O.N.E. OPINION: Homeschooling Considered

by Carol and Fr. Timothy Blumentritt

Recently, homeschooling has received some negative attention in the pages of our diocesan newspaper. To provide a balanced perspective, a positive response is necessary. After all, more and more families are doing it, including Orthodox families, who, it might be noted, are not served well by having had such an issue addressed in an official church publication in a tone that sounded an awful lot like establishment bigotry.

The first step in dealing maturely with this issue is to get over our defensiveness ("I went to public school and I turned out all right" or "Homeschooling is just another aspect of right wing fundamentalism") and learn how to deal with and understand others who go against the status quo in some meaningful way.

Yes, to homeschool is to veer off the path established by our society for educating, and even raising, our children, but why should such a decision be so hard to understand? If we are serious Christians, we should already have lots of practice at this ­ the gospel of Jesus Christ has always been a stumbling block to the thoughts and ways of the world.

Homeschooling is not a quirky little fad that is limited to the "religious right" but a movement that is expanding in many segments of American society. Families who choose this approach do so for a variety of reasons. Some are motivated by disagreement with teaching methods in, or bad experiences with, local school districts, others are concerned about increasing violence and disciplinary problems in public schools, and still others pursue this because they have children with special needs who learn much better in the home environment.

However, for many Christian parents, Orthodox and otherwise, homeschooling has become more than just an alternative educational method; it has become a way of life. These parents have serious concerns about contemporary society and specifically with the role that public education plays in uncritically promoting its values and, thus, have chosen home-schooling as one means by which they can concretely live out their commitment to raising families "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)

A negative assessment of the state of American public education today is not merely the product of apocalyptic doomsayers on the fringes of society. Numerous mainstream studies, Gallup surveys, and statistical reports attest to a widespread crisis in functional and cultural literacy.

Of special concern to Christians is the frontal attack that is being waged on moral and ethical foundations as well as the complete exclusion of matters of faith from the educational process. How can behavior and values be taught in a vacuum?

For many committed Christians, then, homeschooling is a proactive way to give their children a quality education academically and morally and one that is rooted in a Christian understanding of reality. In addition, the homeschooling lifestyle promotes the strengthening of family relationships ­ another fundamental aspect of life that is pretty clearly in crisis today.

Now, it is perfectly obvious that a great number of families are not able or do not choose to take on the commitment of home-schooling their children. Be that as it may, in light of the many benefits of homeschooling, it is sad that for many who could do so it is never considered an option. Perhaps they cannot conceive of the notion of educating children in any other way than in a "typical" classroom setting.

Even worse, perhaps they have heard such options condescendingly dismissed by educational or religious "authorities." However, such a prejudice is illegitimate. Perhaps people are unaware that universal government-sponsored
education of children is a relatively new phenomenon that became a fixture in our society only after the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century?

Traditionally, the setting for the education of children has always been the home. While the particular methods and structures of home-based education have certainly evolved over the millennia of recorded history and, while there is no turning back the clock to a bygone era, nevertheless, home-schooling continues this ancient tradition and allows a family to break out of today's conventional, institutional approach to education.

Homeschooling offers many benefits to a child that may be hard or impossible to find in a typical school setting, including: (1) a very low teacher-student ratio, (2) the opportunity to tailor learning to the individual child instead of the other way around, (3) more attention to exploring a child's individual creativity, and (4) a more natural integration of educational materials with "real life." Instead of spending lengthy hours in a classroom, children can be playing, exploring, and helping with the operation of the household, along with completing more formally structured daily lessons.

Does home education work? The standardized tests say it does. A 1997 compilation of homeschool test scores one of the largest to date (16,159 students) showed that homeschoolers are consistently scoring significantly above the national average on standardized achievement tests. In fact, many colleges and universities are actively beginning to seek out home-schooled young people precisely because of their well-developed academic and intellectual abilities.

One of the thorniest aspects of homeschooling is the issue of socialization. Surprisingly, this is almost invariably the first question that a skeptic raises. One might have hoped that the primary concern would regard the quality of education, not whether the child will "make it" socially. Of course, this raises a more basic question about what it means to "make it" socially.

Why do people simply assume that the institutional school setting is the most appropriate and natural context for socially training our children? It is tempting to try to dispel this myth by focusing on things like the recent incidents of school violence and well-known tales of the discipline problems routinely faced by teachers, but such things can always be conveniently disregarded as exceptions.

In fact, there are many flaws that are even more fundamental. Take, for example, the notion of age-segregation that is basic to the entire institutional educational system. While convenient and cost-effective, such a social context is artificial. When, in real life, is a person restricted to spending nearly half of his or her waking hours confined among a large group of people of exactly the same age and status? Without even beginning to address what goes on during these hours, that is, the overwhelming problem of the content of such social interaction, how can anyone claim that such an unbalanced and artificial environment promotes well-rounded socialization or healthy psychological development?

In fact, such a setting disproportionately privileges the habits and attitudes of the group, while one's personal identity that has been carefully nurtured in the family and in the Church is either openly attacked, or far worse, simply considered socially irrelevant for, as Fr. Alexander Schmemann pointed out years ago, the secularistic mindset that characterizes today's society does not actually deny faith a place, it simply assigns it one that will not interfere with "real life" and makes sure that it stays there obediently like a pet on a leash.

