The newsreader sent me a link to a Q&A column in an Ohio newspaper, but the writers referred to a previous column as their inspiration. Because of that, I had to backtrack to find out about the original discussion.

Ask the Editor Part 46, New Philadelphia Times Reporter, New Philadelphia, Ohio

Q. I have a question about the at home computer schooling that is now offered out there. Do you really think this is a good idea? … I wouldn’t want to hire these people to work at my business (which I do own one). I would think they are lazy and don’t know how to get along with people. What good are they? …

A. I’ve always been skeptical of such charter schools. If anyone knows of a graduate’s success story, I’d love to hear it. E-mail me.

So, now that writers asked the “Short People*” question, what were a couple of the answers?

* It was satire.

Ask the Editor Part 47, New Philadelphia Times Reporter, New Philadelphia, Ohio

There are no doubt several reasons why people want to home-school their kids, but I believe the overwhelming No. 1 reason is so that they can indoctrinate them into the family religion.

…

And they hold hands and sing religious songs and hold group prayers almost as a ritual; that’s what they’re taught from the git-go.

…

After seeing the documentary film made a few years ago entitled “Jesus Camp,” I would personally shy away from most home schooling classes if the parents are keeping the kids at home to learn about the world from an evangelical point of view.

…

Don’t the Islamics hold such classes? Didn’t the Nazis? And the warring Catholics and Protestants in Ireland all in the name of the same God?

C. This is in response to the skepticism about online schooling. While I don’t have a graduate success story I just wanted to better explain my choice as a parent to start online schooling. I have a child whose needs were not being met at public school. My child is very advanced for his age and was really not getting the proper education in the public school system. In reality he was being held back by not being able to move ahead as he needed to.

The other two answers were about college distance learning, so they are outside the homeschooling range.

Any reply to the misinformed writers would 1) go on too long, and 2) bore veteran readers. Commenting on what the informed writer wrote would be merely a nod of agreement about the choice for that family.

Most of the time I find comments such as these to be background noise. I click them and they evaporate. Out of sight, out of mind. On to something else.

These letters, though, fell into another category. In this case, the editor included them, but expressed no opinion other than to correct one of the college-level commenters on his perception of the original comment, “John, I don’t think anyone was being critical of post-secondary online education.” No comment on whether anyone was being critical of home education. The economy, geese, and deer received comments, but not home education. I don’t know if it was a slow news day, or editorial preference. Still, the all-but-hostile opinions are something to be kept in mind.

posted by Valerie

Tags: college distance learning, documentary, homeschooling, Jesus Camp, New Philadelphia, New Philadelphia Times Reporter, Ohio, online schooling, public school system

This entry was posted on February 8, 2008 at 2:37 pm and is filed under Public School at Home, Socialization. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.