From: gerwitz@KODAK.COM (Paul Gerwitz)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.catholic
Subject: Re: Separating our kids from public schools
Date: 17 Nov 92 21:38:35 GMT
Reply-To: gerwitz@Kodak.COM
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              Smiths Industries, VAX Support,              x8425" at Nov 17,
              92 03:06:40 pm

>
> Brent Winiger writes:
>
> >I disagree Brian, and cite as evidence the breakdown of morals,
 relationships,
> >etc. in our society.  The schools are a fundamental under-pinning of society.
> >They say to the kids who we are as a society, what we think, and what we
> >believe.  Because children often spend more time at school than with their
> >parents, those children take a part of their identity from the schools.  That
> >is difficult for parents who disagree with the philosophies of the public
> >schools to compete with.  If we believe that as parents, teaching good values
> >to our kids can elevate them, we must also believe that teaching bad values
> >can degrade them.  When we teach kids that divorce is something that is
> >expected, that values are irrelevant, etc., that is going to have an impact
 on
> >their view of how the world is and should be.

Brian Tillman writes in response:

>
> It's not the schools causing the "moral breakdown" (for which I see no
> compelling evidence, by the way).  If there is a moral breakdown, it's because
> parents are abdicating their responsibilites.  From my observations, the
 schools
> aren't teaching "bad" values.  They aren't teaching any values, as well they
> should not.  That's my job as a parent (and yours, too, if you are a parent).
> For example, divorce isn't happening because people are being taught it's
> expected.  Rather, divorce happens and kids are taught they'll encounter other
> kids whose parents are divorced.  This is just recognizing reality, not
> modifying it.
>
Not having thought this through completely, I'll offer this small insight
to the group (nothing personal Brian -:))

The education of my children is my responsibility before God.  When I
choose an educational setting for them, I expect that environment to assist
me in that role in several ways.

Since I do not have the skills nor the
knowledge to impart basic education to my kids, I need teachers and schools
to provide those services if you will.  I therefore become a "consumer" of
the service, a customer of the school.  I believe I have the right to
question the quality of that education as well as some voice in the
decision that are made.  In the private setting, I have a direct voice,
since I am in fact paying large amounts of money in tuition.  In the case
of the public system, I also pay for it (involuntarily of course) yet I
have a right to both aid the system in improving it's offerings as well as
voice my dissatisfaction when I feel the system is not providing the
quality I would like to see.

On the issue of so called 'moral' issues, I still retain the ultimate
responsibility for that aspect of the child's educational experience, but
here I do have some skills and knowledge that I would like to see passed
on.  What I require of the school is that they re-enforce and support me
in that.  That's where the crux of the problem is in my view, that many
public systems are not supporting the moral views of the parents.

--
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