These schools are faithful to Catholic teaching, conservative in policies and programs, and willing to go against the current.

But in my opinion as a professional educator, only one type of schooling perfectly matches an authentic Catholic family’s worldview.  It’s called homeschooling.

Homeschooling Makes the Most Sense

When a family homeschools, their children’s teachers will be of the same mind (literally) as the parents. When a family homeschools, mom and dad serve as co-principals and thus have the final say on the choice of curricula. When a Catholic family homeschools, the kids learn unabridged theology and authentic Church doctrine. Kids won’t receive watered down lessons that are “politically correct.”

The contemporary talk in education is to “meet the unique learning needs of each student.”  But no type of schooling has the ability to customize education to a particular child better than homeschooling. Who better at knowing when and how to fuel a child’s passion for a specific subject matter than that kid’s own mom and dad? Who better than mom and dad at immediately recognizing their children’s frustrations?  And who better at being able to spontaneously pivot and change subject matter or go outside for a break or some playtime?

A homeschool does not have an automatically timed recess bell.  Additionally it does not have an inflexible schedule for when one academic subject must end and a new subject must begin. It also does not follow a “magical” clock and calendar that mandates schooling must take seven hours a day for 180 days a year.

In most schools nowadays, students are flooded with stimuli so they don’t get bored. They receive instant gratification, over-exposure to computer screens, and daily math lessons that incorporate cartoon videos. All of this sensory overload is what today’s kids are being conditioned to expect. The problem is this overwhelms youngsters.  The pace can be too speedy, the content too mature, and the noise level too high.

Homeschooling Is Healthier

The homeschool environment has numerous other advantages as well. Students benefit by spending more time in silence. They can have the lights turned down low or keep a soothing beverage within reach. They can learn both intentionally and unintentionally through structured and unstructured times. Instead of being tethered to desks from 8am to 3pm Monday through Friday, homeschooled students spend as little as a few hours a day and a few days per week in what is referred to as “seat work.”

In a typical school, students wait for their teachers to tell them things. They wait for an adult’s instructions on what to do next or how to fix something. Homeschool students are more likely going to learn self-reliance and figure out things themselves. They get as much time as they need and more freedom than their public school counterparts.

Homeschooled students also do not suffer from the pressure mainstream educational students have – constant tests, grades, and square pegs crammed into round holes.  This results in better mental health.

The Benefits Continue

A further upside of homeschooling is of 45 peer-reviewed studies on the performance of homeschooling, 78% found that the homeschooled students performed significantly better than their conventional or institutional school peers.  The held true in academic achievement, social and emotional development, and in future success both at college and into adulthood.

There are also many add-on benefits a homeschooling family receives, such as:

• the capacity to vacation when others are in school;
• the “authority” to take off random days, such as when the weather is perfect for a hike or family members are not feeling well;
• the ability to turn the building of a backyard birdhouse into a math and science lesson;
• the capacity to better accommodate many kids’ (especially boys’) energetic natures and needs for more physical movement and expression.

In part two, tomorrow, more advantages of homeschooling, resources, and refuting common objections to homeschooling.