Government Interference in Education
88Public school education has become a thing so commonplace, that hardly anyone ever questions it as a trustworthy way to educate children. We have so long been enslaved to the whims of the government, that we cannot recognize our own slavery. We are slaves of the state, and this is partly a result, I believe, of government interference in education.
I have a confession… I was homeschooled. I have never attended a public school. Most of my education was spent at home, with a brief stint at a private Christian school during the first months of kindergarten. Does this disqualify me as an unbiased thinker? That’s for you to decide. For my part, I write what I sincerely believe, and my thoughts are my thoughts. I prefer to think the fact of my homeschool education leaves me with a lot less baggage than a student of the public school system might have.
The Role of the Government
Let’s get down to the root of government. The government has two roles:
- protect and defend its citizens from foreign enemies
- administer justice and punish those who break the law
Now how does education fall into those categories? It simply doesn’t. The number one reason why the government shouldn't educate your children is that they government has no right or responsibility or business in educating anyone.
For centuries now, the government has been involved in the education of our children. Although it has not always been this way, now the government claims to have the right to make the education of your children compulsory. In other words, the government forces you to make sure your children are properly educated. Now, I’m all for smart kids. I want my future kids to be well-educated. I think it would be for the best if your kids were well-educated as well. But does the government have the right to command their education? If they did, that would imply that they also have the right to define what education is, how it is to be given out, who it is given to, and who it is taught by. This would also imply that the government has a right to define what exactly your children are taught and what your children are not taught. The government does not have a right to make education compulsory.
How do you educate your kids?
See results without votingThank God that parents still have the choice of where their kids go to school. If we choose not to send them to public school, we can opt for private schools or homeschooling. Unfortunately, we still have to pay taxes to support the public school that our children are not attending. We can only hope that we still retain the freedom to educate our own children in future generations. If the government ever gains a monopoly on education, I would pray to God to land on the Go-To-Jail space.
A similar situation is happening currently with healthcare. Since when does the government have the right to control healthcare? We are facing a crisis in which the future quality of healthcare is becoming doubtful. This is similar to what is happening with the education of our kids. Instead of providing the best possible education, the public school resorts to the lowest common denominator. I would say that many educators care less about the future success of their students than they do about having them pass a class, even if they pass on a D average.
Why the Government shouldn't educate your kids
Besides the fact that the government should not be waylaid with educational responsibilities, there are many other reasons why the government shouldn't be in control of education. Parents have a God-given right to educate their own children. If they give up this responsibility to the government, catastrophe will inevitably follow.
The government can never replace parents as the primary educators of their children. No one knows your kids like you do! Parents, you love you kids; you want the best for them. The state does not (contrary to the lies of politicians) love your children; they view your children as future tax-payers and voting entities. Thus, the government teaches your children in a way that will benefit the future government.
The government teaches your kids, not the truth necessarily, but whatever it wants them to know. Instead of truth and the pursuit thereof being the central focus of education, public education is now a form of brainwashing. If the government can lead your children down the broad path of “liberalism”, they can control their own future. The government does not take into account the desires of parents, and children are made to think that their teachers are smarter than their parents.
School Censors Graduation Speech
- District Pulls Plug on Speech
Daily news section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Nevada's largest newspaper.
Today, children are taught about "diversity" and "tolerance" - terms which sound positive, but are really intolerant and un-diverse. Expression of independent thought is looked down upon if it disagrees with the accepted thought of the day. Minorities such as Christians are outcast when they openly express their beliefs. Religious expression is not tolerated.
The material that is taught in public schools is often one-sided and biased. The biggest issue that comes to mind is the evolution vs. creationism debate. If a public school is going to teach about evolution, they ought to teach about intelligent design. Or should they? Who's to say? My point is, that parents should be in charge of what their children learn. We would like to think that education can be neutral - that everything goes. But the truth is, worldviews differ and education can never be neutral.
Obama supported sex education for kindergarteners
- Sex Ed for Kindergarteners \'Right Thing to Do,\' Says Obama - Political Radar
Political Radar Blog
Many children now first learn about sex in schools, with sex education being taught to junior high and high schoolers, and even younger students. Instead of learning of the facts of life from their parents, children are now taught about sex from teachers who are often more concerned about "safe sex" than abstinence. Can you trust a government school to teach your children about how and when to have sex? Can you trust a government school to teach them about homosexuality and transgender lifestyles?
It is no secret that public school education has been failing as far as test results and literacy go. Graduation rates are surprisingly low. The public school system does not attend to the needs of the individual, letting him to get lost in the masses who are unable to lift themselves out of mediocre intelligence.
Violence in Schools
Public schools are no longer safe for children. Violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and sexual activity run rampant in public schools across the nation. Parents can have no oversight over their children if they attend a government school, and we all know that the government doesn't make a good babysitter.
Instead of training individuals who can think and make decisions for themselves, government-run education trains children to conform with the culture, to get sucked into peer pressure, to forfeit their right of intellectual freedom. The idolized "socialization" only makes students blend in with everyone else.
Federal Government has no part in education
Besides all this, the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution actually prohibits the Federal Government from getting involved in education. With the fairly recent establishment of the Department of Education, public schools have only gone downhill, despite Federal funding. The Department of Education is wasting billions of dollars without much to show for it.
In Conclusion
Every school day, we pack up our kids in a yellow school bus that transports them to a government school. From the moment they step on that bus to the moment they step off of it after spending the day at a government school, you have no control over your children. For hours every day, the state has control of your children. If this mere fact doesn't scare you, I don't know what will.
Our country is like the sinking Titanic. "Women and children first," they said, and we are throwing our children overboard, only there are no lifeboats to catch them. The only way to save the future of our children's education is to completely dissolve the Department of Education and abolish the public school system.
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Now this one is a pet peave of mine. I also was home schooled, in my teenage years, and I graduated before my other classmates with honours. I feel as if I recieved a much better education than I would have if I had went to public schools. How dare these people assume to tell folks where their kids ought to be educated (indoctrinated).
