Category: Léo’s Blog 2014-2015 Academic Year

Who Says… We All Have to Be Academics?

Part of the series Who says…
Written by Léo Gaumont, published on 2015-03-16.

Although there is a place for academic people not everyone has to be of this temperament. Everyone is important in God’s eyes.

Building on a foundation that God is, that He created the universe and that He ultimately is responsible for our children’s being, should provide ample substance upon which to build our faith. This lengthy series will identify the secular thinking that has eroded that faith.

Bible Reference: Phil. 3:1-11

There is an old joke that B students go to college to learn from A students, so they can be qualified to work for the D student who quit school long ago and started a business! Although this is meant to be funny, it really is not that far from the truth. I worked with A, B and D students and I learned long ago that the “top” students were usually good at doing what they were told while the “lower” students were usually not that keen on going to school, because they knew there was a real world awaiting them where they could think for themselves and go make money. Not that money should ever be the ultimate goal in life, but let’s face it, it does buy you more than when you don’t have any. The students who barely passed were not always students who could not do the work, but often students who knew the game and played it to their advantage, offering the minimum effort required to “get out of jail”! Many of these students already had future plans, were often working in a field of interest, some already involved in business. I may not have admitted it back then, but more than once I was able to show these enterprising students that school was a waste of their time. I can’t say I had the parents agreeing with me either!

School can be guaranteed to do two things. The first is, it assumes all students are the same, that is, academically inclined and therefore, programable. The second is that, since it assumes that all students are uniform, it treats them all the same, resulting in confusion at best, or damage at worst. Some can actually go through the system and survive, others flourish, while most just let the system slowly rob them of self-worth. Those that survive are the few blessed with an innate comfort with who they are, and often had parents that were seriously involved in their lives. Those that flourished simply fit the system and were good at following directives. These are the ones who would go to college and oftentimes, ended up as teachers so they could, in turn, tell students what to do. Since these people only understand things academically, and since they make up the majority of the teaching profession, they tend to emphasize academics, while ignoring the hands on, the technical and the artistic. This is why the education system focusses on the academics. To be fair, if the majority of those within the teaching profession were of an artistic temperament, schools would likely be more artistic.

The difficulty with a one size-fits-all system is that it tends to favor those who fit the clothes. Even though a tradesman could easily make twice as much income as a teacher, they were looked upon as… well… tradesmen and not near as smart as… well… teachers. Somewhere along the line, teachers missed the fact that they would continue to need tradesmen while tradesmen were not likely to have teachers in their contacts list.

At issue here is not so much the fact that people tend to be different, obviously, but that we tend to want them all the same. One of the casualties of a system that favors one type of learner over the others is the fact that most of those students who were not “academic” were so damaged by that “birth defect” that they think of themselves as losers, often demanding that their own nonacademic children measure up to something they never could. School is mostly geared to academics. Programs are mostly about academics. Teachers are usually academics. Tests generally measure academics. If there is a concern about home education, other than the ubiquitous question of socialization, it would be whether or not students are meeting academic standards. The “top” of the career food chain is occupied by academics. And if you are not academic? I guess you will just have to take second or third place. Too bad! How sad! At least, that’s how the world sees it.

One of the things that I quickly noticed as I studied the life of Jesus was that he did not make distinctions respecting people. In fact, the Pharisees were concerned that the followers of Jesus were untrained and uneducated. Somehow, not being “academic” was a concern to the Pharisees back then, but not to Jesus. Someone forgot to notice that the academics were not the ones who changed the world, but those who were willing to allow God to use them, regardless of their characters.

Who says we all have to be academics? Academics! And there are many organizations that are more than willing to capitalize on this universal and faulty mindset.

Who Says… You Should Study The Classics?

Part of the series Who says…
Written by Beth Wiens, published on 2015-03-23.

Over the next two weeks, my guest blogger will challenge our natural tendency to follow men rather than God.

Building on a foundation that God is, that He created the universe and that He ultimately is responsible for our children’s being, should provide ample substance upon which to build our faith. This lengthy series will identify the secular thinking that has eroded that faith.

Bible Reference: Colossians 2:8

As Christian home educating parents, it seems natural that our highest objective would be to train our children in a biblical worldview. However, we can easily get side-tracked from this goal in our enthusiasm to ensure our children are excelling academically. For many, the temptation is great to measure the quality of our children’s education by man’s standards, and this takes us off course.

