As negative as this piece might seem to be, it's actually
fairly upbeat regarding the Unschooled. I've seen some real disasters result
from this method.
There are also many homeschoolers while not necessarily
embracing the Unschooled method, they are nevertheless serious negligent in the
education of their children and setting them up to fail.
As I've said before I don't care if my sons grow up to be
garbage men if they are Christians. Truly, that is all that matters.
I wish for them to be happy and I say that in the context of
Christian suffering and our calling as pilgrims in this world. I would like for
them to wake up in the morning and be eager to go out and do a job that they
enjoy. I say this while completely rejecting the various strains of Vocational
and Dominionist theology. That's not at all what I'm thinking of.
But an education can be enriching and it can help (if
understood properly) us to understand our context and live wisely within it.
I've known some homeschooled kids that are so ignorant of the world around them
they can barely function in it or even hold a conversation for that matter.
I'm not talking about Pop Culture and familiarity with the
latest music and shows. I'm talking about history, culture and ideas.
Some of these kids end up angry and turn away from the faith
in great bitterness. Racked by guilt they pursue life with something akin to
nihilistic abandon. In many cases the bitterness is fueled by a sense of being
robbed or shortchanged in terms of life preparation. To be honest they have a
point.
We have the Unschooled and then we have the other extreme of
Bourgeois and sometimes even Elitist Christianity that pushes classical
education and what could be called the Ivy League trajectory. So much of the
latter is consumed by either Dominionist theology, worldly Middle Class values
or some combination of both.
There is another way but it requires not only moderation but
I think some Biblically informed wisdom about our place in the world. Educate
your children but for the right motive and with the proper goals in mind. The
world and for that matter the Elitist minded homeschoolers won't understand
you, but don't let it ruin your day.
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