Schooling Choices

~DJ playing basketball this winter~

 

Have you ever wondered if you are making the right educational choices for your child?  We sure have.  After having our children in 2 different private Christian schools, home school, and now public school, we still don't know if we're doing the right thing!  School choices are one of those things that we consider every year, because every child is different and has unique learning styles and needs, which are constantly changing as they grow and mature.  So, since we have experienced each of the different types of schooling, here is my list of pros and cons for each one.

Private Christian School-

Pros- Your child is surrounded by "good people"- not necessarily Christians- but the kids usually come from solid, good homes, therefore they would not be as likely to tempt your child to take up bad habits.  Hopefully your child will be taught to look at life from a Biblical worldview, although as we have found, this greatly depends on the teacher and the individual school.

Cons- Kids who live their whole life in the Christian bubble of church and school tend to become proud of their "goodness", and look down on those who live differently than they do.  In addition, usually this type of schooling is very expensive.

Home School-

Pros- You get to decide what your child will be learning each day.  You have total control over their learning environment, choosing their curriculum, the kids they hang out with, and where they spend time.  You get a first hand look at how your child is doing in school, and you get to be with your child all day long. (Some might consider this a con!)  Without all the waiting for the rest of the class to finish their work, the school day is much shorter, allowing the child more free time to play.

Cons- There is a temptation for families who homeschool to think that their way is the only way to live, thus pride is a temptation.  Kids do not learn how to work for someone other than their parents.  It takes much more effort to expose children firsthand to a wide range of viewpoints and cultures.  Because of almost no peer pressure, homeschooled children tend to stand out in the crowd, which can be a positive or negative, depending on how they're standing out!

Public School-

Pros- Your child learns a lot about how to get along with all types of people.  Education is basically free.  Mom has plenty of time to get her housework done, and might take up blogging or something.  Your child hopefully realizes that their home life is pretty good.  The difference between doing things God's way and the world's way is very obvious. You can be a good influence in your community.

Cons- Peer pressure can be hard for some kids to handle.  If "everyone" is doing such and such, why can't I?  You have to counter some of the information being taught that goes against your beliefs- for us that has been things like evolution, global warming, you should only eat salad, etc.  You have to make sure your child is thinking independently and not just blindly following whatever the popular government line of the day is.  The educational standard is not as high as the private school.

At the end of the day, I believe that each choice has valid arguments for and against it, so we should not be judgmental of others for their choices.  And as far as what we do next year?  Still deciding...

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged."

Matthew 7:1

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,

who gives generously to all without finding fault,

and it will be given to him.

James 1:5