I think this concern about measuring up is one reason the study of classical works by pagan, Greek philosophers has become so popular among home educators. Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and others, are esteemed by many as great intellectuals within classical literature. When we encounter leaders in the home education community who are recommending the study of these philosophers, it is easy to feel intimidated or to fear our children are not getting a quality education if they don’t follow suit. However, if our objective truly is for our children to develop a strong biblical worldview, should we really be turning to pagan philosophers to gain an understanding of God and the meaning of life? These men relied on their own wisdom and human reasoning to interpret reality and the world around them. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that their conclusions regarding key issues such as the nature of man, justice, government, virtue and family life, do not line up with Scripture. Proverbs 9:10 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” To seek wisdom and understanding from men is an exercise in futility, as it will lead us into error.

When our children are immersed in unbiblical classical literature as a course of studies, there is a substantial risk that they may come to esteem the vain philosophies of men over the truth of God, especially if our children see these men and their writings revered by others as a credible source of truth. There is a temptation toward academic elitism, which affirms the wisdom of man as the final authority instead of God’s Word. When our confidence is in man, it becomes easy to syncretize false ideas with the Bible. Truth mixed with lie is not truth, and it easily deceives. I’ve seen the results, and I find this fascination with pagan classical literature disturbing. Just because a man has gained popularity and influence in our culture, does not mean his works reflect the truth. Filling our children’s minds with vain philosophies is not only an unworthy pursuit, but will undermine their biblical worldview. As parents, we need to carefully evaluate what resources we place before our children and teach them how to choose excellent literature that will build their faith and character.

So does that mean we should keep our children ignorant of worldly philosophies? Not at all! It is beneficial for our children to understand the basic premises of different worldviews when taught within a biblical context. Such study helps them identify many false ideas they will be confronted with throughout life, teaching them discernment and how to defend their faith. We need to equip our children with answers so they can challenge unbiblical thinking in our culture and stand strong. To do this, our focus should be on grounding our children in the truth of God’s Word in order to give them a faithful standard by which to measure everything else. If we want our children to gain wisdom and excellence in their studies, we need to send them to Scripture, not Plato’s Republic!

“O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge—by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.” ~ I Timothy 6:20,21

Who Says… We Should Place Men On Pedestals?

Part of the series Who says…
Written by Beth Wiens, published on 2015-03-30.

This week, my guest blogger will challenge our natural tendency to follow men rather than God.

Building on a foundation that God is, that He created the universe and that He ultimately is responsible for our children’s being, should provide ample substance upon which to build our faith. This lengthy series will identify the secular thinking that has eroded that faith.

Bible Reference: Gal. 1:8

Last week I discussed the pitfalls of sending our children to Greek philosophers to gain wisdom, but what about the “Christian” classics? Many assume that if an author is revered by leading Christians, then his books are worthy of our trust. While we do have a heritage of excellent literature to draw from, it still takes discernment to separate the wheat from the chaff. Just because an author is highly acclaimed within the Christian community, does not mean we lower our guard and accept his words without filtering them through Scripture. Any time a man is placed on a pedestal, it becomes increasingly unacceptable to question his teachings, no matter how unbiblical some of his doctrine might be. Whether it be John Calvin, C.S. Lewis or Billy Graham, no man can claim inerrancy beyond the inspired Word of God.

That is why it is crucial that we hold onto the Bible as the source of all truth, instead of relying on the works of man to determine our theology. While there is great value in reading carefully selected literature and apologetic resources, too often we take the systematic theology and philosophies of men as our foundation to build upon, and then we reinterpret and trim Scripture to fit. If we are not reading critically and analyzing the faulty premises and unbiblical worldview the authors may be incorporating into their stories and commentary, we may not even realize that we have adapted their errors into our worldview as well. Doing so will affect our decisions, the way we live and how we interpret the world around us, without us even being conscious of the fact that our thinking has shifted from what is biblical.

Some men, though their books are found on the shelves of Christian bookstores, have based much of their thinking on worldly philosophy, psychology and personal experience. Though they might weave some biblical ideas throughout their books, giving the impression of spiritual insight, when taken as a whole their words can seriously undermine the core gospel message. If these men use minimal to zero Bible references to back up their theological claims, or take verses out of context to apply them, that should be a warning sign.

