By: Corey BonassoAny parent will tell you that choosing the right school for your children is not always an easy task, and many parents stress over these decisions almost constantly. Parents ask many questions because of the uncertainty over school choices—questions like, “Should I put my child in a private Christian school?” or “How can I protect my child from worldly influences if I put them in public school?” or “Is sending them to a school even the right choice if I can homeschool?” These are all valid and important questions, and this article marks the beginning of a new series in which our authors explore these questions, many from first-hand points of view. I have two daughters, one of whom is nearly three and the other 17 months. School choice is not an immediate consideration for my family, but we have already begun our research and prayer over this subject.
For a longer discussion of this topic, the Family Discipleship Podcast has produced an episode on this topic, and you can access that episode here: Family Discipleship Podcast: School Choices.
Worldly Influences
As children age, the time they spend with parents decreases steadily, with the sharpest decline typically happening when they begin attending school. This decline is not as drastic for children who have attended daycare on a regular basis, but the beginning of school still involves a major shift in a child’s life. The chart at the end of this article shows how the average American’s time is spent throughout his or her life.
A major concern of many parents about sending their children to school is the influence that other people will have on their children. For nearly eight hours per day, five days per week their child will be under the care and supervision of others, some or all of whom may not have the same beliefs or values of the child’s parents. This concern can be present for parents sending their children to public or private school, but it seems to be especially acute for Christian parents sending their children to public school. In today’s social climate that emphasizes the affirmation of all lifestyles and beliefs, it is difficult to navigate how to live out our Christian walk. It is even more difficult to train our children how to live out their walk in an environment that places so little value on the gospel. Thus, the days we spend with our children before they begin attending school are critical.
In the context of private school, not all private Christian schools teach the true gospel. Some schools are very gospel-centered and require parents to sign a covenant stating that they believe the word of God, and students have Bible class just like math or science. Other private Christian schools require their faculty to sign a covenant, but the gospel is not taught explicitly. Still others wear a label of “Christian,” but are far from it. I attended a private Catholic school growing up and the truth of Scripture was nowhere to be found in that institution. We were taught theology and attended mass every so often, but having spent seven years in that school, it was clear that it did not value the spiritual well-being of its students.
On the other end of the spectrum, some parents prefer not to expose their children to such heavy outside influences, and they choose instead to homeschool their children. Homeschooling offers several benefits, a major one being that a parent can craft a curriculum tailored to his or her child and know exactly what the child is learning. On the other hand, some parents believe that the socialization aspect of school is vital. They believe children need to be among peers of different beliefs, backgrounds, interests, abilities, etc. in order to develop their interpersonal and communication skills.
All of these views have validity, and it is up to parents to choose which is the best fit for their own child. The choice also may not be the same for each child if you have multiple children. It also may not be the same for a child at different levels or periods of the child’s life. Maybe a child who needed to be homeschooled for elementary school would benefit from attending public high school.
Other Factors
A major factor (maybe the largest) influencing school choice is cost. Parents may not have the financial means to send their child to a private school, nor the time availability to homeschool. On average public schools tend to be larger, and they can sometimes offer a wide range of extra-curricular activities, as well as various academic tracks. A child who is a gifted athlete may thrive in a school with a heavy focus on athletics, while a child who is gifted musically may thrive in a different school with a heavy focus on musical arts. The same is true for certain private schools that have offer high quality niche programs. Some of the best basketball players in the world attend private schools whose primary asset is a nationally renowned basketball program. Some musical prodigies hone their craft in private schools specifically designed to attract such musical talent.
The point here is that there is no one right answer. There is not a “one size fits all” solution to this complex question. However, while there may not be one school choice that is right for every child, there is one gospel that is right for every child. Whether you decide to put your child in public school, private school, homeschool, boarding school, or some other alternative, every child needs Jesus Christ more than anything. While it’s not our responsibility as parents to save our children, it is our responsibility to teach them and equip them to the best of our abilities. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” As frightening as it may be to send our children into the world, it is something every parent must do eventually, whether that’s at age five to kindergarten or age 20 to college. We must trust that God’s plan for them will come to pass, and that God can care for them better than we can. Our job is to steward the time God has given us with our children well. We cannot child-proof the world, but we can do our best to world-proof our children.