Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Like the generation of Israelites who left Egypt for the Promised Land, the first generation of homeschoolers left government-controlled education behind to train their children in freedom. What comes next? This week on Home School Heartbeat , HSLDA Chairman and General Counsel Michael Farris addresses the future of homeschooling.

Michael Farris:
Many of the discussions I hear among parents about the success of homeschooling reflect what I call a "Moses generation" kind of thinking. The Moses generation celebrates the fact that it left Egypt. We are glad that our children are doing well academically compared to the average public school student. We are excited that our children, again on average, demonstrate far higher levels of moral and spiritual integrity than is found even among Christian children in public schools.


There is no doubt that the Moses generation of homeschoolers has accomplished something that's incredibly important. We have broken the notion that education is principally a function of the government. We have taken seriously Scripture's command that parents teach their children to love God and know his ways as we go through the ordinary moments of the day.


Yes, leaving Egypt was a big accomplishment, but it is not the end goal. Homeschoolers need to develop a longer view for judging our success. We need to understand that the academic preparation of our children is a means to an end, not the end in and of itself.


We shouldn't be content that we've gained recognition of our constitutional right to teach our own children. While these battles are very important, homeschool freedom is not the ultimate end. It's a means to a far greater end. I'm Mike Farris.