Ultimately we must know our Bibles, and if we read something we aren’t sure about, we must seek for the answers in God’s Word as the final authority. Remember, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” ~2 Timothy 3:16,17. There is danger when we unwittingly place any man on a pedestal and quote him as though his words are on par with Scripture. Sure some of these authors have written some very insightful things that are true, but are they true because famous men said them or because these men have studied God’s Word and are applying the wisdom gained there? The same men may also write some things which go profoundly against God’s Word. If we are not well acquainted with Scripture, and are not reading critically, we probably won’t even notice. No matter how well known the author is, we need to be discerning and refrain from elevating them to icon status, for no man belongs on that pedestal!

Who Says… We Need Accreditation?

Part of the series Who says…
Written by Léo Gaumont, published on 2015-04-06.

Government high school accreditation has no place in a Christian education.

Building on a foundation that God is, that He created the universe and that He ultimately is responsible for our children’s being, should provide ample substance upon which to build our faith. This lengthy series will identify the secular thinking that has eroded that faith.

Bible Reference: 2 Tim 2:15

Accreditation has a few definitions but can generally be described as a process of giving official authorization or approval for someone or something to occupy a particular place or position. But who is the one who does the authorizing or approving? Scripture tells us that God does, but government disagrees. By assuming authority over parents in the training and teaching of children, the government takes it upon itself to authorize and approve people to function within the government’s world. It is easy enough to understand how people can be made fearful of failing to meet government expectations since they seem to hold all the cards, but if you take a closer look at the cards and you will discover that they are mostly jokers!

If government can convince us that it has the authority, it can convince us that we will not be successful outside of its claimed jurisdiction. Those of us who understand that God has never changed his mind about who is responsible for the training and teaching of children, will have no problem trusting God to direct our children in their future. However, when the institutional church generally supports the government in their claim as authorities in education, to the point of creating public schools that are “Christian” in name only, parents can be deceived into accepting what their “spiritual leaders” normalize as right and good.

If accreditation and approval is the Lord’s domain, our seeking approval of the state is to claim that the state or government is Lord. One would wonder how any organization claiming even a superficial faith in God could ever offer state programming. The answer is very simple. Money! If there was no money attached to the delivery of public programming, most “Christian” schools and home education providers would cease to offer the government programming and likely also, cease to exist. In the meantime, nearly every organization claiming to have the Christian parent and student’s best interest will either take advantage of the near universal ignorance or redirect those who question the authority of government back to the public programming because it pays bigger money in one way or another.

Parents are not without excuse in this matter. How many parents, who have started their home education program with their children from the start, end up losing their resolve to see the job properly completed in keeping with the directive of God and sound reason? Many, because most people have far more faith in what they can see and understand, such as government accreditation, than in a God they cannot see or fully understand. It is the same choice that was given in the Garden of Eden and unfortunately we seem to have not learned much from that mistake.

If government was capable of creating children, real children, they may have some claim on having the authority to accredit and approve based on a their ill-defined standards. But, since parents are the only ones who have the God-given ability to create children, it is they who have the responsibility and authority to train and teach their children and to trust that the creator has already accredited and approved the student in keeping with what He has created.

Who says we need accreditation? Parents who are fearful in their ignorance and school boards willing to cash in on it. Education Unlimited has never awarded a government credit and does not know of a student who has been truly handicapped through this approach. Somehow God always seems to “show up” when we trust Him! Indeed, there is a place for government to accredit and approve, but not at a “high school” level.

Who says… We Need A Career?

Part of the series Who says…
Written by Léo Gaumont, published on 2015-04-13.

Building on a foundation that God is, that He created the universe and that He ultimately is responsible for our children’s being, should provide ample substance upon which to build our faith. This lengthy series will identify the secular thinking that has eroded that faith.

Bible Reference: Col. 3:23

Sometimes when I speak to a group of home educating parents about careers for their children, I like to do a little experiment. I ask how many of them have a post-secondary education. Then I ask how many of them are actually working in the field in which they were trained. Usually a majority of the parents have post-secondary education, but most of them are not working in the field they trained for. Then I ask how many of them are employed and enjoy what they’re doing. Normally a majority of those employed enjoy what they’re doing.

There’s a lesson here. A lot of the parents are post-secondary educated, but most of them are not working in the field in which they were trained. Most of them are gainfully employed and enjoying what they’re doing. Who’s responsible for having acquired the education in the wrong field? The individual. Who’s responsible for having made sure they ended up where they should be? The Lord. So it seems like God has things under control, whereas we don’t.

