After posting some quotes from Milton Friedman (yes, I can spell his name), I began thinking more about his statement on homeschooling. From what I can tell, the statement was made more in jest, so it is difficult to ascertain how much it actually expresses his opinion of homeschooling. To review:
QUESTION: Dr. Friedman, my question has to do with home schooling. Is that large enough yet to qualify as competition for the public school system and do we learn anything from that?ANSWER: We do learn from that. We learn from home schooling that there is a serious problem with our public schools. Do you know any other major advanced product that people make at home? … FORAtv (video)
We can tell there is a problem with public schools because people can do it at home with equal or better results? I can only assume that means that Friedman believes that if the factory were working at maximum efficiency, people would choose to educate their own child about as often as they would choose to make their own microwave. Public education is inherently considered the standard, although the system was originally conceived to provide an education to those who could not attain it otherwise, either because their parents were uneducated, poor, or both.
For the first two-hundred years in American history, from the mid-1600s to the mid-1800s, public schools as we know them were virtually non-existent. . . . In these two centuries, America produced several generations of highly skilled and literate men and women who laid the foundation for a nation dedicated to the principles of freedom and self-government. . . . The private system of education in which our fore-fathers were educated included home, school, church, voluntary associations such as library companies and philosophical societies. . . . The Bible was the single most important cultural influence in the lives of Anglo-Americans. Thus, the cornerstone of early American education was the belief that “children are an heritage from The Lord.” Parents believed that it was their responsibility to not only teach them how to make a living, but also how to live. As our forefathers searched their Bibles, they found that the function of government was to protect life and property. Education was not a responsibility of the civil government. Biblicalatheism.com
And it was this system of education which Pierre Du Pont de Nemours described in a book written at the request of Vice President Thomas Jefferson,
It is because of this kind of education that the Americans of the United States, without having more great men than other countries, have the great advantage of having a larger proportion of moderately well informed men; although their education may seem less perfect, it is nevertheless better and more equally distributed. Education in America
The central problem with Friedman’s statement is that the burgeoning homeschool movement is not evidence of a failure of the public school system. On the contrary, the massive scale of public education in this country demonstrates the failure of the family to take responsibility for the rearing and education of their own children.
(Just to be clear, I am not saying that a parent cannot send their child to a public or private school. The problem is that most have completely abdicated their primary responsibility in the education of their own children to the point that they place a teacher’s credentials above their own experience with their child.)
Thank you, Judy for the yogurt comment which inspired me to think a little more on Friedman’s statement. Homemade yogurt does not compare to that congealed stuff they sell in stores.
Related Tags: homeschooling, education, Milton Friedman
Welcome to Roscommon Acres, my little home in the country. I write here about life more abundantly, from the joy of a baby’s smile to the almost unbearable grief of losing a son. I am seeking beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of the spirit of despair (Isaiah 61:3).
Just place "Tiggy" in the subject line.
“On the contrary, the massive scale of public education in this country demonstrates the failure of the family to take responsibility for the rearing and education of their own children.”
Great statement. It’s not an indictment of public schools, it’s an outright condemnation of the gross failure of parents. At this point, I think it’s going to take a major revival or revolution or some huge paradigm shift for families to GET IT and make a change. Please, Government, stop dumping money and “solutions” into the public school systems. That is barely relevant. You don’t fix a crumbling house by giving it a new paint job or putting in new furniture. You get to the foundation of the thing and start rebuilding, brick by brick or board by board. The family unit being the brick and board, and certainly the foundation must be God.
Thank you Dana! Well said!
I have to agree with you. One of the reasons I choose to homeschool is that I feel that my children’s education is my responsibility and one that I am not comfortable handing over to someone else. I know that many families choose to use public education with great results, but I personally do not feel comfortable with that.
This might be one of the best pieces on homeschooling I’ve ever read. I now have a new answer when someone asks me why I homeschool.
Sandy
homeschoolblogger.com/fallinglikerain
I admire Milton Friedman, but his analogy fails here. Education is not a “major advanced product”—it is a normal life process! The public school system thrives on the misconception that learning can be produced like a factory widget. But nobody else can produce “education” for us—we should all be learning all the time. In fact, I’m glad to let other people produce all sorts of products for me (yes, even yogurt!), so that I myself can have more time to follow rabbit trails through the library or around the Internet and continue my own education.
Nicely put, but I’m dissappointed with Friedman!
Sherry
You are right about that. Most of the parents these days finished high school and I think it’s sufficient enough to teach their children. It’s up to the parents to make their own teaching style which is suited for their children.
I agree with all of you, and thanks for commenting!
Redbud, I think Friedman focuses more on markets and how open markets improve education for all, not necessarily what education entails as a life process.
It’s indeed hard to convice the public about things that are not common, especially those that disagree with the practice of the many. I believe that in time, homeschooling will be recongnized and respected.
i was home schooled too but i would still prefer regular schools.*~~
i was home schooled and it is quite satisfactory when providing basic education.-’
my kids are home schooled and they are always performing well in class during their High School years*`’
i was home schooled when i was still very young and i have to stay that it is also a great way to educate your kids .’.