Well, the 2008 school year is not far away. It doesn't seem that long ago when Nicole and I were talking about schooling options for our toddlers. At that time we managed to get a hold of a book called Schooling Choices edited by Dr. Wayne House which outlined various arguments for (1) home schooling, (2) Christian schooling, and (3) government schooling – from three different authors, who then interacted with each other's viewpoint. We found the dialogue very interesting and informative.
Our children are now 18, 16 and 14 years of age. We ended up doing a little home schooling in our children's early years, then sending them to a Christian school for most of their primary schooling. For their last few years of high school we have made use of government and Catholic schools. This is mainly because of the 'fish bowl' that they lived in, being pastor's kids and attending church, youth group and Christian school all on the same campus. We found that involvement in a different school in their latter years has been very helpful and has actually helped to strenghten their personal faith.
Ultimately, each child is unique and parents need to prayerfully consider the needs, interests and maturity of their child, as well as all of the vailable options before making their decision.
Happy schooling!
Mark Conner
Good on you Mark for being so open and considering the needs of your children first. Having had some interaction with each of them during their schooling at Waverley Christian College, I can say that they are great kids. I wish them every blessing in their new schooling and feel priveledged to have had some small input into their lives.
It’s such a big question, where do I send my kids to school? We’re going for Christian schooling but sometimes I wonder if maybe they’ll be unable to engage with non-Christians if they don’t get outside of the church/Christian school environment. Much food for thought!
Hi Mark,
It has been more than 2 months now since you preached about “What would Jesus say to Homer Simpson”. After arriving in Melbourne from overseas I used to allow my two children to watch the show, but I later realised that in some episodes the language used is not suitable for children who are still growing up, so I decided to unplug Homer Simpson in my house about 3 years ago. What is your comment on my action?
Hi Nyuwah. That’s a personal choice for you to make as a parent, based on your children’s age and maturity, as well as the content of the program. Have a read of my blog post ‘engaging culture’ under the Contemporary Culture category for a few extra insights. All the best!
Hi Mark,
we just came from New Zealand in march this year. At that time I was pregnant and now we are having a 5 months baby girl. We came because my parents live here and they have insisted for us to come. We are coming to CityLife Church from april this year and it has been a real blessing for us. We do realize the huge responsiblity we have as parents and we would like to offer to our baby a “good”start in life and this includes education. As we are not familiar with schools here we might need some guidance on choosing the right school. I have heard about the waiting lists. I know how important is to teach kids about the “true” values, Christian ones. And I realize the huge pressure from the world ( works to turn our eyes from haven to earth). I know about the continuous warfare between us and the Evil One. I think nowedays we need to have stronger faith in our Lord God than ever, as it is said the righteous will live by faith.
We are so blessed to find a church that wants to apply God’s principles and works for “inclusion” not for emphasizing the differences between the Christian denominations.
God Bless You in the work of the Lord