Letters

Homeschooling

Matthew Buckley

Contents - Dec 2011 - Buy a copy now Homily: Benedict XVI: From his Christmas homily - Pope Benedict XVI Ad Limina Visit: Australia's Bishops reaffirm their unity with Benedict XVI - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Vocations: Do not be afraid: successful Young Men of God retreat - Dr Barry Coldrey Youth Events: iWitness Retreat and Campion Summer Program Religious freedom: The plight of Christians in Islamic countries - Babette Francis Schools: St Philomena's school: a beacon of excellence - Alistair Barros Religious education: Different worlds: being Catholic in Indonesia and Australia - Phillip Turnbull Tyburn world tour: A visually compelling new documentary on the monastic life - AD2000 Report Pilgrimage: Young disabled Catholics: new ministry initiative - Fr James McCarthy Catholic Literature: Robert Hugh Benson and Christ's Second Coming - Br Christian Moe FSC Summorum Pontificum: Latin Mass in Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral - Michael Daniel Letters: Homeschooling - Matthew Buckley Letters: Eucharistic confusion - John Royal Letters: Atheism - Paul Fitzgerald Letters: Vatican II - Peter Howard Letters: Natural law - Thomas A. Watkin Letters: Devotion to Mary - Cedric Wright Letters: Action needed - Dick Nolan Events: Advent and Christmas Liturgies - Extraordinary Form Books: WHY WE SHOULD CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIANS, by Marcello Pera - Elizabeth Lev (reviewer) Books: RONALD KNOX AND ENGLISH CATHOLICISM, by Terry Tastard - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Donations: Fighting Fund concludes Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: Advent faith, Christmas and the Pope's call to evangelise - Fr Dennis Byrnes

It seems neither Fr Brendan Dillon (August AD2000) nor Michael Smith (October AD2000) really understands homeschooling.

Fr Dillon comments that home-schooled children miss out on "important social interaction." Come again? As someone who has experienced most forms of education in my lifetime, be it a Catholic school, a public school, homeschool, distance education and finally university and employment as an engineer, I know this statement has little truth to it.

One friend of mine who was dux of his own Catholic high school recently told me he loved interacting with homeschoolers because there was much more variety in personality development.

Homeschooled children have a very good capacity to interact with people of all age groups. Given that bulk schooling on any significant scale is not much more than 130 years old, I'm sure the human race can get on just fine without the cramping peer group stratification and conformist atmosphere that is part and parcel of a school.

The point that particularly warrants reply, however, more so than the old "socialisation" red herring, is that both express "surprise" and indeed utter incomprehension, that someone could possibly give an answer of "no" to a question asking whether they would send their child to a school even if it teaches the faith in an orthodox manner.

The answer is that not all families homeschool simply because the local school is bad. To think so is to have a shallow grasp of the matter. Certainly this is the starting point for many but it need not be the end point. Both Fr Dillon and Mr Smith seem to think homeschooling can only be done for negative reasons which denies it any right in principle as a stand alone form of education.

For our family it started that way too but gradually one can also realise that it is a good path in itself that is best for one's family, regardless of contingent external circumstances. Alternatively one may judge that homeschooling is not best for one's family.

On that note I would like to say I have never heard any fellow home-schooling family express the judgement that non-homeschooling families are negligent of their children's welfare, something Mr Smith thinks he sees lying underneath.

MATTHEW BUCKLEY
Brisbane, Qld

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 24 No 11 (December 2011 - January 2012), p. 14