I mean after all, they have done such a wonderful job thus far. C'mon, the government is failing us all, they are giving our children 'speed' because they have too much energy. As a result, our children here in the US especially, are picking up weapons and killing their schoolmates.
Yeah they are doing a fine job raising our children for us.
Stay away from my kids Big Brother. Thats all I have to say. No wait a minute here; I am livid, with the curiculim that I have seen thus far.
What is wrong with these people. I mean the first thing slowbama did when he got in office, was to start a civil youth program that resembles the old Hitler youth. Give me a break. Give me a break. Give me a break. I am one step from dissappearing into the forest with my children, so that I can teach them courage, honesty, and character. I do not trust these molesting fools with my kids. I would not trust them to unclog my toilet.
Good point, Tim. Children can get stuck in a bad school district without the ability to attend a better school. Honestly, the whole system stinks. But a "good" public school really isn't all that better than a bad one.
Why is it that when the school system fails, we automatically think that we need to raise more money? Sorry, but millions of dollars more of taxpayer money isn't going to fix the system.
Joshua, it's good to hear someone passionate about this topic! You're right, the government has done a "fine job" raising our children. I wouldn't trust them with my kids either. Unfortunately, we are falling farther down the path to socialism. Living in a forest might not sound that bad eventually. Although, I opt for starting a new nation in Antarctica :)
Great hub! I have 4 kids - 2 that I'm homeschooling (3 if you count the 1 year old). I also have a son who was homeschooled all his life until this year - his freshman year in high school. He wanted to go for social reasons and to be on the soccer team. My husband supported his decision, so I really had no choice. He's doing fine academically, but his attitude has gone downhill fast! He's a very difficult person to deal with now (and people ask "what about socialism?" - it's not often a good thing when young people spend their days in packs).
I'm praying - for our country, for our education system, for families and for our kids!
Excellent Rose! I don't have children but when I hear stories from my cousin about high school I worry about what kind of education my children will receive. I went to Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school. My elementary experience wasn't the best but my high school definitely had the best teachers. Thank you for writing from the heart! I wonder what the future will bring but at least I know others are worried too.
Rose, you're clearly passionate about this issue, but you haven't made any rational arguments for dismantling the Department of Education. This hub is full of fearmongering, broad generalizations, half-truths, and plausible falsehoods. You have, however, inspired me to write a rebuttal, which I was going to leave in the comments, but which grew to such a length that I've decided to publish as a hub in its own right. I'll be linking back to this hub so readers can see your arguments and decide the issue for themselves. (Or maybe they'll tell me that I'm full of hooey--it wouldn't be the first time.)
You can see my article here:
"He's doing fine academically, but his attitude has gone downhill fast! He's a very difficult person to deal with now (and people ask "what about socialism?" - it's not often a good thing when young people spend their days in packs)."
Doodle, independent thought can be a two-edged sword.
Amen, sister! Preach it!
Doodlebird, I think socialization is very important for our kids. But the way the public school system defines socialization is a bunch of kids the same age hanging out together - which often leads to more harm than good. Homeschooling usually provides more socialization skills - children are able to communicate with people of all ages. Our country needs all the prayers it can get!
Thanks for reading, Kendall. Yes, there are many people worried about the current situation in public schools. Personally, I think the whole system should be dissolved. There are other options out there for better education for our kids. We need to make good decisions and not send our kids to public school.
Jeff, I wish you would be more specific as to what exactly I have said that is "plausible falsehood" - then maybe I could defend my position better. But maybe you wrote it in your hub - I'm going to go over and read it - looking forward to it!
Thanks for always being there with your support, Jane! You're the best!
Good article Rose. As a successful product of public schools and universities, I can vouch for the inherent dangers of these government-run institutions. Obviously Jeff is a liberal, he certainly doesn't believe there is anything wrong with the indoctrination methods of our children. There are dozens of stories of crazed liberal teachers having their young students learn and admire President Obama, even before he was elected. If this happened during Bush's presidency, the hypocritical mass media would have been all over it. Parents these days truly need to understand the dangers of public schools run by liberal unions and educate their children above and beyond what they were taught at school. The best start to fixing this mess instead of pumping billions into failing schools is to institute a free market voucher system. Make the schools earn their keep in a competitive market. This could go a long way toward helping our failing system. Pretty soon it will be essential to home school your children unless true reform happens.
Hey Jeff - he thought more independently before he was basing all actions and decisions on what's "cool" with a particular group of friends. The traditional school setting does not foster independent thinking, even though they like to say they do. It's "group thought" through and through. If you walk across a high school campus, it's hard to miss - like hairstyles, like clothes, like expressions...it goes on and on.
Hi Steve, thanks for reading and commenting! It's good to hear from someone who has survived the public school system with his mind still intact :) The people who defend the public school system and its liberal agenda are the ones who believe what they were taught when they attended public school. The way things are, I think it is essential to homeschool kids even now. I don't think reform is going to happen anytime soon.
Doodlebird, I agree. The system says "be yourself", but the way it works, kids are taught to fit in with society.
Hi, Doodle,
"he thought more independently before he was basing all actions and decisions on what's "cool" with a particular group of friends."
Well, I don't know your son, so you're more likely to be right than I am on this. But consider the following: when you were homeschooling him, he was getting educated by you, and everything he learned first went through the Doddle-filter. Yes? Now he's getting ideas without them passing through the Doodle-filter first, and you say that his attitude has changed (for the worse).
Well, maybe his change in attitude is because he's in a public school now and it has corrupted him. But it may also be simply because he's now 15 years old and, well, being a 15-year-old.
You say he thought more independently before he went to public school. I ask you this: independently of whom?
Great topic, I enjoyed reading your hub on government interference in education, and a big AMEN to that. Bravo! Thanks and Peace :)
Rose, I respect that you own your ideas. However as someone who has not attended a public school, I really just question where you feel entitled to commentary. Your life experience reduces all of your writing on the subject to baseless conjecture and hearsay. In a court of law, any witness with an opening remark of "I didn't see the crime.. but..." would be dismissed.
