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 Cincinnati, Ohio through Knoxville, Tennessee
Ohio, Cincinnati - Q # 10. Homeschooling is being handled through the public schools. (Catholic home education is being handled by the public schools?) For NCEA to get involved would bring more burden to Catholic school principals and school officers. (Notice that, once again, the concern is for those in authority, not for children.)
Ohio, Columbus - Q # 10. Enclosed is information from the state department of education in Ohio. Our diocese has taken the position that we do not oversee homeschooling. Parents must work through the local public school district. (Ditto, first editorial comment to Cincinnati, OH.)
Ohio, Steubenville - Q # 10. Generally, I believe that it robs children of socialization that is so essential to later educational and perhaps psychological success. Yet, parents have a right to their decisions and we should not cut them off from mainstream education. Yet, we should proceed cautiously and perhaps on a case-by-case basis. (Are parents to be individually judged whether or not they may homeschool? Who's the judge? Who's the jury?)
Oklahoma, Oklahoma City - Q # 10. One aspect of homeschooling that we deal with is the following: When a parish has guidelines for Sacramental preparation and school-and-parish-based religious education, parents must comply. What is the stance regarding independent homeschoolers? ("It is the duty first of all of parents and those who hold their place, as well as pastors, to take care that children [ are] prepared to receive [First Holy Communion] as early as possible..." Canon 914. Additionally, Canon 890 states that "parents and pastors of souls are to see to it that the faithful are properly instructed to receive [Confirmation]." In other words, parents are to be assisted by the pastor in fulfilling their duty and right of catechetical instruction. However, parents must also follow the authentic teaching of the Church for such formation. Guidelines or not, parents do not have to comply by enrolling their children in any religious programs when they are legitimately exercising their rights, imposed on them by the Sacrament of Matrimony. Canons 890 and 914 also require that the pastor's judgement be made with the parents - the pastor cannot deny a child the Sacraments because (s)he is taught the catechism solely at home.)
Oregon, Baker - Q # 10. Responsibility of the state!! (Let us clarify exactly what the state's responsibility is - "...It is the duty of the State to protect by means of its legislation, the prior rights...of the family as regards the Christian education of its offspring, and consequently also to respect the supernatural rights of the Church in this same realm of Christian education." Christian Education of Youth) NCEA should not get involved. State departments of deal with this issue and have for years. Let's just do a good job of education in our own schools.
Pennsylvania, Allentown - Q # 10. Excerpt from letter: I feel strongly that NCEA should get involved in preparing guidelines and suggested materials for Catholic homeschooling. Many parents could not even consider homeschooling because of work and other responsibilities but some parents are quite interested. New technology can be of great help to assist parents, including periodic assessment of students and sharing of ideas about integrating field trips and other learning activities ( newsletters, etc. ) This could be an entirely new approach to provide Catholic education for some parents who wish to educate their children at home. I pray that you pursue this new emerging educational option. (This DRE is, at least open-minded about Catholic home education. He or she may not be aware that we already have our own support groups which share ideas, plan field trips, and even teach by the "co-op" method. Catholic homeschooling newsletters already exist and more are rapidly emerging. However, the NCEA' s involvement is not necessary for parents to successfully home educate.)
Pennsylvania, Altoona-Johnstown - Q # 10. Work for parental CHOICE legislation so parents can send children to Catholic schools. (Would this include the choice to educate at home? Now that would be choice. "...it is explicitly recognized that their (the parents) right extends to the choice of means and institutes which they prudently determine as being most suitable." Canon 793.1)
Pennsylvania, Harrisburg - Q # 9. Seton Home Study School (this office gave the old address for Seton). Ultraconservative. (There's a new one to add to the list for required definitions.) Q # 10. (Diocese sent several enclosures on Home Schooling, Act 169 of 1988.) Our parents are required to apply to the public school superintendent for permission and (1) curriculum guides or (2) approval of Seton Home Study School. (While notification of intent to home educate is required in the state of Pennsylvania, permission from the superintendent is not necessary. There are other general requirements, like parental possession of a GED or high school diploma; no parental records of crime; a list of books used, certified tests, attendance log, etc. It is an untrue statement that Seton, or any other curriculum provider, must approve the individual home school. Curriculum choice belongs to the parents.)
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia - Q # 10. We suggest NCEA not be a spokesperson for this group because of so many philosophical differences. (Between the NCEA and homeschoolers? Or just among homeschoolers? When it comes to Catholics faithful to the Magisterium, what could these differences be? There is diversity, but that should not mean divisiveness.)
Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh - Q # 10. Homeschooling is definitely increasing. One of the reasons some parents have decided to homeschool is because our diocese has a program called The Catholic Vision of Love, written by our own diocesan personnel and approved by the bishop. Some parents want no part of it. (This comment makes one wonder what the book teaches. Can anyone tell us?) The greater number, however, will not send their children to a public school and cannot afford tuition. They are not willing, in some cases, to accept tuition assistance.
South Carolina, Charleston - Q # 10. Homeschooling is like private devotion - it cannot compensate for the loss of community; it cannot create a healthy climate for development of the whole person. We need to discourage this disruptive, isolating practice. (Private devotion cannot assist in the development of a person? This is a denial of the gift of grace, which is frequently attained through prayer, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, etc. And why should home education be perceived as contributing to the loss of community, disruptive, or isolating? The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2204) states: "The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial communion, and for this reason it can and should be called a domestic church." Further, (2205): "The Christian family is a communion of persons...It is called to partake of the prayer and sacrifice of Christ. Daily prayer and the reading of the Word of God strengthen it in its charity." Lastly (2206): "The family is a privileged community...")
South Dakota, Sioux Falls - Q # 9 *D. Q # 10. Most of the homeschooling parents are ultra-conservative Catholics who have not accepted Vatican II. (At least we have this DRE's definition of "ultra-conservative." In no way do we mean to imply non-acceptance of the document - but did anyone ever tell this DRE that Vatican II is a pastoral document, not a dogmatic one?) They seem to be against everything and are very self-righteous. Their children tend to be years behind in social skills development when they do send them to a Catholic school. (Is there documentation to support this claim?) Then the Catholic school immediately gets the blame for the problem.
Tennessee, Knoxville - Q # 9. *D. Q # 10. NCEA involvement could give approval to homeschooling in their eyes and thereby eventually create some problems. (The "approval" of homeschooling is already given by the very nature of the Sacrament of Matrimony, with further support given by the various documents of the Church, e.g. Charter of the Rights of the Family, Catechism of the Catholic Church, On Christian Education, etc.) We are already dealing (trying) with enough problems re:CCD! A "statement" would be beneficial if it supported post-Vatican II and Vatican II. (Why is there so much emphasis on Vatican II? Is it the document or their interpretation of it that is their main concern?)
Click here to read Part 9 of 9, survey results from Amarillo, Texas to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
