As it appeared in the Summer/Fall 1995 issue of
The Catholic Family's Magnificat! Magazine
Copyright 1994. All Rights Reserved.
by Marianna Bartold
Survey results on this page continue with Alexandria, Louisiana through Jackson, Mississippi.
Louisiana, Alexandria - Q # 10. I would hesitate to have NCEA do anything that could be perceived as "helping" or encouraging homeschool. ("...the Church gives high praise to those civil authorities and civil societies that ...take into account the right of religious liberty, by helping families in such a way that in all schools the education of their children should be carried out according to the moral and religious convictions of each family." Documents of Vatican II on Education) My experience is that parents that want [to] homeschool are rather fundamentalists that only want help in fundamentalism. (Would someone please define a "fundamentalist Catholic"?)
Louisiana, Lafayette - Q # 9. *D. Q # 10. NCEA should not encourage or support homeschooling as an effective or recommended option. (Canon 793.1 states: "Parents and those who hold their place (e.g. adoptive parents or guardians) are bound by the obligation and enjoy the right of educating their children.") It merely should advise this path in special cases (What kind of cases, if home education would not be a recommended option otherwise?), and guide parents to a Catholic-oriented homeschooling program, of which there appears to be few. (That may be true at the moment. However, please note there was once only one parochial school in the entire U.S.)
Louisiana, New Orleans - Q # 9. There is one-unable to obtain information. If I do, I will forward it to you. Q # 10. Those opting for homeschooling seem to do so because they aren't happy with our religion program. This is occurring in one region of our archdiocese. We are reaching out to solve these problems...misunderstandings. If NCEA were to support such a group, it would undermine our efforts. (If they are reaching out to solve these problems, why would support of home education undermine the DRE's efforts?) On the other hand, there may be parents who are unhappy with public education and wish to offer homeschooling. It's a complex issue. (It is not complex for those who understand that "...the family holds...the right to educate the young ...a right inviolable on the part of any power on earth." Christian Education of Youth.)
Massachusetts, Boston - Q # 10. For the few I am aware of, the directors request a curriculum guide from the state department of education.
Massachusetts, Worcester - Q # 10. Regarding # 8, NCEA needs to recognize and advise parents that religious education programs takes place in a parish or Catholic setting. (Rather, this diocesan office needs to recognize and advise parents that religious education begins at home! "Before all others, parents are bound by the obligation of forming their children by word and example in the faith and the practice of the Christian life..." From the Code of Canon Law, 774.2)
Michigan, Detroit - Q # 10. This is not yet a major concern for our Catholic schools. Most of the homeschooling issues in metro-Detroit are related to the public schools. (What exactly is this DRE saying? What with the recent closings of many parishes and parochial schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit, isn't there the least possibility this has had an impact on the increasing numbers of Catholic home educators?) Consequently, we do not have much information to share.
Michigan, Grand Rapids - Part of "Catholic" is "community." In the best interest of developing "social beings" we need to concentrate our efforts on Catholic schools - and meeting the needs of individual children in our schools - not assisting homebased schools. Our Church needs community-oriented, Church-oriented people. (Isn't the family the first community??? Unquestionably, every Catholic home educator I've met is definitely "Church-oriented." Further, parents who teach at home do so in order to meet the needs of all their children.) Most homeschoolers I have talked with are negative, competitive, and not interested in anything but their children. (Why are homeschoolers classified as "negative"? Why should "individualistic" personalities be condemned? Are they classified as "competitive" simply because they teach their children at home, rather than enrolling them in a conventional school (parochial or public)? No interest in anything but their children - what else should parents be interested in?) They also seem to be anchored in the past rather than looking toward the future. (If they're focused on their children, isn't that focusing on the future?)
Michigan, Lansing - Q # 9. Patricia Montgomery, Clonlara School, Ann Arbor, MI.(Why was this contact person and school included? Neither Ms. Montgomery nor her school are Catholic.)
Minnesota, Duluth - Q # 10. Many homeschooling parents want to use our schools for the "extras" they cannot get at home: physical education, art, music, computer/technology work etc. We believe that the total Catholic school experience is what is important and do not allow homeschoolers to "pick and choose" the parts of our programs in which they wish to participate. (Would the "cafeteria" approach be acceptable when it came to the teachings of the Church? What is the total Catholic school experience?)
Mississippi, Biloxi - Q # 10. The violence and "gang formation" in the public schools has the homeschooling program becoming the only alternative to provide a safe environment. To my knowledge, we are not directly affected by this move at this time; however, we did have a couple of students whose parents did homeschooling because of the special needs of the students which we couldn't meet. This is a growing concern with our state department of education (Which is concern - special needs students or homeschooling?) We, as a diocese, only accept a student who has been homeschooled for a year...it is impossible to help students who have long-term homeschooling, especially on the junior high/senior high levels. (Why? Too late for OBE indoctrination, perhaps?)
Mississippi, Jackson - Q # 10. Has been short-lived - my knowledge of this issue. (His knowledge has been short-lived? It might be so, when one reads the next few lines.) Parents are not too capable of homeschooling. Not free to do what is required. ("Marriage and married love are by nature ordered t the procreation and education of children..." Vatican II, Gaudium Et Spes, No. 50) I considered homeschooling not problem in this area. My opinion::: The structure of education in the U.S. will change drastically within the next decade. (How drastically and in what direction?) All school systems will be involved in change. Parents won't see the need for homeschooling. (If they see the need for it now, why wouldn't they in the future? Additionally, many parents choose to home educate because they want a close family life.)
Click here to read Part 7 of 9, survey results from Kansas City, Missouri to Fargo, North Dakota
