April 22, 2005
ILLINOISLEADER.COM OPINION - Scott Thomas' column this week has engendered a vertiable outpouring of response from homeschooling advocates. Below is a selection of responses from home-schoolers sharing their personal experiences with the promise there will be more to come.
What's your opinion? Read both sides and decide for yourself.
Thomas column:
[THOMAS: Home Schooling not a good idea for most (April 20)].
Reader responses:
Mr. Thomas states that homeschooling is running from problems and protecting our children. This could not be further from the truth.
Homeschooling for many families is a calling from Our Lord to raise up our children to serve Him. As homeschooling parents we are not depriving our children as you state "from the very fine teachers and not teaching them a thing about the real world."
St. Paul teaches us in the bible that this is NOT the real world. Homeschooling families are dedicated to their children teaching their children the family values that are missing in society today.
I cannot judge your parenting or teaching skills Mr. Thomas as only Our Lord can do this. But before you to cast stones upon those who are rasing up the leaders of tomorrow you need to educate yourself.
Homeschooling familles are the very best that their children can have within their school district.
Homeschooling familles do go to conferences, read up on the latest research, have groups as mentors in our profession and most definitely know their own children better than anyone else. To refer to the developing and nurturing of a human beings character in the same sense a rewiring the electric system on your home. It shows to me that you have truly missed the whole point of why homeschooling families homeschool.
Children are individual gifts from God not to be institutionalized to be allowed to peruse their own God given gifts at their level of learning. With loving guidance, spiritual discipline and the freedom to soar like the eagles. Thank you very much for hearing my views on homeschooling I hope you will continue to research and understand more on the subject.
Cindy Etling
Horizon Homeschool
Prairie Grove
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