August, the month of precursory jokes about fall, and a continual ramping up of “back to school” excitement. Many students here in the United States have already started their state run school programs for this fall, or will start soon. Kids and parents are back into the routine of early mornings, long days and homework. I remember the days like that. I grew up in a very well supported state run school system. After my husband and I were blessed with our oldest, there was a time we sent her to a private school. She was in private Christian school for 1 year and it was exhausting. She would be exhausted, and we as her parents were exhausted. Some of the contributing factors to our tired state of existence were (to name only a few): the stress of having the right clothes, the homework, the water bottle, the snacks, the lunch, the special activity for the day, the projects, the after school opportunities, the field trips, and parent teacher meetings. The early morning wake ups, the drops off, the afternoon pick up lane became an almost zombie like routine for us and our daughter. Over the course of the year she stopped getting excited to see us and was generally more apathetic towards school, life at home, her siblings, and ever her formerly favorite interests. It was exhausting! And that was only kindergarten! I can’t imagine the exhaustion that comes with schooling outside the home as they get older (and juggling schedules for multiple children!). Well that is our topic this week, schooling outside your home, most commonly known as public school. Last week we talked about the history of homeschooling in the United States. Today, we are going to look more in depth at the history of the state run public school system.  

A Brief History of Public School in the United States

The earliest of Europeans colonists taught their children. But the education was primarily either in the skilled trades through guild style internships (where children would grow up in their work environment) or for the wealthy via private tutoring. Those Children who were not from wealthy families, were generally taught skills and educated by their parents at home, on the farm, or in the craft house. Around the late 1700s to early 1800s is when we first start to see state run public schooling become available (and later required) for children of all means. The common school, or public school, was started in New York and included one teacher teaching up to 100 students at a time. These students were poor, and did not have the means to pay for an private (tutored) education. Younger children were taught by other older children, while the oldest were taught by the teacher. Early state schools were a source for “trickle down” moral, societal instruction for the poor. But what were they taught, and why would the state seek to train the poor in behavioral patterns? This school in New York, like most state schools was not available to families of means. Families with money, were required to still pay for tutors for their children. The reason for this public state run school was to get children off the streets of the city and (thereby) out of trouble. The goal was not teaching reading, writing or arithmetic. Instead of being taught the subjects that we today would think are basic building blocks of a basic education, these children were often taught repetitive tasks and obedience. The two factors that would make a great employee of a factory. The time of the plow and blacksmith was passing, and the age of machinery and mechanisms changed society.

So how did one common school, turn into a prescription for an entire nation? We see this come about through compulsory education which began in the 1850s. The compulsory attendance law was enacted due to the immigration of Irish and other European groups. Many east coast cities were full of children and families that needed something to do. As such, Massachusetts was the first state to issue a compulsory attendance law in the 1850s that required children to go to school. This was not for the education of the children, but was to teach discipline and obedience to make these children into good factory workers and citizens. In order to do that, children had to be separated from their parents. They had to be forced to learn, or be indoctrinated with the ideals of someone else. 

Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, a plethora of different court cases arose as states determined how they wanted their schools to run. Throughout the years, we see arguments appearing in court cases about whether children of different ethnicities, ages, and income status should be allowed to attend school or not. In the mid 1800s, we see the first example of age segregation happening in the schools. Leaders in the education realm returned to America after visiting a school in Germany and decided to implement age segregation within our own school system (Click here to read more about age segregation in US state schools). Age segregation is still the system in place today in US state run school systems. Shortly after age segregation started in schools, pushback started from many people stating this was not a good practice for children. 

It is often ironic and sad when parents and grand parents lament a lack of conversation with their children and their grand children. Learning in an age segregated environment is perhaps one major contributing factor to the great loss of conversation within our society today. If a child is never given opportunity, or instructed in the art of multi-generational conversation, it is more logical to think the outcome will be a lack of conversational ability rather than the presence of such ability.

Modern Public School 

When we look at the current ecosystem of the state school system in the United States, much of the structure and philosophy has remained from the early days in the mid 1800s. One example, is the compulsory attendance of children. Secondly, is that public school still tends to be for those who are not wealthy. Thirdly, we can see that children are still separated by age, even when it has been proven to not be the best way to learn. Fourthly, the ratio of students to teachers is always a challenge for the students learning, and the teachers trying their best to faithfully care for and raise up children (click here to read more about national trends in state run classroom ratios). These various realities make me curious about what else state run schools do that can be detrimental to children?

Another aspect of concern is of course the fabled discussion about “independence”. At a very early age children (4-6) are pressured into separating from their parents. The opposite is true as well. Try and stick around throughout a state run school day to observe and you’ll note just how central to the whole education system is the philosophy of separation.

An objecting voice may say “Now wait a minute, we might say that children aren’t really being separated from their parents, they are just being given an education.” This objection is easily answered by remembering that state run schools were not founded with the purpose of formal education at heart, but instead instruction of societal behaviors. Based on the history of state schooling, we can see the public school system was not founded on wanting to give the poor children in America a good education. Nor was the state school system founded on teaching the next generation reading, writing, and arithmetic. Instead it was founded on teaching them particular behaviors. It taught them how to be disciplined  in order to do their job at a factory without speaking back. It did not teach them how to think. And today many of our schools are still the same. 

