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Home Schooling & The Future of Higher Education
By Nancy Levant
MichNews.com
Jan 31, 2005
People once thought that home schooling was a result of extremist-religious groups and isolationism. Today, home schooling enrollments double each and every year in the United States and internationally. The reasons why are that the quality and variety of curriculums and programs are truly remarkable, and because virtual classrooms are the future of public and university education.
You can continue, year after year, to deny that children are stressed by dull 10-hour days, curriculum work loads, homework over-loads, harried teachers, and proficiency tests, or you can educate your child without stress, with literally a world of curricula, including a host of proficiency test aids, very superior programs in art, music, foreign languages, and physical education, and completely flexible school hours and styles.
Parents must investigate today's home schooling opportunities. They employ the latest technologies, award-winning on-line curriculums and educational models, and they are being accessed by the brightest and most gifted children in the nation because they are superior programs. There's a whole world of educational opportunity for children. There are many options to over-crowded and noisy classrooms and parents forced to sign documents swearing their children have mastered weekly or monthly subject matter.
Parents, however, must be responsible for the quality education. Always remember that public schools are, first and foremost, government institutions. This means agenda, agenda, agenda. This year, two agenda items were clearly global warming and controlled burning of forests. These two topics were squeezed into every subject, including math, and in every grade level. Obviously, the concepts of global warming and controlled burning of forests are to be forced into the consciousness of the upcoming generation, and all but guaranteed we will see these topics over and over again in public school curriculum as sustainable development takes root in the United States.
If you want superior education for your children, and you want them to compete in tomorrow's universities, you are going to have to educate your children with efforts that far surpass the passing of proficiency tests alone. Proficiency tests will soon be used to label and certify your children in particular subject areas. These certifications will determine the higher education tracks, college loans and grants, and career potential for your kids. Don’t think that mandated proficiency tests were created to annoy us. They have governmental purpose, and the tests are used to serve big business.
Public education serves big political agendas, and times are changing. If you have hopes for your children to be other than employees for big business and living in human settlements governed by NGO’s, than you are going to have to participate in your children’s educations. You are going to have to advance grade levels at a quicker pace and supplement government curriculum with advanced subjects and hands-on interest/career opportunities for your children prior to college. It is all but guaranteed that your children’s choice in higher education is going to be turned over to big business who, by the way, is now sponsoring public schools and entire school districts in every state in the land.
It is a sad day when one realizes that being an ordinary American citizen now mandates being a government watchdog, but, in fact, it does. Be very careful with your children who are going to inherit a very new world. Keep your eyes and ears open, talk openly, and take issues to church and civic organizations. Form information-spreading groups, and educate your children far beyond what government curriculum is offering to them. It is imperative that you do if you have hopes for their attendance in fine universities or for them earning masters and doctoral degrees. Most children who now attend public schools will never have these degrees because their proficiency ratings will disqualify them from “the top.” Sad, but true.