The Best School For Your Child?
There are more options today for schooling than ever. In fact, schools themselves have changed a bit. Back when I was a child, public school was a safe and beneficial place where you were taught academics as well as how to behave in a public setting. However, public schools have gotten increasingly worse. Private schools are a great option, but depending on the school, it can be very expensive. The third option is homeschooling, which requires the parents time and effort. I will discuss the pro's and con's of each.
It should be noted that our children attended a private Christian school their entire childhood. We were blessed with the means and the opportunity to have them attend a wonderful school and we found it to be a very positive thing in their lives.
1. Public School: As I mentioned, public schools today are not a safe place for children. There are many reasons for this. Number one is that public schools have become religious institutions, the religion being atheism. Evolution is taught as fact and God is not allowed in the school (students are actually punished for praying or expressing their devotion to God in schools often times). Many schools allow Christian clubs. If you send your child to a public school, have them join one of those clubs and make friends in those clubs. Be careful which friends your child makes in public schools. It is best to always talk to your child about how they are doing at school and what is being taught. Make sure you discuss evolution ahead of time and explain that is what teachers are required to teach but that God created us. There is no need to have your child start a rebellion against evolution at school, but have them understand that it is a subject they must learn in order to do well in school. Also, public schools tend to have a lot of bullies and depending on the school, can have gangs and racism. These things can be outright dangerous. Also, students are not very disciplined at public schools, with teachers have little power to discipline them and little incentive other than their own sanity. But many good Christian families have their children attend public schools so it is possible.
2. Private School: This is my preferred schooling for children. Private schools allow your children to flourish spiritually, academically, and socially. First of all, the Bible is taught in classes, prayer is encouraged, and many schools offer chapel services. This is a great foundation for a child's faith. Academically, many private schools have a higher standard and more availability from the teachers as the classes are smaller. A child can really grow in learning. Lastly, it is a safe bet that most of their friends come from good Christian families as well. This makes the friend selection process much easier for your child and easier for you as well. To simply put it, private school allows peace of mind.
3. Homeschooling: Homeschooling is another good option. I have friends from my church who do this. They tell me it has been wonderful for their children as they learn at their own pace and the parents are in control of what they are learning. They even offer Christian curriculums to aid the parents in teaching the children. The bad thing is that they do not have the same social interaction unless they have lots of siblings. It is best to supplement homeschooling with AWANA or things like that.
It also should be noted that when it comes to college, the parent still has influence as to the choice made. We encouraged all three of our children to attend Christian colleges. All three did and have only said good things about them.