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 Kansas City, Missouri through Fargo, North Dakota.
Missouri, Kansas City - Q # 10. I have responded to inquiries saying that our school office does not support homeschooling. The pastors I have spoken to support our office. ("The primary right of parents to educate their children must be upheld in all forms of collaboration, between parents, teachers, and school authorities..." Charter on the Rights of the Family)
Montana, Great Falls-Billings -Q # 10.. My observation of homeschooling is that the child is denied the opportunity to grow by means of social interaction with peers. (Do siblings count as peers? How's this for a definition of socialization - "The family is the place where different generations come together and help one another to grow in human wisdom and to harmonize the right of individuals with other demands of social life." - from Pope John Paul II's Charter on the Rights of the Family.) Some organizations are attempting to do this. Another observation is that parents of homeschoolers are often into fundamentalism... Catholic and otherwise. (We truly need the definition of a "Catholic fundamentalist.") NCEA should be assisting "mainline" Catholicism. (A definition of a "mainline" Catholic is also required.) Legitimizing homeschools by an NCEA statement would not be helpful to our part of the country, in my opinion. (Are homeschools legitimate only of recognized by the NCEA?)
Nebraska, Grand Island - Q 9 None. All individual families. Know of only two Catholic families that homeschool. Q # 10. The three dioceses in Nebraska have basically stated that we will not allow (do not want) any of our small parish schools becoming what Nebraska calls Christian schools with no state regulations (or few), no certified teachers, etc. A number of Protestant churches have opted for a Christian school concept which would eliminate the need for parents to do homeschooling. (Sending Catholic children to a "non-denominational" school is preferred over Catholic home education? "...the frequenting of non-Catholic schools, whether neutral or mixed, is forbidden to Catholic children, or at the most is tolerated, on the approval of the Ordinary [bishop] alone, under determined circumstances of place and time, and with special precautions [Canon 11374]." From Christian Education of Youth, Pope Pius XI.)
Nebraska, Lincoln - Q # 10. Most homeschoolers return to public or parochial schools in this area after two or three years - based on my survey of state department of education records over a period of 15 years. (If this is true, has this office retained data on why these homeschoolers have returned to public or parochial schools?)
Nebraska, Omaha - Q # 9. State organization - don't have address but can get it. CONNECT or FAX if you need it. Q # 10. Diocese enclosed a sheet, "1992-93 Nebraska School Enrollments" that includes data showing the growth rate of homeschool students from 1985 through 1994. (This sheet was not included with the survey results.)
Nevada, Reno-Las Vegas - Q # 10. Homeschoolers here in Nevada frequently have a very antagonistic relationship with the state. I would not want to see us get dragged into this kind of battle. Some of these groups have banded together to form academics seeking to place themselves under the diocesan umbrella but not wanting diocesan oversight. This is a legal problem as well as a supervision problem. We had best be cautious.
New Jersey, Metuchen - Q # 10. At the present time, there is no homeschooling taking place in the Metuchen Diocese. If there is any in the public sector, we have not been apprised of it. (Do they mean a public homeschool? We've never heard of one, either.)
New Jersey, Paterson - q # 10. Family who is doing the homeschooling is from the Midwest, where it was more prevalent. The experience has been that the children attend regular school beginning in the middle grades. (Another prevalent and incorrect attitude revealing itself - so no one homeschools through high school?)
New Jersey, Trenton - Q # 10. Most of our contacts are when parents seek to enroll a child in upper elementary or high school grades. Marks and grade placement are a problem. (Since homeschooled children tend to mature earlier and often exhibit ambition and motivation, I suppose this could be a problem in a "conventional" school.)
New Mexico, Santa Fe -Q # 10. Some homeschoolers in New Mexico are in partnership with the public schools, [using their] science labs, athletics, band. (Homeschoolers pay their taxes, like everyone else, so there should be no legal impediment to using such resources.)
New York, Buffalo - Q # 10. At a recent Sunday Mass, the pastor asked homeschooling parents to stand. Four did. He then blessed them as they begin the new school year. (May God bless the pastor!) At previous Masses, Catholic school teachers and CCD catechists had been recognized and blessed.
New York, New York - Q # 10. Guidelines for homeschooling are available through the New York State Education Dept., Office for Non-Public Schools. (What are those guidelines? Do they respect the rights of parents?)
New York, Syracuse - Q # 10. In one situation, the "homeschooled" students in one family come to our school for art and physical education.
North Carolina, Charlotte - Q # 10. In Charlotte area, 35+ families have formed a small group.
North Dakota, Fargo - Q # 10. They are very conservative and very vocal. Numbers at this time are small but increasing. If they were able to promote their agenda in the Catholic schools, you would see a mass exodus from our Catholic schools - including mine. (This comment speaks for itself.)
Click here to read Part 8 of 9, survey results from Cincinnati, Ohio to Knoxville, Tennessee