There is a common view that anybody can be anything they want to be, but that is not true. People need to have a God-given aptitude for the career they choose. They can only be who God created them to be in the first place. They must make career decisions in keeping with who they are. They cannot be somebody else.

There’s also a prevailing view that higher education means greater success. Higher education is certainly beneficial. The more education someone can achieve the better, but it’s not a guarantee that he or she is going to be more successful in life. When it comes to careers, the world has a particular hierarchy of importance. The guy with a PhD is considered to be better or more important than the guy who has only a master’s degree. And the master’s degree holder is considered to be better or more important than the guy with a bachelor’s degree, and that guy is better than the one who is a tradesman, and the tradesman is better than the labourer. That’s the world’s view of importance. We can call that a vertical vision.

But God does not see it that way. He sees it on a horizontal level where everybody is important. There is no job or career that is more important than the other. Where would the guy with a PhD be if there was nobody to fix his malfunctioning toilet? Where would he be if there was nobody to deliver the goods that he needs to do his job? God’s view recognizes that every legitimate task is necessary and valuable.

So it is important to understand that God does not call parents to prepare their children for college, but to prepare them for life. There’s a big difference, both here and in the life to come, even if college is one of the steps taken along the way. The parents’ job is to encourage children to be the best that they can be and to direct them with an eye to the future.

The greatest pleasure in life is the ultimate knowledge of having served Him. Everybody can serve God in whatever they do if they understand that they are working as unto the Lord and not for selfish gain. A neurosurgeon is no more important to God than the trash collector, yet both can either honour Him or not through their dedication to their work and how they present it before God. In the end, the ultimate questions will be “what did you do with the gifts and talents that I gave you?”. Choose to glorify God in whatever you do. There is no higher calling.

Who says we need a career? Those who fail to understand that we are to occupy until Christ returns. Of greater danger than doing the wrong thing for a season is doing nothing at all.

Who Says…We Don’t Have A Problem? (Part 1)

Part of the series Who says…
Written by Léo Gaumont, published on 2015-04-20.

We are to be subject to one another and therefore subject to the governing authorities. Nowhere are we instructed to be enslaved to those who are to serve.

Everything ultimately becomes political. Although we all try to keep our specific allegiances private, we do have a corporate responsibility to keep our politicians and bureaucrats honest. We need to be politically active for our sakes, for our children’s sakes and our grandchildren’s future. This blog is to encourage you to do just that.

Bible Reference: Luke 16:13

Problems are often disguised as something else. Often problems remain obscured, and unresolved, when we mistakenly focus on the symptom rather than the cause. A classic example of this is what often happens in the health industry, where pills are often prescribed that tend to deal more with the pain than what is causing the pain in the first place. A cynical person may see this as the industry’s way of perpetuating the problem in order to extend the option of cashing in on the continuation of the symptoms.

A major problem within the education industry has been at work for quite some time now. You will notice that I used the word “industry” as opposed to “ministry” as ministry implies a service to benefit another, such as in ministering to someone else’s need. The problem is that those who are on the receiving end of this problem are focussing on the symptom which has the unwitting effect of validating the questionable claims being made and empowering those who should instead be called to account. Let me explain.

To begin, we need to understand that government is made up of two components, one that is elected by the people to make the rules required to keep our society running smoothly, and a secondary group, appointed by the first to administer the provisions of the rules passed by them, as a service to the people. This second group is known as the civil service. In Alberta, we are now in the process of electing, or re-electing, representatives to our Legislature who will be, supposedly, representing the wishes of the majority of their constituents to the governing body called the Legislature. From this elected body of representatives, certain individuals will be appointed to administer different parts of the government. The head of this elected body is referred to as the Prime (or first) Minister (Premier in Alberta), while the rest are referred to as Ministers of a ministry of some sort. Of particular interest to us as home educators, is who will be the Minister of the Ministry of Education. This Ministry of Education is made up of a very large number of people, collectively referred to as civil servants that make up a bureaucracy of stacked bosses in a hierarchy of greater importance, culminating at the ministerial level or with The Minister of Education.

It is important to understand that all the words used to describe the government, indicate that it is there to serve us. Words and terms like representative, minister, ministry, civil service and civil servants come with the understanding that they work for us, not the other way around. Also, it is imperative that the Minister ascertain that the ministry’s civil servants answer to him, otherwise the ministry takes on a life of its own and the “inmates start running the asylum” so to speak.

