What Makes People Think They Are Qualified To Teach Their Own Kids?

[JDPriestly]

43. Do you teach your child science?

Do you have a chemistry lab? How about a high speed computer with the programs to do advanced studies in chemistry?

That's what my daughter had when she took chemistry in a public high school in a relatively poor urban area. She did not have access to the computer because the government paid for it. She had that access thanks to an extremely dedicated public school teacher who gave his all to his students. He was willing to sacrifice anything for their success. And indeed his sacrifice was worth it.

The problem with teaching in the home is that your child will not have the variety, the breadth of practical experience that a child in a public school has, especially at the high school level.

Singing in a choir or playing in an orchestra in high school -- every day -- is a great experience that a home-schooled child will not have. Playing on a playground with classmates of the same age every day is also an experience that a home-schooled child will not have.

In some cases home-schooling is a good idea, but how does a home-schooled child learn to be independent in the way a classroom-school child learns. Mama or papa is always there -- watching to make sure the child does what he or she is supposed to. When a child goes to school, he or she has to develop self-discipline, and that is a big gain.

Not all, but some parents home-school because they want to control their children. That is very sad. Some home-school because they want to live vicariously through their children. Also very sad.

Some home-school because their child has special needs that are best fulfilled by a loving parent. Lucky kid; lucky parent.

Finally, home-schooling is a choice only for families in which one parent can afford to stay at home and not work.

Home-schooling can be good, can be bad, but there are a lot of advantages to public school educations that people overlook.

And public schools, community schools, have been around a long time. Maria Theresa started educating all Austrian children back in the 18th century.

In the 1760s, smallpox claimed several victims in the royal family. Maria Theresa was infected and received last rites in 1767, although she recovered. Afterward, Maria Theresa became a strong supporter of inoculation (a predecessor immunization method to smallpox vaccination), setting a strong example by requiring all of her children to be inoculated.

In the later years of her reign, Maria Theresa focused on reforming laws as an enlightened monarch. Many historians agree that she did not solely act out of care for her population, but rather to strengthen the economy of the Habsburg territories, especially after the loss of Silesia.

In 1771, she and Joseph II issued the Robot Patent, a reform that regulated a serf's labor payments in her lands, which provided some relief. Other important reforms included outlawing witch-burning and torture, and, for the first time in Austrian history, taking capital punishment off the penal code, as it was replaced with forced labor. It was later reintroduced, but the progressive nature of these reforms remains noted. Mandatory education was introduced in 1774; the goal was to form an educated class from which civil servants could be recruited.

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Maria_Theresa_of_Austria

Please note that public school education was first organized in order to insure citizens capable of governing -- and that was in a monarchy.

Public education became a requirement in the US because we are a democracy, and we need to be certain that our citizens are well enough educated to vote and govern themselves. The ultimate purpose of education has been forgotten by many -- strengthening our ability to govern ourselves.