I strongly urge you to investigate the subject before you attempt to write on it.
By the way: I am a teacher and I am a conservative. Your commentors might wish to note that support for an educated, and gainfully employed populous is not limited to a single political ideology.
The problem I see with the dissolution of public education in this country is: what happens to the children whose parents don't want to teach their children? What happens to the children of a single mom who works two jobs just to pay the rent while her 12 year old watches the younger children? Who teaches these children? My mother works in an inner city school where only half of her students show up in the classroom each day because no one is home to make them come to school or because they have to stay home and care for a younger sibling because their parents can't miss work again. How does homeschooling address these problems? How do these people afford to put their children in private school?
I'm not saying that public education is flawless, but if the government didn't ensure that children were educated, who would? SOMEONE needs to account for these childrens' right to be educated and rise up out of a bad situation. If my mother didn't spend her nights and weekends calling these children, following up with them, paying more attention to them than they get at home...as much as their parents may love them, they're struggling too much to make ends meet to help them with their homework and certainly not able to take the time to teach them the necessary skills to get by in the world.
You and I have a computer in our homes, and the luxury of time to sit around debating public education on them. Many of my mother's students don't have access to a computer except at the school. The best food they get is the school lunch, each day (frightening!). Where else might they gain essential computer skills? Learn about Shakespeare, Chaucer and Dante? Learn a foreign language? Or learn English if no one at home is a native English speaker?
Children are going to be exposed to differing viewpoints throughout their lives - as a parent, you do have a right to educate your children. You have the right to teach your child not to take things for granted, to question and research on their own. If a controversial topic is raised, if you've taught your child the moral lessons that you feel are important, then they should be able to vocalize their disagreement, or their questions. As a parent, you have the ability to sit in on the school board meetings, elect local officials, and to voice your concerns in the administrative offices. Believe me, my mother spent a lot of time in my elementary school offices with her concerns (I had a fifth grade teacher who felt it necessary to fail my spelling tests because my cursive handwriting slanted the wrong way, not because I had spelled the words wrong. Guess what? Her concerns were heard and things changed.)!
I just think that a lot of wonderful children would be denied a world of opportunities if public education were eliminated.
katiem2, so glad you read it and enjoyed! Thanks for your encouragement :)
Rob, I thank you for your concern. However, I am not sitting in my closet merely reiterating what I was taught in homeschool. I have talked with many people who have attended public school. Also, I have worked as a private tutor for public school students. I have first-hand experience with working to recover the minds of students who have been harmed by the poor education system of the public school.
Jennifer, thanks for all your thoughtful comments. Unfortunately, the children are the ultimate sufferers in the current school system. I understand that many people cannot afford private education, but this is not a reason for public school. The government is not a babysitter that watches your kids while you work. There have to be better options. I’m not saying I have all the answers for life without public school. I’m just saying that the government has no right to spend taxpayer money on education. Where parents educate their kids instead is a completely different question. We live in a fallen world, and try as we might, there will always be problems to overcome and people who are needy. But there are better sources than the government to help these people out.
Imagine if everyone in America sold their iPod or their flat-screen tv or the second car that they could do without… I’m not saying people should go out and sell all their possessions to feed the poor – well, maybe they should. But my point is, we like to sit back with our computers and discuss these topics, and we are perfectly content to let the government tax and spend, tax and spend, pouring out millions of dollars in welfare. We are the ones who need to change, myself included, and not just the government. We have become a lazy complacent nation, and nothing will change for the better, if we do not change ourselves.
And also, since when does good education include Shakespeare, computer skills, and foreign languages? Those are part of an excellent education, I think, but are not necessary to provide for a high quality of life. I have a computer, and I know that I am blessed with much, but I don’t need a computer to be happy, to be successful. I guess it depends on what your definition of happiness and success is.
Jeff - I wasn't sure whether to answer here or on your hub...but since it started here, I'll guess I'll keep it here.
Anyway, I do believe that part of my son's change is hormones and being almost 15. Lots of changes, confusion, (temporary insanity) is bound to happen. However, I find that the public school environment (private school as well) only magnifies those stresses.
Also, I am aware that my kids - being homeschooled by family - are getting their information through a particular "family centered filter." One would have to live in a vacuum in order to avoid any kind of influence from somewhere or someone.
So, instead we must ask ourselves "which is the better option?" A sphere of influence that stems from a family's great love and concern for the education and character development of their own children - a love that cannot be felt in the same way by outside educators unless they happen to be Jesus. Or, the influence of a handful of teachers under the workload of dozens of students and the even MORE influential peer group who lack maturity, self-control, and the wisdom that comes from a decades of life experience - the blind leading the blind.
Shall we vote now?
Before all of the educators take offense, I will add that I know that many teachers DO love the kids that they work with and have a big heart for them. But, it is not the same type, or degree, of love. And, they do not have the same level of motivation for teaching that student as a mom, dad, grandma or grandpa...
I once heard a speaker at a homeschool convention (whose name escapes me at the moment) say in good humor: "The Bible says that foolishness lies in the heart of a child. And, I don't want my fool spending ALL his time with your fool."
Rose, with respect your interviews with students who need tutoring, and your conversations with people who have been in schools does not qualify as research. I do not believe you speak from your closet but I fear you are still working with a limited amount of data.
Consider this: Your primary source of how flawed public schools have become is your contact with students who need tutoring. Do you not see the inherent bias in your sampling? Perhaps I should give the link to your article to five of my top students and let them come tell you of their successes, their accomplishments, and their dreams, all made possible through public education.
Of course you'll dismiss that as me cherry picking a few people for you to talk to. And I would be! I would be finding you kids who are doing "great things" and have been given "great opportunities". But how is that ~any~ different then limiting your reviews of public education to those students in need of tutoring?