Of particular concern to us is that our provincial Education Ministry has become such an “asylum” and rather than serving the people, the people are now being forced to serve the government. The Ministry of Education has become bloated, top heavy and dictatorial and its workers or bureaucrats are becoming more like condescending, confrontational, heavy handed “bullies” that unilaterally reinterpret the rules and then, applying them retroactively, penalize its citizens who had no idea that they were violating rules they did not know had changed. Bureaucrats making decisions that negatively affect the electorate, or portions thereof, is not the intent of a democratic government elected to serve the people.

More specifically, the Apostle Paul in his second letter to Timothy (2 Tim 4:14) stated that “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works.”. Home education has inherited its own version of “Alexander” in the form of a Private School Analyst of the Department’s Financial Reporting and Accountability branch who, whether by her own initiative or through directives from a superior, has targeted private schools and home education to not only cause us much harm but to declare home educated students as second-class citizens who are to be denied the same opportunities made available to public school students. To be sure, home educating families determine to make themselves different by choosing to home educate, but that is no reason to reclassify home educated students as specific targets rather than equal citizens.

One more thing. Although our system is not a perfect system of governance, it is the best system available when it is conducted in keeping with the idea of being by the people and for the people. Ideally, what used to be is what should be, but that won’t be again until Jesus returns and takes his place as King of Kings who in His wisdom, mercy and compassion will have nothing but our best interests in mind! In the meantime, we are under the “authority” of the government and it’s bureaucracy. However, we do need to understand that these people supposedly work for us and although we are instructed to be subject to these authorities (Rom. 13:1-7) as citizens, we are not instructed to be in submission to them as slaves. We can only serve or be in submission to one master. Will it be God or government. It cannot be both.

More on this next week. Keep your eye on our web site.

Who Says…We Don’t Have A Problem? (Part 2)

Part of the series Who says…
Written by Léo Gaumont, published on 2015-04-27.

Edmond Burke once stated that all that has to happen for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. We need to do something NOW!

Everything ultimately becomes political. Although we all try to keep our specific allegiances private, we do have a corporate responsibility to keep our politicians and bureaucrats honest. We need to be politically active for our sakes, for our children’s sakes and our grandchildren’s future. This blog is to encourage you to do just that.

Last week I explained how government and bureaucracy worked and that when a bureaucracy is allowed to grow unchecked, it has a tendency to take on a life of its own, grows into a monster and starts devouring the people it is supposed to be serving! I also indicated that one bureaucrat, a Private School Analyst of the Education Department’s Financial Reporting and Accountability branch, has made herself very onerous to private schools in general and home educators in particular. The following is a brief summary of what has taken place in the last few years.

Upon her arrival, this individual took immediate dislike to the idea of having independent contracted home education specialists (ICHES), especially Education Unlimited. From this point on, requirements have become more and more stringent as long-standing rules and regulations that worked well for everyone for a very long time began to be unilaterally reinterpreted to work against private schools, providers and home educators, while being applied retroactively, meaning everyone was guilty of violating yesterday’s rules that were changed today. One such example is that without warning or negotiation, private schools were required to account in a manner that was impossible to properly do going backwards. Had the rule changes been made and the schools given opportunity to know in advance, the accounting change would have been very easy to accommodate. This is akin to a 100 km/hr speed limit suddenly being reduced to 80 km/hr and then sending a speeding ticket to everyone recorded as exceeding the 80 km/hr speed limit over the previous three years!

There was the time she wanted individual student receipts for resource reimbursement when she knew we all accounted for the money on a family basis rather than individual student basis. Then there was the time she insisted on having the schools take over responsibilities that had been contracted out to the independent contracted home education specialists such as Education Unlimited in an effort to eradicate the ICHES.

Time and space constraints prevent me from giving more examples, but this latest, rather perplexing issue needs to be made public. Once again, and without warning or precedence, this particular Private School Analyst of the Department’s Financial Reporting and Accountability branch has determined that any home educated student who has enrolled in any post-secondary level course or program for any reason and under any circumstances will be retroactively disqualified from home education. Once having declared these students to be non-students, she clawed back the entire home education funding from both the parents and the provider, effectively penalizing students for achieving while penalizing the home education provider for doing their job. As if this newly interpreted “home education funding is provided for grades 1-12” as meaning the exclusion of all post-secondary level courses is not bad enough, this was done while the Ministry of Education was ushering in a new Dual Credit Program (http://www.albertadualcredit.ca) into the public high schools which involves public school students taking post-secondary courses while in high school. Even more bizarre is the fact that only students registered in Alberta institutions were penalized, declaring our own post-secondary institutions as second rate to out-of-province institutions since any student registered for a post-secondary course or program outside the province was not penalized. It made no difference whether the student submitted for reimbursement of expenses or not. Simply transitioning to the next level, whether taking a course or starting an apprenticeship, was all that was required to disqualify a student from home education. While the government requires all students to be registered for education up to the age of sixteen, students as young as fourteen were “expelled”!

