On March 27, 2007 the Spearsville High School in Spearsville, Louisiana was rocked to its foundations when four 5th grade students engaged in sexual intercourse in their classroom while being unsupervised for about 30 minutes. It took until the next day for the authorities to be notified of this incident, and at this point in time even the authorities are at a loss as to how to deal with the children. On April 10, 2007 a 15 year old Chicago high school student attacked another one with a handgun at Chicago Vocational Career Academy, a school associated with the public school system which is open to students from the 9th to the 12th grade for career training. Stories such as these are unfortunately not rare, but instead are becoming more common place by the week. Other than concerns for their children's physical safety, many a parent is frustrated and fed up with a school bureaucracy that is slow to respond and at times simply hides behind the statements that since minors are involved they cannot comment.
Of course, for every sensational story of this gist that the news will feed us, there are countless thousands of other stories about wonderful teachers who go to great lengths to help their students both in the classroom and outside, of school administrators who disregard the red tape and do whatever it takes to help their students to succeed and at times even beat the odds, and of course also of parents who are in close communication with their children's teachers and who are but a phone call away if trouble is brewing or if the teacher needs help in the classroom. Yet with the reality of many failing schools which endanger the children's future by inadequately preparing them for the institutions of higher learning, many a parent is beginning to wonder if the governmentally assigned school their little one is scheduled to attend by virtue of the residence's zip code is actually the best way to go.
As Christian parents you know that you have been charged by God with educating your children in such a way that she or he not only learns life's lessons, but also spiritual truths. While some parents will take this as a battle cry to homeschool their kids, this is not necessarily the best option in every single case. Yet if parents understand that while the primary responsibility of education for their kids rests on them they still have the option of hiring help to do so, …
… suddenly the relationship between teachers and parents changes to one where parents are a lot more actively involved in the education process. When parents abdicate this responsibility, you are faced with a generation that drops off children at a school and views it to be the responsibility of the teachers to make the kids smart. Obviously, this does not work.
At this point in time, parents have many choices with respect to their kids' education. There are private schools, public schools, and home schools. Generally speaking, the main difference between a public and a private school rests in the fact that the public school is mired in a government fed bureaucracy which at times makes it hard for teachers to do that for which they have trained: teach!
Political correctness, faddish theories on education, and rules that sometimes force teachers to engage their students in such a way that failure is all but guaranteed make it hard to tell which does the most damage in the public schools. Add to this that the most recent trends show that God is slowly being eradicated from the public school system, and you can understand why many Christian parents are beginning to eye this system with circumspection. Yes, there are wonderful public schools out there, make no mistake! By and large, however, they do appear to be somewhat few and far between, oftentimes with waiting lists that span years.
Fortunately, the charter school system - which is still governed by the public school system yet is more dependent on parent participation and less beholden to the governmental bureaucracies - is spelling relief in many communities. If you are considering enrollment of your children in a charter school, you will want to make sure what the school's educational philosophy is and whether or not it is in keeping with your own. Naturally, these schools are not comparable to religious schools, but they do offer a welcomed alternative to those who are seeking to not have a religious education but at the same time not have "God" treated like a four-letter word. Generally speaking, if your child is faced with attending a public school that shows test scores which are low, then a search for an available charter school is highly recommended.
Private schools on the other hand offer the complete freedom from governmental bureaucracies. They do need to meet certain test standards to be accredited, yet they do not have to bow to the limitations placed on them. As such, they stress academic excellence and for the Christian parent they are a great alternative when looking to include religious study into the child's daily curriculum. Different private schools have different curricula, and even different philosophies. Some are secular and some are religious - make sure you are clear about what is being taught before you enroll your child!
Home schooling is an option for the hands-on parent who does not fear stepping into the teaching job. As such, you have unlimited freedom to teach your child at her or his pace and cover material you find appropriate. Remember that you will need to prepare your child for the ability to take certain governmental tests; however, thus it is not all fun and games. Additionally, sometimes a child will not learn as easily from a parent as they would from a teacher. This may be chalked up to the parent-child dynamic, the parent's patience, or simply the way the child prefers to learn. Whatever the case is, if you decide to home school your child, reevaluate often to ensure that your child's academic needs are being met on every level!
The bottom line is simple - you want the best possible education for your children, and in order to find it, you may have to look further than your assigned public school.
About Sylvia Cochran
 Sylvia Cochran - Christian Parenting Corner and Common Sense Parenting and Parenting By the Book Christian Parenting Book Reviews
Sylvia is a seasoned freelance writer, born and raised in Germany. Having been exposed to a variety of religions and traditions due to travel and study, Sylvia has been a student of the Bible for more than ten years, and has for the last four years taught in small groups about Biblical principles, practical Christianity, Christian parenting, as well as the spiritual use of money. Sylvia also provides Free Online Christian Parenting Courses at Suite 101.
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