On the other hand, the age-integrated socialization that is fundamental to homeschooling trains children to relate to and communicate well with people of all ages through a broad range of meaningful interaction with parents and grandparents, older and younger siblings, the church community (especially the elderly), and the general public that is encountered in the day-to-day life of a household.

Furthermore, homeschooling is particularly ideal for Orthodox families because it allows for full participation in the liturgical cycles of the Church a pattern that has been nearly entirely lost in popular culture without having to battle the schedules and priorities of a school district. In this way, the life of the Church can truly function as the nucleus of family life rather than being something extra to be squeezed in if school and extra-curricular activities allow the time for it.

With all of these essentials in place, then, homeschooled families have a firm foundation for encouraging a more reasonable level of informal peer group socialization "in the neighborhood" as well as by formal participation in such activities as Little League and soccer, Girl and Boy Scouts, church school classes, and the many social activities organized by homeschool support groups.

Related to the issue of socialization is the question of isolation. How can homeschooled children survive in the "real world" or change it for the better if they are isolated from it? This is clearly a legitimate concern, especially since Christians are intended to be the "salt of the earth," and Christian homeschoolers get used to hearing the question, "How can you do that if you're not "in the world?"

But, of course, questions about whether or not we should be "in the world" are nonsensical. As is so often pointed out, we are in the world and there is no escaping from it, nor should we attempt to do so. Instead, the real question is: As Christian parents, how do we best prepare a child to live a life worthy of the gospel and to be a witness for Christ in the world?

Clearly, our public schools are not nor are they allowed to be concerned about whether our children grow up to be faithful Christians. Furthermore, it's pretty clear that vigorous Christian training goes beyond mere church attendance even that of an above average Orthodox family two hours of church school and Liturgy on most Sunday mornings, semi-regular appearances at Vespers and Lenten services and the occasional feast day thrown in for good measure.

Indeed, as good pastors frequently remind us, the responsibility for solid Christian development in children cannot be "the Church's job." Instead, it must become the kind of high priority item that demands serious commitment and active involvement on the part of Christian parents whose homes and lives consistently reflect the gospel that is proclaimed in the church.

Now, it should also be obvious that such parental responsibility is going to involve making decisions about our children's educational environment that are informed by the values of the gospel and not merely by "going with the flow."

In view of this responsibility, then, why are so many Christians so comfortable with the prospect of their children spending the majority of their formative years immersed in a system that either
attacks, undermines, or simply takes no account of what we claim to hold as the very reason for our existence? This is hard to fathom, even allowing for the somewhat naive hope that our young ones will be agents of change in the world.

Are we to send our five-year-olds or eight-year-olds out to be the salt of the earth when they haven't the foggiest idea yet what that means? Are we to use our children as an advance guard in a conflict which, to quote St. Paul, is not "against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places?" Hardly. Consider the image of the soldier who trains for months before engaging in combat, or the athlete who practices vigorously before entering competition.

Homeschooled children are often derogatorily referred to as "hothouse plants," but why should this be a criticism? A seedling needs a hothouse until it is hardy enough to withstand the harsh outdoor weather ­ that's why hothouses exist. As the seedling matures, it can eventually be left outside without cover until at some point it can stand on its own, bearing fruit ­ and so it is with homeschooling. Instead of merely conforming to cultural and societal norms, Christian parents who homeschool have a unique opportunity to take an active role in how, when, and where their children are exposed to the world. In doing so, they are exercising wise pastoral care for their own "little flock" and, back to St. Paul again, equipping their children with the "whole armor of God, that [they] may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Far from being a flight from the world, then, homeschooling can provide a solid basis for a creative and gospel-centered engagement with the world that is rooted firmly in a commitment to the life of the Church, a strong family culture, and a quality education.

Is it possible to integrate all three of these elements and raise children in a holistic Christian
environment without homeschooling? It may be.

Homeschoolers do not claim that their approach is a panacea for all the ills of the world. It is, however, a spectacularly useful tool for doing something about some of them. In today's typical family, with everyone scattered in all directions at daycare, jobs, school, and extracurricular activities, all of which gradually erode a family's ability to participate in the life of the Church, homeschooling can reduce the scatteredness and distraction and can provide the focus, the strength of mind, and the time needed to teach our children to think and live in a consistent Christian manner.

In conclusion, the issue of homeschooling can, for many reasons, provoke a defensive reaction in those who are presented with the strong case that can be made in its support. Such an attitude becomes obvious when, for example, proponents of homeschooling are accused of imagining that they have discovered a perfect method of educating and raising children that mechanically churns out perfect results.

Of course, homeschoolers think no such thing. We know that there are no guarantees in life. However, the fact that no method offers guaranteed results certainly does not mean that all methods are, therefore, equally useful and that any educational approach sincerely pursued is equally likely to yield good results.

Yes, in the end, children will grow to adulthood and make their own choices and go their own way. But, during the formative years, parents are called to try to discern the results that will follow from their influence and their decisions, and then act accordingly. While no one can successfully predict the future, this has never yet stopped a loving parent from weighing all the known circumstances in any given instance and then, in faith, doing what seems best and leaving the results to God.

In recent years, such an approach to godly parenting has, for more and more families, included a commitment to homeschooling, which though it claims no guaranteed results, has so much to commend it educationally, socially, and spiritually, that it deserves our consideration, respect, and support.

(Carol and Fr. Timothy Blumentritt live in Terryville, CT, where Fr. Timothy is Pastor of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church.)