I 100% agree with your abhorance of Tax and Spend. However we're not talking about a case of someone collecting unemployment while he spends 3 years looking for a 'management position'. We're not talking about spending a few million to reserach moose migration. We're talking about an investment, and investment in our futures. My retirement will be funded by the people in my classroom today. Maybe not my pension, but my retirement savings require that we have a wealthy and prosperous nation. That wealth and prosperity is gated by education.
If you believe that things are in a bad place now, that too many students are failed by the public school system, imagine for a moment a system where a third of those students recieve ~no~ education, where they reach an age to vote and cannot understand the issues on the ballot or the arguments made by campaigning politicians.
Ask Jeff. I am no liberal. But I can still see that public education is, remains, and will always be, our single ~best~ national investment.
Second best. National defense is on top.
Rose, I do think that the government needs to educate children. We want our kids to grow up being able to read and write, to be educated. Face it, there are tons of folks who could not educate their children because they do not have the mental capacity to do so, the attention, or the ability to provide the time it takes to locate and follow a curriculum.
However! Looking back, I wish that I had home-schooled my own children. They would have had more physical activity, more hands on learning, more actual learning, and less time wasted on nonsense. Plus, they would not have had to deal with scumbags and losers. Except my scumbag loser friends, haha.
Hi Rose~~ Thanks for an interesting Hub and for giving us your perspective on homeschooling. I can see advantages and disadvantages to both sides of the homeschool/public school debate. I attended public school in a medium sized Florida coastal city and my education was of great quality, however, I did see many social issues and even some issues that were system and curriculum related. My children ages 14 and 10 attend public school in our very rural Northern Michigan village, grade size of 25, and I am thrilled with the education that my children are receiving. My husband and I take a very hands on approach to our children's education and scrutinize the curriculum constantly. If there is something we don't agree with in the teachings, we take the time to teach our children our opinion of the teaching.Parents, whether homeschooling or public schooling need to step up an become a steady part of their children's education! I don't look at my sending my children to public school as a baby sitting service, and feel that many parents do send their children to public school because it is easier. It takes a dilligent, dedicated parent to homeschool their children and I applaud those who do homeschool. I feel that a homeschool education is equal to if not better than a public school education from the examples of children that I have seen graduate from homeschool programs. I have seen many through our Church.
If I were not caretaker of two sets of elderly parents and if I did not live in a rural area that allows such hands on influence with my child's education, I would homeschool my children.
What I find appalling about public school is the liberal leaning teaching, the changes and omitances in textbooks and the social issues which get worse each and every day. I also don't appreciate that the state can control the quality of our children's education with funding.
With that said, I also find some issues with homeschooling. I find that the children are less able to handle social issues that will arise later in life when they are out in the world, and I agree that there is some filtering that happens when homeschooling that can limit a child's awareness and perspective on things. I don't think that homeschooled children are less social, but have a tendancy in my observances to be withdrawn and less able to handle some social aspects of life.
I understand also the separation of Church and State, however, feel that public school with having to be politically correct, has taken a very big portion of morality and spiritual accountablitiy out of the schools, which is another plus for homeschooling your child!
To homeschool or not to homeschool is a parental choice that is sometimes not an easy one. There are positives and negatives to each side of the issue with success stories on both as well.. Thanks for an engaging Hub!
Rob, I understand if you think I’m not qualified to be talking about education. But why bother commenting if my opinion doesn’t matter? I do hope the main premise of my article came out enough. I spent a lot of time discussing reasons why parents shouldn’t send their kids to public school, but to me, these reasons are only extras. My main premise is that government does not have the responsibility or right to educate. Many people disagree with me because I base this on the teachings of the Bible, and that’s fine. A failing public school is not the primary reason to take your kids out of public school. The primary reason is the very existence of the institution itself. We could argue for days on whether home school is better than public school, but I really don’t care to. Everyone has their own opinions about that. Government-run education shouldn’t even exist.
Dolores, thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. I agree that education is very important, but I believe that government doesn’t hold the answers for the prosperity of our children. We as a people think that government should provide for the “general welfare”, but the definition of “general welfare” continues to change as the years go by. The Founders didn’t intend for us to depend on the government as much as we do today.
TinaMarie Tad, I appreciate your thoughtful comments, especially your sharing of your personal experience with public schools. There needs to be more involved parents like you! The debate of homeschool vs. public school based on quality is an ongoing one… I believe that homeschooling is a better choice, but many disagree. The point really is, that the government has no right to fund an education program, whether or not the education program is a good one.
You make some interesting and valid points. I am a product of the public schools, as are my kids--as was my mother before me. Within those three generations, I can see the deterioration of the system. My mother's high-school education was roughly equivalent to my AA degree. My kids' diplomas are probably worth only about my mother's 8th grade level. My grandkids? I fear to guess: I'm not impressed with the high school education of my grandsons. (My other grandchildren are in private school.)
So, using the infamous line, "if I could do it all again knowing what I know now," I would homeschool my kids.
That said, governement "interference" even extends to homeschoolers. In many states, (CA is one) you cannot simply keep your kids home and teach them. You must let the government (i.e. school system) KNOW that you are homeschooling, and then you must still jump through their hoops.
For the most part, homeschooling here in CA is regarded as 'private school,' and as an individual parent, you are not granted accreditation as a school. So, you must join an association of other homeschooling parents, and either individually or collectively, each year, fill out paperwork certifying that your child is attending this 'private' school..the name of which is probably the name of the association of parents.
You must also verify by means of testing, that your children are meeting STATE educational requirements for each grade level. This means your children must still be subjected to the state and national GOVERNMENT tests given to public school students. You are not allowed to administer these tests...the kids must go to a nearby school and take the tests with all the other children. What does this mean? It means that no matter what, you cannot escape "teaching to a test."
You are correct in saying that the public education system fails miserably in many aspects, such as teaching untruths or half-truths. Only in college, if you have been paying attention, do you learn the real stories. History, after all, is written by the victors...in the land of the victors. If you go to Germany or Russia, and study their history books concerning the two World Wars...you will find a very different flavor to the narratives.
