What is the pupose of education? (warning: RANT)

Sorry, no pictures this time.

I have been thinking back to about 16 years ago when I first considered homeschooling. A friend had given me an article to read about the true agenda of public education..to subversively indoctrinate the children to believe that authorities and experts and even those in government know what is best for citizens of this country. That the collective needs of the society were of more value and importance than every person's freedom to choose what was of value to them and their family AND how to pursue it. Individualism was despised and socialist agendas advanced.

Does this sound too shocking? Well it was a shocking idea to me as well, but I'd been raised in public schools and the undermining of parental authority was already obvious to me as an adult. In modern day public schools, God and mention of him or His ways and desires for His people, has all been eliminated and even prohibited. If it is allowed, this sort of talk is deemed opinion, not fact. This was not always so.

We live in a society where it is breaking the law to not send your kids to school. In NC, if I do not register in the public school, a private school or as a homeschooler and keep my kids home, I am breaking the law. I must answer to the state as to where my kids are during the hours of 9am-3pm. Even as a homeschooler, I must take daily attendance and submit it at the end of the year! The state MUST keep tabs on all of the school age children. It is their responsibility. Huh? What happened to PARENTS being responsible for the whereabouts of their kids? It is truancy for a kid to take a family vacation during the school year..even if they do the work beforehand???

Many people pay thousands of dollars in taxes to invest in The System of Public Education. Every year, they ask for more. More money will help the kids to succeed more!! Pay the teachers more! Buy more educational stuff! Get bigger buildings! All of these things will MAKE KIDS LEARN...WE PROMISE!!!

I'm sorry, throwing money at a problem does not necessarily fix it. By government standards, we are a poor family. We do not have modern textbooks implementing the newest tactics for teaching any particular subject. We have many books, workbooks from days gone by that others threw away or abandon for the sake of something more innovative!

I have never spent more than a few hundred dollars in one year for all of the kids ..because arithmetic doesn't change. Neither does grammar, history or science (for the most part). What does change is the interpretation of those facts.

In this article by Samuel Blumenfeld, there are a few quotes that I found particularly interesting.

Fyi - John Dewey's system of education is what is practiced here in America to this very day. Accomplishing exactly what it set out to do.

John Dewey (the "father of progressive education,") was greeted with enthusiasm by Soviet officialdom when he visited Stalin's Russia in 1928; and he, in turn, was smitten by the Bolshevik experiment and became one of its most prominent promoters. In his 1929 book, Impressions of Soviet Russia, he rhapsodically refers to the communist system as "nobly heroic, evincing a faith in human nature which is democratic beyond the ambitions of the democracies of the past."

"The Russian educational situation," Dewey averred, "is enough to convert one to the idea that only in a society based upon the cooperative principle can the ideals of educational reformers be adequately carried into operation." Dewey acknowledged that Soviet propaganda was omnipresent and heavy-handed, but that was okay, since "in Russia the propaganda is in behalf of a burning public faith." He was particularly appreciative of "the role of the schools in building up forces and factors whose natural effect is to undermine the importance and uniqueness of family life" in Soviet Russia.

Why do I even care about this?

Truly it makes me ill to know that there are adults in our country actually do believe what the State says is true: namely WE know what is best for you -
the education WE will provide you,
the health care system WE will give you,
the retirement plan WE have devised..
even the gas WE decide it would be best for you to have (do not get me started on how ethanol costs MORE to make that unleaded gasoline and makes you get worse mileage).

Just TRUST US (the State!!) to take care of you! Doesn't that sound like communism to you?
Vote us in and we will make sure you have everything you need! You won't have to work your finger to the bone any more!

WE will provide you with jobs!
WE will regulate food costs,
WE will tell banks that everyone can have loans to buy a house in America...because that is their right even if they do not have money to pay! (Thanks for that Bill Clinton!)
WE will make sure that the wealthy will pay, not you! (hmm sound like Robin Hood stealing from the rich and giving to the poor to you?)

Punish those who can think and succeed in business because they do not follow the beat that the Drummer has laid out for them. Punish those who speak of God and His accomplishments! Punish those who don't give their children to us! Punish them..make them pay!! Instead reward those who follow blindly and say "Yes, master" like obedient slaves ought.

Potty Talk

When our family first began to grow, I had two lovely little girls. They were smart, obedient and played beautifully together. We painted at the table, they pretended to fly to the moon with plastic food in their spaceship and winter boots on their feet.

Another family member had two little boys the same ages as my sweet girls. She told me of her dealings with potty mouth. She asked for advice. I had none, as MY children didn't DO that.

Fast forward to today (and unfortunately, many other recent days) My family includes 3 teenage daughters, one 7 year old daughter who thinks she's a teenager..and FIVE POTTY MOUTH boys.

After many ignored lectures..I mean discussions about the subject and many time-outs in the hall, I am now going to resort to the old "abusive" standby I used those many years ago when unsavory things "accidentally" fell out of the mouths of those otherwise sweet girls: SOAP. I can't wait. Next..we will deal with name calling. heh, heh, heh.