Who in society is responsible for raising children? Parents, government, the wider culture, or perhaps the children themselves? Mike Smith answers critics who maintain that parents have too much say in their children’s lives on today’s Home School Heartbeat.
Mike Smith:
In discussing this week the allegations that homeschoolers are retreating from society, one criticism is that if children spend too much time with their parents it is detrimental to society.
This opposition even goes beyond the typical lack-of-socialization argument generally leveled at homeschoolers, and directly attacks the right of parents to be the only source to direct the upbringing and education of their children. Those that advocate this position believe that children have a right to make their own decisions while still under their parents’ supervision.
This belief comes from the child’s-rights movement that concludes that children must be able to act independently of their parents. After children reach a certain age, then parents shouldn’t be able to dictate to their children even when the children are minors and under the control of their parents.
The proponents of this view assert that all children should be exposed to a neutral education such as one provided by government schools. This reasoning is fallacious, because no education is neutral.
The good news is that the law of the land recognizes parents’ rights to raise their children with a biblical worldview and that the only legitimate interest of the state in education is literacy and self-sufficiency.
And until next time, I’m Mike Smith.