Public education is also guilty of the 'dumbing-down' of America, and this does frighten me. Because it is the mass ignorance and brainwashing 'repeat after me' teaching methods responsible for other countries' creation of such horrors as suicide bombers. Only an uneducated person can be so convinced!
That said, there is also much merit in Jennifer's comment regarding the inner-city children of working mothers, or absentee parents..so-called 'latchkey kids.' Who ensures their education?
Not only are some parents unwilling to teach, many are unable. Either they lack the temperament; lack sufficient education themselves; or cannot afford private schooling.
For all its flaws, I think public education is still a valid option. I shudder to think of the day (and it is a day we are rapidly approaching!) when this nation returns to the old ways, when education was a privilege only for the wealthy.
Wow! There are some very strong opinions here. I was a product of the public school system, and I can say things are so different now then when I went to school. I never knew we had an option of homeschooling until about 10 years ago. This is what I want for my youngest, after doing a shadow day with my son in middle school.
That shadow day was unbelievable, there was not one teacher that had an control over their class, even if there was one child in the interested in learning, it was not possible.
I work in a retail environment and watch the young people of today come and go and what a very scary thing. I can't tell you how many times I have asked myself we did we as a society go wrong. We are in so much trouble with what we have to look forward to taking over our futures!
I would think private school isn't much better, some if not most are the public school rejects and I have been told they grade differently to make the school look good to keep up enrollment.
The way it stands now, everyone has the same opportunity for an education, the individual and the family must make what they can out of it. If the parents don't put fault where fault belongs (most often with the child) then things will never get better. As a parent we are suppose to want better for our children then we had. I don't see this happening!
Rose, as a homeschooling mom, I totally agree with you! There is so much wrong with our government. To prove that point, look at what kind of young people are coming out of it. Yes, you may get a few good, but in general the public school kids have a C average education and no morals. I want my children to have an A average education and whether or not they are "smart", I want them to have character and morals!
Instead of trying to figure out what is going wrong with a failing system, the government is trying to figure out a way they can make it law to get my kids into their school to get more money for them!
As for getting rid of the public school all together, I am not sure about. I do feel for those who would not be able to educate their children. Maybe this could be your next hub! Come up with a solution for these children.
I support allowing parents to decide about their child's education, homeschooling, public schools, church based schools etc. However, as someone who has never attended a public school it seems inappropriate for you to truly pass judgement. I've heard plenty of horror stories about church based schools, and yes even some rather dismal homeschooling situations. While some parents are well equipped to teach, few have the time, and a fair number don't have the academic prep. themselves. It's good that you are able to do this, but public schools in my eyes are an absolute necessity and the government should have minimum requirements related to education.
DzyMsLizzy, yes, the government does interfere with even homeschoolers. Regulations vary in each state, but the government is always involved in some fashion. Thanks for all your points about how Big Brother is always watching over education. Honestly, the government has no right to require those tests or paperwork – it isn’t their business. Even though these requirements might not affect homeschoolers very much right now, it is only a matter of time before the government uses their influence to further socialize education. They’ve already got their foot in the door.
You’re right that history is written by the victors (just look at government curriculum about the War of Northern Aggression – excuse me, I mean the Civil War). However, I don’t think the history taught in state universities differs all that much from high school.
As to inner-city and lower class kids and who ensures their education – the government should not be the one to ensure their education. People are not entitled to education given by the state, just like they are not entitled to welfare given by the state. Unfortunately, Americans have grown so accustomed to this welfare mentality that we tend to look to the government to provide for our own deficiencies. This mentality is deeply hurting our nation.
Mod2vint, there are some strong opinions here – we have been enjoying our freedom of speech :) Thanks for sharing your personal experience with public schooling. Whoever came up with age segregation in classrooms made a mistake. This system simply isn’t working.
Our society is declining, and that’s a fact. But the fault does not fully lie with children, if at all. Past generations have made the mistakes that have resulted in such a poor system of education. The institution of the family is falling apart at the seams, and children are suffering because of this.
Specialk3749, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Our public school system has ceased to recognize this fact, and that is why the morality of the masses is disappearing. Morals aside, the quality of education is also fading.
I wish I could have a solution for those children. The incapability of parents to train their own children is a sign of the times – we are collapsing as a nation. This collapse started with the failing of the family and of the church, and now we are seeing the consequences in the failing of our economy and government. Our government is by the people, for the people – and the people need to change if our government is to change.
Manc, you’re not the first to question my ability to criticize the public school system. But to be honest, one does not have to wallow in a pig sty to know that it stinks. Thank you for your opinions, but I must disagree with you. I too have heard horror stories of private schools and homeschools. Yes, children should be properly educated, and that is their parents’ responsibility, but the end does not justify the means. Just because a child needs to be taught, does not mean that the government should be the teacher.
I could write about this all day. But I won't. Leftists, led by the teacher's unions, have totally corrupted the public schools today. They teach a false history, supposedly for the self-esteem of minorities but it backfires. All it does is make kids ashamed of their country, or oppressed by their country, or at least to see the nation as not worth defending. And it is because of federal interference. Each community should control their own schools, and have taught there a curriculum that reflects the values of the majority of the people who have children in the school, and other concerned citizens.
Thanks for a great hub!!
There isn't just one answer to this very broad topic (Rob, Doodle, Rose etc). At least in the US you have a national education system that exists. In Canada, each and every province (and territory) has its own form of education (public system). With that said, any young person applying to a university outside of their province may be asked to do examinations in any number of courses prior to being permitted entrance into that University. Its not a perfect system.
Blaming the parents isn't the way to go either. We all have our own circumstances and we deal with them on the day to day basis. We help out where we can. As a university educated individual I hope that I can help my daughters learn to think for themselves, to be able make the moral and right choice for them, to hold their head high, look people in the eye, shake hands when you are introduced to others, be respectful of everyone, be the bigger person and not retaliate when wronged. I also hope that the environment in which we live is a positive one for them. I look to seek action from educators/community leaders when something is amiss in school or girl scouts or hockey/soccer etc.