Looking back to the history of state schools, we can see why schools today are not teaching children how to think. Although teachers may want to teach students how to think, they are not able to do to so with the constraints placed on them by the school systems. American school teachers must teach what they are told to teach. Teachers rarely have the time or resources to teach any viewpoint other then that which is in the school board approved, or state mandated curriculum. There is often little to no time to have discussions on various topics in a classroom. There is little to no incentive for students to learn various viewpoints on a topic. I have great sympathy and admire greatly those believers who serve as state school teachers in such difficult and tightly constrained circumstances. Not everyone is Elijah, called to operate in opposition to evil within systems (see 1 Kings 18). But neither is everyone Obadiah, called to operation within the wicked administration of systems. Both are called for and needed. For our family we recognize homeschooling apart from the state run school system is our prayerful best foot forward. For others, the answer may be different. For the family on the fence, considering both options, it is my hope that this piece may help give you more factors to prayerfully consider.

”Teaching only one viewpoint is indoctrination!”

Franklin Breslin

What is Being Taught?

Maybe critical thinking and indoctrination isn’t that big of a deal to you. One of the most prevalent arguments that we hear among parents for why their children need to go to state school, is for their child needs to learn the same thing as everyone else. As parents, we are so scared of our children falling behind, that we are obsessed with the timing of when our children learn anything. “keeping up with the Jones” isn’t just a small extreme phenomena experienced by a minority of the population, it is the dominating creed in non-Christian western thinking regarding childrearing.

This is most evident in our schools that are now teaching preschool kids to read and write. If your child isn’t reading by kindergarten then they are “behind” But are they really behind? Educational testing and standards have led us to believe that each child in this country is learning the same thing at the same age, which is NOT true. Did you know that each state has different standards for their students? That each state can and does teach children different things at different times, or not at all. This idea that all schools in our country are unified, is false. It is a falsehood that we have been taught to believe. Not only are states widely varied in standards and curriculums, but regions can vary based on local school boards and school district policies.

I understand that this can all seem overwhelming. It is crazy to think that our state schools aren’t out to teach our children how to critically think and become well trained, skillful, engaged citizens in society. Many of us grew up attending state schools. It is a terrifying and slightly paralyzing idea that there is another way to teach our children. Is it possible that at least some of the trends within society that are less than desirable are in some way a result of the state education system? Do the complaints and errors we experienced within the state school system justify curiosity about raising children away from the state’s guardianship rather than under it? Is it preferable for the state to determine the trajectory of my child’s thoughts, experiences, and opportunities at an early, or is it more preferable for a parent oversee their child’s upbringing? Is group think so valuable that more generations should be indoctrinated regarding social behavior? Should another generation be actively kept from growth in critical thinking? Should another generation grow up valuing feelings more than facts? These patterns are not only the historic trend within state run schools, they are also the trajectory for the future as more social behaviors are pushed onto children at earlier and earlier ages.

Now What?

I can tell you one thing, I don’t want my children to be a part of the state school system. I want my children to think critically. To hold ideas as a concept with potential for acceptance, rejection, or improvement, without being forced to adopt the idea. To have a strong sense of reading comprehension. To read the Bible and apply it to their life. To read a host of other materials, and compare, contrast, evaluate, and explore ideas beyond what is approved, tolerated, or demanded by the state. To defend their position based on facts, not feelings. To love people unconditionally while being respectful and disagreeing with their lifestyle. I want my children to know how to stand up for themselves in a way that doesn't involve violence and whinnying. I want my children to be equipped how to respond to violence, and manipulation. I want my children to learn what they want to learn. To pursue a passion subject, and learn the value of a variety of studies. To learn multiple sides to the same story. To spend time growing the skills God has given them.

Our goal as Christian parents is to raise our children to love the Lord, not to get a certain score on a test. I know how scary it can be to be the one in charge of your children’s education. I didn’t grow up being homeschooled. I have had to come to the convictions through many years of preparation, prayer, and weighing of options. It can be scary to take a leap of faith and become the primary caregiver and educator of your child, but you can do it. You, as parents, have already been the primary educator of your child for years. You taught your child to talk, to walk, to play catch, to sing, to identify colors, numbers and letters. The sadness and anxiety that plagues many of us when we send our children off to their first day of kindergarten isn’t a mistake. God did not create our families to be separated for the vast majority of the day. God created the family to be together, to grow together and to learn together. We are not that far along in our parenting journey, but we have heard from so many couples well ahead of us the same story repeated over and over again.

The happiest time in my life was when I had children at home. The only regret I have is not spending enough time with them when they were younger.

The important thing when we are older, is not the test scores. It is the time we spent with our children. Why is it so strange in our culture to want to spend time with our children? Why does society push back so hard against parents who want to be with their kids? It is amazing to me, how much me wanting to be with my kids bothers other people. God gave us these children to love and to raise. I carried these children in my womb and my heart for months before they were born. We prayed for these children before they were conceived. I fed these children from my body, and carried them while they were small and helpless. We were their first teachers. Why would I want to suddenly send my child to be taught by someone else? Why is homeschooling the strange option? Why do so many people not enjoy being around their children? I don’t have the answers to all these questions, I just know that I will spend the time God has given me with my children and my family. Not separated from them.

State schools is not the only option for teaching and training children. Homeschooling is one option. It is an option that is done by single parent families, dual income families, stay at home parents families, homesteading families, military families, families with financial means, families living paycheck to paycheck and more. I urge you all to spend time in prayer about the education of your child. Consider the history of state schools and the indoctrination of social behaviors. We have our children for just a short time. Should the years they grow up under our roofs, be then time spent away from our care?

May God guide you as you consider these weighty things.

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