Withdrawing From the Schools

I head over to WND almost every day. Home to some of my favorite commentators, their news section is often worthy of at least a glance. A large number of the articles seem to bemoan the present state of the public school system, and end with a pathetic proclamation for change. Thus I was presently surprised to see that the Southern Baptists appear to have gotten it right:

If you like sexually transmitted diseases, shootings and high teen pregnancy rates, by all means, send your children to public schools. That's the word from a leader in the fast-growing movement within the 16 million-member Southern Baptist Convention for parents to pull their children from those schools in favor of homeschooling...

In an interview with WND, he said that those problems and others are prevalent in public schools, and some Christian leaders even have said it could be considered child abuse just to register children in such a facility...

"Dr. Mohler is right, Southern Baptists, and Christians generally, need to plan a Christian educational future for our children," Wiley said. "First, Christian parents are obligated to provide their children with a Christ-centered education. Anyone who thinks that a few hours of youth group and church will have more influence on a child's faith and worldview than 40 to 50 hours a week of public school classes, activities, and homework is simply not being honest with himself...

"The experiment with government schooling has failed," said Bruce Shortt, a co-sponsor of the "Exit Strategy" resolution. "What Baptists need to do now is create a new public education system, a system that is public in the sense that it is open to everyone and that takes into account the needs of orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged. With our existing buildings, our talented people, and the educational technology available today, it is now possible to create rapidly an affordable, effective Christian education alternative to the government schools."

About time. Yes, the schools once used the Bible in the classroom, and didn't attack Christianity at ever opportunity. But that was then, and it is imbecilic to hope for a return to the past, especially in an increasingly post-Christian society. The obvious move then, once reform has failed, is to withdraw.

I see three possible problems with the pending withdrawal.

First, parents can be naively supportive of their own public schools. The majority of public schools are cess pools, inimical to both rational thought and moral living; while there are exceptions, they are few and far between. Chances are, your particular school isn't as good as you wish it would be. Withdraw.

Second, many families are either dependent on both parents working, or percieved to be as such. I see several ways out of this conundrum. First, pool with a relative. Trust a brother or a sister or even a close family friend to teach if they are so willing. Christians are called to be Christ to one another, and ought to do anything they can to prevent children from being sacrificed to the public school system. Alternatively, churches could award scholarships to help families make due with one working parent--I am unsure of the legalities involved with this particular solution; this is merely a brain-storming session. Lastly, sacrifice for your children. Perhaps one parent could become a part-timer, or parents could arrange to work different hours. Home-schooling only takes a few hours a day, and a parent need not be home for the entire school day--so long as the child would have somewhere to go which would not serve to undermine the effects of homeschooling.

Lastly, parents will need to make the move to home-school. This will involve sacrifice, and it runs counter to everything that parents have learned--courtesy of the public school of course. It may prove especially difficult to get women to give up careers for their children. Yet I have hope that Christians realize that there is more to life than cubedom, and many will rise to the occasion.

The movement grows. Our children may have a chance yet.