The issue is we have policies in place that schools neglect to enforce, youth feeling entitled to wear their bluetooth, play their psp, use their blackberry/ipod in class, to feel entitled to speak down to educators, and pass in papers whenever they like. This system is not only a break down on education, it is the break down of social mores that no longer matter in this 'age of individualism' where "I get what I want when I want it".
I work with 12-18 yr old youth, for the past 10 yrs. I love my job and try to instill in the youth I work for (I do whole heartedly work for them) a sense of self that keeps in mind the sense of community and well being.They all have had issues with school (bullied by classmates/teachers, identified/labelled by all, dismissed and neglected by some). And the schools get all up in arms over the fact the youth does not like to speak to the principal because he keeps calling her "group home kid".
Dignity and civility has gone out the window. There is no blame that can be placed that cannot be shared.
I was watching some show a while ago, Richard Dreyfuss was on. He talked about how the school system is failing kids simply by not offering, recommending, making mandatory the class in Civics. Now being a Canadian who went to school in the 80's I never took a civics course, and couldn't tell you what it meant. But after hearing Richard mention it I looked it up. And he's right, no young person of today should go without it.
Fight for that, fight for dignity and decency, fight for no guns/knives/drugs, fight for respect, fight for community, fight for self preservation. but don't fight amongst yourselves over who's fault it is. Yes the social issues that exist in public schools, exist in private ones, and may not exist in your home. But when your son or daughter leaves the coccoon of your family shroud, they will be faced with a world you would have never guessed to teach them about. Believe me, attitude, hygeine, sense of humor, dress, self esteem are minute issue when they get to a world they know nothing about.
So for the educators out their reading this.... how about a forum for this in your area of town, so that you get the best of both worlds? Invite home schooled kids into your classes to speak about topics you are teaching, have your students talk about the social aspects of school they fear/like/enjoy/hate.... holistic learning.... benefits all.
Hi Rose -
This series of comments brought out sooooo many points that I wanted to make, so I ended up publishing my own hub. It took a while - been busy homeschooling and all :)
Stop by soon.
James, it means a lot that you came by! Thanks for sharing your input. I agree with you that federal government interference has created a lot more harm than good. The curriculum taught is based on an agenda... you're right, the history that is taught is often not the truth.
Enigmatic Me, thank you for your comments! I don’t know much about the school system in Canada, so I appreciate your thoughts.
You’ve said much about amending the problems in the public school system, but in this article, my main point is that the school system is built on a sandy foundation. We can’t fix a system that shouldn’t exist in the first place. Many people agree with you and me, that public education is not doing a very good job (and some would disagree), but taking away a kid’s iPod or teaching him a Civics course is not going to make things any better. The government should not be in charge of education. Period.
I appreciate all your comments; thanks for taking the time to read!
That's great, Doodlebird! I will go read it :)
This was a fantastic post! I have felt the same way for a long time. Cookie cutter education will only turn out -- wait for it -- cookie cutter graduates. All with the same problems and weaknesses that are unavoidable with the public school system's teacher-student ratios and inefficiencies.
AnatomyNow - Funny you should mention "cookie cutter" grads. I wish I could remember the source of the study (Harvard or Princeton), but the statement was made that the number of high scoring students with the same accolades and awards applying for admission was staggering. There was little among the applicants that was different, or made a student really stand out. I believe the suggestion was made that perhaps taking some time off of school after graduation to "experience" something - work, volunteer, travel, etc. - was the bottom line.
AnatomyNow and Doodlebird, I think it is ironic that Diversity is such a big topic today, when in reality, it isn't practiced. It seems like "diverse" is synonymous in public school doctrine as "accepting of different lifestyles or sexual orientation". Sorry, that's not the definition of diversity in my book.
I think we should consider the facts before we indulge in throwing opinions.
Remember that not all people can afford a particular schooling.
Agree many times over, our government over all is out of controll and interferes in family affairs in gerneral esp. education and rights of healthcare. Parents are being striped of their rights to raise their families without interferance from government and other society perople who do not conform to "robot" status and then used through cps agencys and children as pawns as punishment! Governemnts out of controll when it commes to freedom and interferance of families!!!!!
I can't speak for America but I can tell you the government has made a total mess of the education system over here. They are so frightented of kids suing the schools or losing funding through exclusion that in many schools the children run riot. Kids are no longer taught discipline and they don't respect their teachers. In my fiancee's old school the teachers were told to mark work with a green pen because red is too agressive! The children were allowed to swear in class (they had a legal right to do this amazingly) and even if a child did the most terrible thing...and I'm talking about pulling weapons on teachers and assaulting pupils here...the were not excluded from the school because the school would get bad stats and lose funding. This situation is patently ridiculous. When I was a child I was naughty, I had a big mouth and I got into trouble...but you know what? I knew I was bad so I got what I deserved. These days if you tell a kid off they'll send their parents down to punch the teacher (it happens, in London inner city schools) or they'll threaten to sue ... worse they start calling teachers paedophiles to their faces to try and psych them out ... I think that by trying to be politically correct the government in the UK has gone nanny state mad and have empowered children by disempowering their teachers. In many schools teaching is more like crowd control than education ... I've seen this first hand. I've seen my fiancee come home from school in tears because a parent threatened to assault her or because she was powerless to help the kids who did actually want to learn because her class was overrun by thugs. I hope our new government can sort this out, but I doubt it. Once you take the power away, it's very hard to give it back.
PassinItAlong, I respect your opinion.
Amentoparentsrights, thanks for stopping by... Yes, the government has become a power-hungry, corrupt machine that is eating away at our personal freedoms and rights. The less control the government has, the better.
Tom_Radford, I appreciate all your comments! It is all very upsetting, isn't it, the downward spiral that education falls into once the government oversteps its bounds. In the first place, it is none of the government's business to educate our children. But the more that government becomes socialized, the worse it will all become. The anecdotes that you've shared are quite disturbing to me; I'm sure similar incidents happen over here as well. Shame on us for letting the government step this far into our lives. We must retake our freedoms, decentralize the government, and return to the godly principles of our founders - otherwise we are going to continue to fall into ruins with our children feeling the worst of it.
