Home Schooling: Shouldn’t We Be Asking--Is The Fruit Good?

We would like to comment on David Haldane’s article, “God’s Classroom,” (Southeast/Long Beach sections, Jan. 29). We have been home-teaching our two boys, 13 and 14, for the last four years and are growing increasingly impressed and involved with the home-schooling movement.

While Haldane made an effort to be objective, we felt a mood of rejection which we think is hurtful to your readers’ understanding of this movement.

Haldane quoted Royer as saying home schoolers are violating the law. Actually, the fact is that courts are ruling, as attorney Michael Smith said in your article, that “home education is a right guaranteed by the Constitution.”

Your readers should understand the home-schooling family is not a delinquent type choosing to abandon responsibility. On the contrary, it is a family dedicated to responsible citizenry and high personal and moral standards. Training is not abdicated; it is the goal.

Royer doesn’t think “you can assure a quality education for everyone through home schooling.” We see home schooling as pioneering. As with any venture, there may be casualties, but statistics prove home-educated children to be at least two grades in advance of the classroom student.

As far as laws being made to stop home schooling . . . shouldn’t laws be made which stop the lawless and support the innocent? Jesus said, “You can tell a tree by its fruit.” And Proverbs 20:11 says, “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure and whether it be right.” Look at the children, look at the families who are home schooling and ask, “Is it pure, is it right, is the fruit good?”

--JOHN, SUSAN GULDSETH

San Pedro