We are Ambassadors for Christian Home Education

As story after story breaks of trans dogma infiltrating UK schools, I often wonder what line must be crossed before Christian parents say, ‘enough is enough. I can no longer in good conscience send my children to the state for their education. From this point forward, I will find an alternative’.

 

It is true that there are parents who are so committed to the state school system that no situation would be distasteful enough for them to remove their child from it. Nevertheless, for a growing number of parents, the values of the school sit so uncomfortably with their Christianity that It would not take much for them to exit the school system. Perhaps the uncrossable line would be an openly gay teacher or even a male teacher who comes to school dressed as a female. Perhaps sex education taught too explicitly and too soon would be the final nail in the coffin.

 

As more and more believers find the school system wanting, the question I think that we Christian home educators need to ask ourselves is whether our example leaves parents excited about the idea of teaching their children at home, or whether our example leaves these parents thinking that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

We are ambassadors for home education whether we intend to be or not. Does our example win over or repel other parents? Here are a few questions to ponder:

 

‘A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.’ (Luke 6:40)

 

There is a danger we can give the impression that home education is a means of hiding from the world. I agree that as believing parents we have a duty to give our children some shade from the wickedness of this age. We are right to watch over who has an influence on our children and who they spend time with.

 

Nevertheless, Christian home education is largely an offensive rather than defensive action. We teach our children at home because we are committed to teaching them a Christian worldview, and we have determined that home education is the best way to do it.

 

The question is: do people in our church recognise this? When we are asked questions about our philosophy, do we become silent, defensive or even aggressive? Do people think we are so prickly about our educational choice that they long ago gave up asking us about it? Do we spend so much time criticising government schools (even if we might be correct) that people think we are simply fearful?

 

How much better to offer hope? If we count every subject as an opportunity to make the Saviour known to our children, if we see Christian education as training our little ones in the hope that the Lord might one day use them for his glory, we are far more likely to win parents over to Christ-centred education.

 

‘Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.’ (Proverbs 20:11)

 

I would be the first person to say that good behaviour does not necessarily signify a life that is committed to the Lord. Home education is not about cleaning the outside of the cup (Matthew 23:25-26).

 

However, if home educated children are generally known to be the worst-behaved children in our churches or in our friendship groups then we do make it difficult for people to see Christian education at home as a good option.

 

As a largish family with seven youngish children, coupled with the fact that we home educate, my husband and I work doubly hard to teach our children good behaviour. We know how large families and home educators are stereotyped (chaotic, out of control and nobody appears to be learning anything). We might not think this is a fair judgement, but we do not want to reinforce it by the way we manage our family.

 

Please hear me, we do not have perfect children. They misbehave at home, and they misbehave when we are around others. Nonetheless, we are intentional about dealing with it. Home Education is not an excuse for chaos.

 

‘Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding…’ (Proverbs 3:13)

 

When people ask what our children are learning, do we become touchy or take offence when none is intended?

 

If parents are considering home education, it is perfectly reasonable for them to question how their children will learn. It might be obvious to the more experienced home educator that the home environment is an excellent backdrop to the exciting discovery of knowledge, but the parent who has only have known the school system might not understand this at the beginning.

 

Rather than being suspicious of the motives behind the questions others ask, why not be generous in our responses! If people ask how I teach history to a bunch of different ages, then I answer them! If people ask how I teach science, I give them a blow-by-blow account! Home education is not the entirety of who I am or what I do, but if other parents ask me curious questions, I determine to give an answer to the best of my ability.

 

As a general rule, I do not spend too much time talking or writing about government schools. The fruit of state education will become evident in due course. Rather, I try to help people see the path replete with low-hanging fruit that is Christian home education.

 

I often pray that Christian families will stop sending their children to the government for their education. I also pray that we might make a strong case for an alternative. Above all, I pray that God will grant me the supreme joy of being the means to encourage just a few to think there is a better way for their little ones, that I might be an ambassador for Christian home education.