I think your dead on about kids feeling like they need to fit in with society. It seems that obstacles are presented in a way that pushes people into giving in to a certain mindset. I believe that is called assimilation, and then there is the fear that is used to scare college students etc.... The attitude of "if you don't jump through these hoops and take this many credits - You wont be successful".
I can see that perhaps that may have some relevance, but success comes through passion and love for what you do. Some may value Financial Security by having an 8-5 job, and for some that will never be enough simply because other people may tend to value Entrepreneurial Freedom.
Assimilation is a good word. Conformity is also a good way to describe the situation we find ourselves in. We are a culture of conformists. Individual thought is going down the drain. "College degree" is supposedly the magic phrase when it comes to getting a good job, but people fail to look outside the box. Government-run schools only encourage mass conformity to one set of ideals, and I'm afraid that set is very false.
Rose- While I see some of your points, I must take issue with a few of your base assumptions.
1) You state, "Let’s get down to the root of government. The government has two roles:
protect and defend its citizens from foreign enemies
administer justice and punish those who break the law"
Our United States government is pretty clear about what it's goals are, and they include more than your list:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Education could fall under the auspices of "insuring domestic tranquility," "promoting the general welfare," or "securing the Blessings of Liberty." Either way, I feel you unnecessarily limit the governments role when you limit the governments scope.
2) Many of your examples revolve around values (evolution, sex education) that fall squarely on the shoulders of parents. I agree with you that parents often abdicate their role to the school, but I don't feel that that is the school's fault.
3) You state that "children are made to think that their teachers are smarter than their parents." In the subjects that they teach, this is almost unequivocally the case. Most parents do not know the content as well as people who have been educated in the subject, much less the best practices of teaching.
4) Your conclusion states your desires but provides no solutions. "The only way to save the future of our children's education is to completely dissolve the Department of Education and abolish the public school system." And replace them with what? You can not simply eradicate public education. How should students with few means be educated? Education can be a child's ticket out of poverty and on to a better life. Not everyone (barely anyone, in fact) has the means to home-school their children.
None of these are meant to be personal attacks, but I disagree with some of your premises and strongly with your conclusion.
dosters, thanks for all your comments! I appreciate the time you took to respond. However, I disagree.
1) Actually, I believe the roles listed in the Preamble do fall under the two categories I listed. "Insuring domestic tranquillity" and "securing the blessings of liberty" sound a lot like "protect and defend" to me. The definition of General Welfare has been misunderstood in recent years. I believe the Constitution is not a living document - for more on what the General Welfare Clause actually means, read Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution.
2) You're right, it's not the school's fault; it's the parents' fault. We can agree about that.
3) I need to clarify my statement: Children are made to think that their teachers are wiser than their parents. I was not referring to academic knowledge.
4) The federal government keeps ratcheting up its control over our lives, in more areas than just education. Because of this, our nation is sure to bear ill consequences (and it already has). I'm not saying that completely cutting out federal control of our lives will result in instantaneous salvation. But if we don't, we are surely headed for even worse times than those we are experiencing now.
I don't take any of your comments as personal attacks. On the contrary, thank you for voicing your opinion.
I agree with a lot of things discussed here. I just wanted to add my own two cents, as a former public school teacher and now a homeschooling mother. The education of our children is our responsibility as parents. Period. It's not the government's responsibility to educate our children. I cannot see any rational argument against this obvious fact. However, the public school system is a wonderful asset to our nation. Why? Because many parents cannot or will not educate their children. Many parents need the free babysitting during their working hours. Many children need the nutritious breakfasts and lunches offered by the system. In a nutshell, many children need to be nurtured, educated, fed, and well, raised, by someone, and since their parents are not up for the responsibility, public schools are the best option for those children. So, really, our whole argument is over semantics. We are calling it the "public school system," when it is really much more than that. It is the "public substitute for parenting." Why shouldn't the government control what they teach their youth? I buy the books that I use to teach my children. That gives me the right to chose them. Then I do the teaching. If the government is taking on the responsibility for the welbeing of these children, in the absence of any parental concern, then it is the government's parental right to chose the curriculum. I'm sure a better writer could defend my opinion better. But just try to hear what I'm saying, in spite of my utter lack of rhetoric skills.
Hi janddplus4, thanks for all your comments! It's great to hear from someone who has seen both sides of the debate. We agree that parents are responsible to educate their children, and you bring up an excellent point about the fact that public schools are really raising many kids. The point where we disagree is where you say that "the public school system is a wonderful asset to our nation." This seems like the wrong conclusion to what you say about the government in reality taking the place of parents. Yes, many parents are unfit to raise children, but that does not give the Federal Government the right to raise them. Parents need to start stepping up to the plate and being responsible. But the government has no right to act as a parental substitute. Just because there is a problem, doesn't mean the government is the answer.
perfectly argued.great hub. i wish i could fine more hubs as informative as this one is. the education of our kids does not depend on the school. i am, too, is a homeschooling mother for quite some time now. parents should be the ones who must put the foundation in their kids' education not leaning on the traditional school system. teachers are teachers. but parents are hugely different in a much rational way.
Thanks for coming by, Margarita! If only more parents saw the need to train their own children! Whether you hire a teacher or tutor or teach yourself, the parent should be the ultimate authority, not the state.
As someone who was pretty well educated - before the government deemed it necessary to extend its brainwashing activities beyond the media and bread and circus venues, to K-12 - I agree with most of your respondents that the government should stay the h--- out of anything that has to do with the future of our children and their ability to function as free men and women in a free society.
Proof of all this resides in the facts: everything government touches turns to s---; government produces nothing and wastes everything; government is a self-service criminal enterprise, under any banner; anytime a fee citizen is told what to do with his or her life by an institution, or else, it is a sure sign of real or impending subjugation and manipulation; education is best left to people who know how and not to smug pretension and criminal intervention.
