I set this to only Don, in error. Here it is for everyone.
attached mail follows:
Hi Don
"as a parent one has the right and responsibility for the education of their own
children" is the catch phrase (one of them at least) of the parent controlled
school movement. It is a truism, although it ignores some issues. What if the
parent wants their child taught that one racial group is superior to another?
What if the parent wants to teach the child that all nations other than their
own are to be treated as the enemy? What if the parent wants the child taught
that the earth is the centre of the universe. The upbringing of children is
also a community responsibility, and the community has an obligation to make
sure that parents to do abuse their responsibility. The there is the
responsibilities of teachers to teach the truth. Even in a parent controlled
school, teachers would (I hope) have a commitment to teach what is true, not
just what the parents want. But I have many friends who have taught in such
schools and know the struggles they have had with narrow minded parents.
Jon
Don Perrett wrote:
> In response, I would firmly state that as a parent one has the right and
> responsibility for the education of their own children. Should someone with
> no vested interest be the one to decide what is right to be taught to my
> child? I cannot understand why anyone would object to teaching one
> theory(creationism in any form) over another(evolution). The debate over
> religion in public schools seems to primarily rest on the issue of
> segregation of church-state. If the state does not allow the ideas and
> teachings of any religion, be it Christianity, does this not suppress
> freedom of religion, and establish a state philosophy(religion) of atheism?
> An objection to allowing the teaching of a specific religion in public
> schools is understandable, but to now allow any is unconstitutional at the
> very least. Should the time come when religious institutions are serious
> about reintroducing religion into public schools, they should be looking at
> a united effort by all religions to allow(not require) religious teachings.
> If schools were to allow such classes as electives (not prerequisites) how
> would this be a government establishment of a religion? In today's lower
> education system reports continue to show that we are behind in most
> subjects in comparison to the rest of the industrialized world. Although not
> the only cause, but how do we expect young children to learn basic skills if
> we are too focused on teaching pre-k children about extinct species of
> creatures? My own children learned what a t-rex was before even gaining
> knowledge of giraffes. How can they begin to function in a world full of
> unknowns about today when we spend an excessive amount of time on the past?
> Let evolution and creation be taught as electives, and allow the freedom of
> choice rest with the children and parents.
>
> Don P
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu]On
> Behalf Of Jonathan Clarke
> Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2002 2:08 PM
> Cc: asa@calvin.edu
> Subject: Re: ASA Perspective
>
> Hi Jan
>
> Jan de Koning wrote:
>
> > SNIP
> >
> >
> >
> > I have been in a study committee of our churches, and found that the lack
> > of, or the type of elementary education has a lot to do with it. If you
> > are going to elementary school in areas were "creationist" fundamentalists
> > are in the majority teaching in elementary schools is different from
> > teaching somewhere else. That is why we as Calvinists always have
> insisted
> > on basic Christian schools from grade one to university.
> >
> > I have to leave now. Later more.
>
> The problem has been here in Oz that the parent controlled schools
> established by
> the Reformed churches and subsequently copied by others have proved to be
> nurseries for YEC, as ever increasing numbers of parents demand first that
> their
> children be taught "creation" in science, as well as "evolution" and in some
> they
> are taught only creation science.
>
> Jon
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