Would the Alberta government dare to treat an ethnic group as second rate citizens? What about a particular social or religious group? How can the province treat its own students as second class simply for showing initiative and advancing in their educational achievements? Disqualifying students for taking a single post-secondary course or for transitioning from a secondary to a post-secondary level or into an apprenticeship midyear, because they have chosen to take responsibility for their own education, is not only despicable but clearly discriminatory. We should be applauding rather than discouraging students from advancing their education.

However, all is not lost. In spite of the fact that the private schools have mostly dealt with this issue by addressing the symptoms, we have determined to address the problem that created the symptoms in the first place. Now, during this provincial election, is the time to make a lot of noise about being mistreated, bullied, threatened, manipulated and penalized for doing what is expected. The problem is that many of these bureaucrats see themselves as kings and us as servants because the bureaucracy has bloated beyond control. In the last budget, we got to pay more taxes so we could maintain the same level of abuse from our “civil servants”. Are we nuts? This issue is, in fact, not restricted to private schools and home educators but goes beyond. To the best of my knowledge, nobody is happy about the way they are being treated by the Ministry of Education, or most every other ministry for that matter.

Will you join with us in protest? Will you help us to make this discrimination an issue during this election? Are you willing to do whatever you can to contribute to this cause? I hope so, because all you will have to do is let them know you are not in agreement with these perplexing decisions, in word (email) and in deed (voting). Let’s work together to send a clear message to whoever is running in this election that we are no longer willing to be bullied by any part of OUR civil service. But, we must act now!!!

Keep your eye on our web site.

Who Says…We Don’t Have A Problem? (Part 3)

Part of the series Who says…
Written by Léo Gaumont, published on 2015-05-04.

We need to redefine our Christian perspective and redeem what we have lost through ignorance and cowardice.

Everything ultimately becomes political. Although we all try to keep our specific allegiances private, we do have a corporate responsibility to keep our politicians and bureaucrats honest. We need to be politically active for our sakes, for our children’s sakes and our grandchildren’s future. This blog is to encourage you to do just that.

Bible Reference: Hosea 4:6

In this third and final installment questioning the existence of home education problems, I want to get down to the real issue regarding what I think creates these problems in the first place, which can be summarized in a single word… ignorance. By and large, our population has become so ignorant of issues, so disconnected with truth and dependent on government, we have come to see government as central in all things, effectively allowing government to control our lives. But, first things first.

The title uses the word “we”, which needs to be addressed. Although home education is not restricted to any particular faith structure, it can be safely stated that the majority of those engaged in training their children at home come from a Christian world view and so it is especially to this audience that I make this address. This is not to disqualify anyone but to establish perspective.

Many years ago, there was a slogan that said “public education works”. It seemed at the time that few were ready to question this assertion of “fact”! What did the statement actually mean? When, how and who did public education work for? As many times as I may have asked, the only response I got was either nothing at all or a perplexed query as to why I questioned the slogan, in the first place! I offered the possibility that education was a multimillion dollar industry that seemed to work well for everyone involved excepting two groups, namely students and caring teachers, but this was usually met with disapproval.

Indeed, public education, supported by media biases and church “ear tickling”, does work, if the objective is to direct people to think, believe and behave in certain ways. The best way to be able to control a population, be it national, provincial, local, church or community is to advance nothingness as meaningful and have people focus on this rather than to encourage them to be properly informed of real issues. From the Christian or “church” perspective, that would mean to keep people ignorant of biblical truths while advancing error in its place. This is not to accuse all groups of having evil motives, but one has to be aware of the fact that, on average, most people subscribing to the Christian faith have a very rudimentary understanding of what that faith is and not only display an elementary knowledge of biblical principles but are likely not to be able to clearly articulate, exactly, what the Christian faith actually is. In fact, a study done in 2013 indicated that, on average, atheists were better able to articulate the Christian faith than professing Christians! (see “An abysmal ignorance of the faith is Christendom’s common disability”) Once again, I do not want to paint all groups with a single brush, but to bring to light the fact that there are a lot of things being advanced as “Christian” when it is, in fact, not biblical and therefore unchristian.