Sadly, it's unlikely, at this late date, that there are enough "educated" and interested citizens to make much of a difference. After all, the ineffectual mental midgets who have reduced the greatest nation on earth to little more than a bloated pretender to Third World supremacy, are mostly in positions of control and power because their manipulation of education and information has worked as planned: brainwashing is so very simple when initiated at "K" - reinforced by grandma and grandps, mom and dad, and pervasive media colusion - and continued through "12" and beyond.
Here, at the end of civilization, none of us can afford to be further abused by government, an any fashion.
Hi David Jackson, thank you for all your comments! As you know, I agree with you that the federal government has no right to interfere in education. I do want to point out however, that government in and of itself is not a bad thing. We need the government to protect life and administer justice. Without the government our society would fall into anarchy. Perhaps you are not criticizing government in general, but rather our specific government of the US. Our current government is making many unwise and unconstitutional decisions at the moment, but I hardly think we are "at the end of civilization". The truth is, we are blessed with more freedom than many people in the world. The fact that we are abusing this freedom is another matter, but let's not give up on our government yet.
I've read your hub and all the comments up to now. Most of my points have been well made by others. I write as one raised in public schools except for one semester in a private school. I attended a public junior college, a public university, and a public state college for graduate school to get my teaching credential. I then taught in both public and private schools and also homeschooled my adopted children after they had been in both public and private schools. So I think I've seen the issue from every side.
Unfortunately, we cannot just undo public education overnight, even if the powers that be could be convinced it was a good idea. I'm for abolishing the Dept of Education and returning control of education back to the states, or, better yet, to the local goverment, the way it was in the 50's when I was in public school. At that time, parents controlled local education, though the state still controlled the curriculum. The difference, though, back then, was that this country had a pretty common culture and moral consensus. Those who came to America learned English or they just couldn't make it. You did not feel like you were in a foreign country when you went to the supermarket. You saluted the flag every day unless you were a Jehovah's Witness, and you were allowed Released Time during the school day once a week to be taught the religion of your parent's choice or yours off-campus by clergy or church laymen.
Because the federal government has tried to take the place of parents, it makes it easier for parents to abdicate their responsibilites. Because the government forces children to go to school, they don't consider education a privilege, but a sentence. I've taught many of these children. Some I was able to help. Some I wasn't.
I've also "taught" in state child care centers and seen the hypocisy of the state administrators in charge of them. You would not believe what goes on in those places. Those children all were in one-parent households, or one of the parents was too disabled to care for the children while the other one worked. Every one of those children was disturbed, and my real job was to keep my class of 28 of these children ages 5-10 from killing each other until their parents came to get them. That's material for another hub, if I wanted to write it.
The question is, what happens to these child if we suddenly pull the public school out from under them? What happens to the little boy whose only parent at home works as a stripper all night in a club and leaves her five boys, age 5-13, at home while she's gone? They are in the state school or day care center in the day time, when she sleeps, but they go out and vandalize while she's at work. CPS doesn't take her children away, but they go after the children of those who spank their children or homeschool because they label that child abuse. Had this been the case 100 years ago, there would have been no qualified foster parents or parents because there were very few children going up that had not encountered "the woodshed" or picking a switch off a tree to get spanked with. Funny thing was, more children were respectful then, and they didn't dare misbehave in school, where the teachers were also known to wield paddles even when I was in Jr. High in the 1950's. There were no gangs, but most children were in solid families with two parents home and mom rarely worked outside the home. When kids got home from school, mom was there with a snack to ask about their day.
Now half the children in school come from broken homes or live with single parents or in blended families. You can find many of these children in special education classes because what they have suffered emotionally is responsible for some learning disabilities.
It used to be that the churches looked after those in their congregations that needed help. Many still do, but many people are no longer in churches because the government is taking care of them and their children, without the spiritual help and support that the church used to offer with the physical help. Our country is morally broken and this is reflected in our families and in the government, and even in some churches.
The government has stepped in because the family has fallen apart and someone has to pick up the pieces. There has to be a place for the children whose mom is on the floor on a bad drug trip and whose dad is in prison for molesting the daughter. For the children we adopted, that place was first social services and then us. I have written much more about that in other places.
I'm not a fan of CPS because I think they go after the wrong people in many cases, but not all children who are neglected and really abused have a place to go other than the state. They would get no education without public education except a street education. Much as I'd like to see government , especially the federal goverment, keep its hands out of our personal lives and education, I don't want to see children raised by gangs, and young girls the victims of pimps.
I do want to see freedom for responsible parents to educate their children as they see fit in public, private, or home schools and for the govenment to keep its hands off the curriculum in private and home schools. If a parent cannot or will not do that, then the local goverments should have an alternative plan for those students to learn to read, write, and use math, and become useful citizens who understand the Constitition and the history of this country.
We will not solve all the problems of education in this hub, since the solutions are complex. In principle I agree with Rose, but it's not an ideal world and our country is so broken that it will take some time to get back to where we need to be.
WannaB Writer, I so appreciate all your thoughtful comments! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and wisdom! There's not much I can say in response other than that. You've hit on a very important point - the family. It's very easy to blame the government for ruining our education system and whatnot, but the family is actually to blame. We have lost our moral center, we have turned away from God - what else can we expect but that government will follow suit? We need to reform our own lives, our family's lives, our churches, and our government - but this can only happen through the saving power of Jesus Christ. We have turned our back on Him, but He is the only one who can save us.
Tim 24 months ago
Well you missed a point, parents don't have a true say on where their kids go to school. They can either choose private, home, or the local public school. They can't choose to send their kids to the successful public school across town.
Government involvement in education is a recent phenomenon, and it wasn't until the Department of Education that our kids test scores began to fall.
Now we are conditioned to continue to pour billions of dollars into this failed establishment because otherwise "we'd be taking away from the kids," which is obvious joke.
The Department of Education is a black-hole of money sucking greed. Meanwhile, if our kids simply hand in homework, its graded as "pass" regardless of its content.
God help us