Parents who exiled themselves from education of children - Pope Francis

[MariaChristi]

Over the last year my husband and I came to the conclusion that home educating (homeschooling) is the way to go. The reasons are many. Overall, we decided that education will include both moral formation and teaching them the faith, as well as the academic side of it. We’ll see how it all goes, year by year.

I have come to not trust the experts because a lot of what they advocate goes against common sense. There is a lot of contradictory advice and it tends to change quickly.

So many parents blindly trust the experts and are happy to hand their kids over to the state to educate and raise them. They can’t think of the alternative where they are responsible for the children beyond providing food and shelter and keeping them healthy, and many even think it is harmful for the parents to take the educating role. We’ve come to believe many things that experts say, perhaps because that is more convenient than actually making adjustments to prioritise the family.

Dear Contra Mundum,

Thanks for your reply. I have taught in both parochial (parish Catholic) schools as well as public schools, and have watched with sadness their decline as they seem to become more and more secular. Years ago it was permissible to pray in public schools. I know of one public Junior High who had a Bible Study in the Study Hall. When I worked there I remember the janitor telling me that before they took the bibles out of the school, he never heard a bad word between the students or teachers. Once the bibles were gone, things changed.

Today, there are still a few Catholic schools who are striving to keep and nurture their “Catholic identity” but sad to say they are few. So your decision to home school your children is a very understandable one, and a commendable one. For anyone who can’t do that for differing reasons, I’d encourage them to pray to the Holy Spirit and become aware of whatever the school is doing where their children attend. Examine the textbooks and listen to children share what they learn.

Some parishes have small groups of parents forming Hone School Associations so they can share resources. That may be a way for some parents to join with others and help any parent(s) who can’t home school a child. Thanks again for your reply. May the Lord bless you and all those parents seeking to raise their children as God would have them.

 

[Contra_Mundum_1]

Thanks again for your reply. May the Lord bless you and all those parents seeking to raise their children as God would have them.

Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement. This decision is the result of a lot of prayer about the questions of the purpose of it all and what kind of life our family should live. I used to dismiss the church’s message that the parents are the primary educators of their children, but now I understand. Of course, not all education is about the parents teaching their kids academic subjects, but it is the parents who must be in charge of the children and have the state and its apparatus assist them, rather than have the state take over the parents’ rightful role. I think that many parents don’t even realise what has happened, that their rights and responsibilities have been hijacked by those who should be in the assisting role. I hope that the pope’s message will be heard.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thank you very much for your kind words and encouragement. This decision is the result of a lot of prayer about the questions of the purpose of it all and what kind of life our family should live. I used to dismiss the church’s message that the parents are the primary educators of their children, but now I understand. Of course, not all education is about the parents teaching their kids academic subjects, but it is the parents who must be in charge of the children and have the state and its apparatus assist them, rather than have the state take over the parents’ rightful role. I think that many parents don’t even realise what has happened, that their rights and responsibilities have been hijacked by those who should be in the assisting role. I hope that the pope’s message will be heard.

Thanks again for an excellent reply. Every decision we make needs to be warmed by the unction of prayer to the Holy Spirit. We really need to listen to Magisterial teachings because the official teachings of the Church are part of God’s Revelation to us: Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church enable us to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church in every age.

We are living in critical times and our children will suffer the consequences of wrong choices made by many, but God is Faithful and so we entrust them as well as ourselves into His Divine Providence. I hope many will heed the message of Pope Francis concerning the passing on of the faith, and the responsibility to safeguard youngsters from falsehood. Parents are and have always been the first “educators” of their children. Sometimes in families when parents are not fulfilling that responsibility it may be Godparents or Grandparents who step in, or other brothers and sisters in the Faith.

We must be very careful not to ignore the pervasive spread of secularism which so sadly has continued to creep into the culture of our country and so many countries of the world. I continue to mourn over the recent vote in Ireland-- once a great Catholic Country (home of my own ancestors). May our Lady of Knock and dear St. Patrick intercede for that country and may Our Mother continue to intercede for all her children all over the world.