So where does this ignorance lead us? For one thing, ignorance of facts allows any group to be easily manipulated. Preying on ignorance with a generous dose of fear, guilt and faulty information, especially misquoted and misapplied scripture, can and does create a compliant population that not only demonstrates ignorance but also the associated characteristic of dependency on others to do the job for them. Christians, depending on others to “come to the knowledge of the truth” on their behalf, set themselves up to be deceived and enslaved, as they have no real measure by which to ascertain whether the “truth” presented is indeed true. Once dependent on others to do our work for us, we develop a sense of entitlement, laziness and worst of all, cowardice when challenged or faced with opposition.

In general, this would be what has caused the home education and private school communities to be in the “hot water” they find themselves in. Purposeful attempts to keep us from having a good grasp of political issues, along with a lack of a good knowledge of biblical teaching, creates an environment in which we mistake submission for subjection. In submission, we are the slaves of what we obey and can be easily led down the wrong road back into bondage. When subjecting ourselves to others, the well being of the individual takes second place to the welfare of the community at large and real courage is evident. This should come as no surprise. Ignorant cowards do not make good leaders! It’s time we have a look in the mirror and ask ourselves what we are willing to give up to be true ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Ignorance of biblical directives would be a very good place to start.

Who say’s we don’t have problems in home education? Those that are ignorant of what is going on and those who can only benefit from perpetuating the ignorance.

Thanks to all of you who did get acquainted with some of the most pressing current issues and for getting involved in the campaign to let our representatives and civil servants know that we are not willing to be excluded from the public arena. Even though some in “leadership” positions may have been complicit in advancing or wrongfully ignoring these issues, we can be assured that we have at least given voice to our concerns. Remember to vote on May 5!

Who Says… We Should Strive For A Perfect Family?

Part of the series Who says…
Written by Léo Gaumont, published on 2015-05-11.

Nothing will bless parents more than imperfect siblings who truly love one another.

Building on a foundation that God is, that He created the universe and that He ultimately is responsible for our children’s being, should provide ample substance upon which to build our faith. This lengthy series will identify the secular thinking that has eroded that faith.

Bible Reference: 1 John 4:20

Everybody has a favorite family, besides their own, especially when the children are younger. We tend to pattern our families after those who “appear” to have it all together and whose children model Christian virtues. At least we did. However, as our children grew older, cracks started to appear in our “perfect” family, especially once the children reached puberty and discovered that their parents were, well… less than perfect. Don’t get me wrong, our children were not failures, crazy or overtly rebellious, they were just being adolescents who were stretching their own wings in preparation for independent living and we were, as we now understand, trying to put a stop to it! Why? Because we were deceived by a religious spirit that advanced the lie that Christians were not only different but better than the world and that “bad things only happened to bad people”.

Even though we knew in our hearts that something was amiss with this thought, we fell for the gimmick and were devastated when our children failed to live up to the unreasonable expectations we had come to believe should be required of those professing Christianity. What made matters worse was that there was no lack of self-righteous individuals who really believed their children were “phenomenal” and were quick to condemn those who displayed a “lower level of spirituality”! Distraught, we approached those we had esteemed as model families, only to discover that in reality, we were the ones who had elevated them to being not only models, but perfect. But, they all had issues! Every family had issues because every person had issues. Once we reconsidered the impossibility of creating perfect families from imperfect people, we were freed from having to pretend that things were “phenomenal” because they weren’t. My imperfect family could now enjoy each other’s company, in spite of the imperfections, rather than arrogantly professing the impossible. We learned that God’s love cannot be earned; that love was a decision rather than a feeling; and that there was no better place to practice love than within the close proximity of the imperfect members of our family. Our decision to home educate really brought the imperfections of our family to light. Once it was established that we would love each other no matter what, we were presented with plenty of opportunities to test that resolve. Honesty, admitting error, forgiveness, looking out for each other’s welfare while striving to come to knowledge of the truth, built us a family of imperfection basking in the perfect love of our Lord. Christ died to set us free, not to put on us a yoke of bondage.

Today, our children are all grown up and have imperfect families of their own. I know it is hard for grandparents to admit that those wonderful grand-kids are imperfect, but we continue to emphasize that fact. Our family continues to be tried, tested, hurt, betrayed, discouraged, disappointed, attacked, smashed and bewildered, but we continue to love and support one another in ways that the imperfect world should see as the greatest gift anyone can give another. This unconditional and undeserved love that we freely receive from our perfect God is all we need and it is all that we can truly pass on. We remain each others’ best friends in spite of all the harm the world has dealt to us. Our “phenomenal” children are indeed phenomenal in that they sincerely love one another and are there for each other during every trial and temptation. From a Christian parent’s perspective we have the best things available on this side of heaven. Not perfect, but blessed, as it is the free gift from God.

Who says we should strive to be a perfect family? Arrogant, self-righteous individuals who turn people off from receiving the unconditional love of God with their impossible, religious expectations for a Christian life. Let Him “perfect” your family in his love!

Who Says… We Need To Graduate?

Part of the series Who says…
Written by Léo Gaumont, published on 2015-05-18.

Graduation is best described as a school exercise celebrating mediocrity.

Building on a foundation that God is, that He created the universe and that He ultimately is responsible for our children’s being, should provide ample substance upon which to build our faith. This lengthy series will identify the secular thinking that has eroded that faith.

Bible Reference: Phil. 3:12-16

Being a high school teacher over a twenty-five year period provided me the privilege, more truthfully, the obligation, of attending a number of graduations. They were always referred to as graduation “exercises” and probably for good reason. It was a show that paraded a lot of school rhetoric and where students went through the motions, or exercise, of having accomplished something. I often asked myself what, exactly, were we celebrating as I knew that many of the graduates were not actually prepared for the real world they were about to enter. Those who were prepared were not really ready as a consequence of their experience in school, but in spite of it. If they had been able to apply the “home education philosophy” of taking the opportunities presented to teach themselves, they had a better chance of success. Some had the appearance of having succeeded, but I knew that often the best of the class were really only good puppets, adept at doing what they were told to do, but who would often flounder and fail when they no longer had others to “pull the strings”. These students often went on to college, but I questioned whether or not they were going to obtain a higher education or to continue in an environment in which they were comfortable.

One thing that struck me about these events, was the hoopla that went on in preparation for the big night. It was not uncommon to see students, girls especially, put more thought and effort into these preparations than what they were willing to give to their studies. The girls loved to get dressed and guys loved seeing the girls all dressed up, some even going to great lengths to also look good, another surprise for us teachers!

Some lip service was always given to having “completed” all those years of study and to thank the parents for the part they played in arriving at this juncture in life, which I well knew was usually minimal in school, now being credited with a “job well done”. But, there was always something far more important than the exercises to the vast majority of the students… the graduation party. Although I kept my distance from this event, I heard plenty about what went on. It can be said that it usually demonstrated a profound level of immaturity on the part of some of the “graduates”.

Why the party? What were they celebrating? What would you have heard, if you would have been able to spy on the festivities? You can be sure that in the commotion of celebration, you were not likely to hear “hurray for us, we have demonstrated proficiency in English”, or “finally, we have reached the required standard of education”, or “good on us for our academic achievements”! No, more likely, you have heard “hurrah, we are done with that… (bad word), or “no more pencils, no more books…”, or “now we can get a life”! The students would be obviously not celebrating the completion of their education as much as the fact that they were finished with school. The grad party became the parole party. The celebration was based on acquiring freedom from a twelve year sentence of school which most viewed as bondage. Now that was worth a celebration!

Graduations have always been tied to school. Home education providers that offer graduation exercises are simply manipulating parents and students by carrying school dogma into their home education “offerings”. It is mostly the girls who want a graduation “exercise” because they love the opportunity for a new dress! Few boys care and nearly nobody is actually looking for that piece of paper stating that their education is “over”.

Who says we need to have a graduation? Those who would have us believe that there is a point at which students are “qualified” to carry on with higher education; those who would use it as another marketing tool and girls who want a new dress. Home educated students are usually far more interested in taking their education and their lives to the next level when the time is most appropriate for the individual rather than with a “herd” known as the graduation class, who have all supposedly reached an undefined goal, all at the same time, all in the same place and all in the same way. If a graduation is required, invite you friends and family to a private celebration when the time is right. And don’t forget to buy your daughter a new dress!