Home Schooling

yxl1

My sister-in-law's husband was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness in North Yorkshire and was educated at home by his mother along with his 5 brothers and sisters. I remember many years ago when it first became common knowledge, many brothers and sisters thought that this method of education was ideal for witnesses who wanted to remain separate from the world, but all the kids from our congregatation had a state education. I guess my question is, was home education only limited to my in-laws husbands family, or were any of you educated at home? And if so, do you think you've missed out or benefited from this?

Personally, the thought of home education leaves me cold. Even though most people at school thought I was a little weird (not allowed to sit in on school assemblies, not celebrating xmas/b'days/easter, walking the streets on a saturday morning with a briefcase, not allowed in any after school teams, etc etc) I couldnt imagine anything worse than spending the "best years of my life" watching my mum fumble through a science textbook.

FYI, my sister-in-laws hubby (still a witness) has little knowledge of anything other than what is published by the WBTS. No history, science, art, geography, music....but seems happy to wash windows for a living....

TresHappy

I don't know about home schooling in the UK, but it's become very popular in U.S. I know several families who home school. If it's done right, the results can be exceptional. I know some people think that kids who home school can be social morons, but I haven't seen that with the kids I know.

expatbrit

HOME SKOOLIN BY GOD FEERIN JEHOVAHS WITNESS PARENTS IS A REELY GOOD THING BECOZ IT PROTECKS US AGAINST ALL THE WERLDLY THINKING AND PHILOSOLOSOFILIES THAT CAN ROOIN YOU FAITH AND YOU APOSTATES NO THATS THE TRUTH AND EVEN WITH ALL YOOR HI FALUTIN FREETHINKIN AND EDEWCASHUN YOULL BE CRINGIN IN FEER BEEFOOR DIEN AT ARMERGEDON YOU MARK MY WERDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mulan

I used to be very against home schooling, but in this country it has become almost regular school. The kids do go to a classroom periodically, for evaluation, tests, and activities. One of our friends, who had their children late, is home schooling their 8 year old, and he is doing very well. From the way they tell it, their part in it is minimal.

The way it used to be done, where the parent was the actual teacher, sounded to me like a prison sentence for the Mom. I wondered why on earth they would want to do that. Just selfish about my time I guess.

yxl1

"If it's done right, the results can be exceptional. I know some people think that kids who home school can be social morons, but I haven't seen that with the kids I know."

What are these kids like socially? Are they confident? Is their knowledge base varied? What are they like physically? Dont get me wrong, I'm not knocking home ed, but only if its done correctly. My sis in laws husband is a good example of home education not working. He can quote watchtower doctrine OK, but ask him a general knowlegde question and you'll get a blank look..Yeah, he's a moron, and so are the rest of his home schooled siblings

TresHappy

My sister-in-law is a former teacher and is home schooling her oldest. He just turned 7 and is exceptionally bright. The other two are too young. My nephew plays soccer, goes to nature school, plays basketball, among many other things.

My girlfriend home schools her 4 children. I don't see how she does it, but she is very organized. My only problem with her is that her kids make tacky remarks about public school children, especially on an outing where other kids are in a group activity, such as a field trip. I did say to these kids "not everyone can be home schooled or go to private school." I know they get these prejudices directly from her.

Matty

Obviously we have to differentiate between regular home-schooling and Witness home-schooling! One I don't have a problem with at all, but the other I have a big problem with!

I wasn't home-schooled myself but members of my Witness family were, and I must say that the result on the child is quite scandalous. In my experience Jehovah's Witness home schooled children are often severely socially retarded. Because their contact with "worldly" children is virtually non-existent, Witness parents are able to instigate an extremely distorted fear of the outside world. They are able to control every single part of their child's lives, ensuring that they don't come into contact with anything that could "damage" their "spirituality".

blondie

Of course, home schooling may be a growing phenomenon among JWs and non-JWs, it still is the minority choice. It takes an organized commitment by one parent, usually the mother, to make this work successfully. In the traditional school setting, involvement by one or both parents, makes a big difference as to whether school is a successful environment. Some JW parents do not take this seriously in the home schooling environment and I have heard elders and other adults say that certain young people in the congregation have suffered academically because of it. I have never seen or heard home schooling endorsed by many in the congregations I have associated with. The biggest complaint has been the lack of supervision and participation by the parent in the arrangement. The child has been sent out in the ministry with the other adults in the congregation during the school day. This shows that officially, the WTS does not heartedly endorse home schooling.

8/15/97 p 21

What about those who have chosen to educate their children at home? While many have done a commendable job, some have found the task more difficult than they imagined, and their children have suffered. So if you are considering home schooling, be sure to count the cost, realistically assessing if you have both the skills and the self-discipline needed to follow through.—

So whether a JW or a non-JW parents have to know themselves and what time commitment they can make.

Blondie

Mulan

I know of one JW family with 9 children. When they got to high school age, they were taken out of school and home schooled. They finished school at age 15 or 16. The eldest daughter was pregnant by her "very faithful strong wonderful" young boyfriend, also a JW, at age 16 (he was also 16). They were nice kids, but had a very distorted view of anyone not a JW, so trusted all dubs. They got married when the baby was 2, and she was 18. She quickly had another baby, and the guy got a vasectomy at age 19.

She was from a huge family, where the mother seemed to always be pregnant, so this girl had a distorted view of what makes for a happy family..............lots of babies. So about 3 years later, she had an affair and got pregnant again. He took her back and they had another boy, who actually looks like the other kids, so they are passing him off as his kid. I was one of the ones told about the vasectomy, though, so I know the truth.

I never heard how the rest of the kids turned out, but the mother was whacked!!!!!! During one of Dave's public talks at their KH, she left the hall in tears after one his statements in the talk (it was about not expecting all of your children to "stay in the truth" as if it is their legacy and that you have to work at it. She also had had a breast enlargement procedure and was spilling out of her low cut sundress. These people were on welfare too.......................I always wondered how she paid for that surgery.

SpunkyChick

In 10th grade I begged my parents to let me finish up my highschool studies in a homeschool program. My mom finally convinced my father. I completed a homeschool program where the principal of this private/homeschool would come by once a month to ensure I was meeting Colorado's educational requirments. I was also able to attend a local community college and transfer college credits towards my HS diploma and apply it towards my Associate's Degree. I ended up graduating a year and a half earlier than my fellow public school students. I've been working since I was 15 and that helped with some of the lonliness, as well as attending college. I still associated with a few friends in the public school after I'd left as well; I don't consider myself a social retard.

Looking back, if I hadn't been a JW, I probably would have enjoyed HS and wouldn't have wanted to leave the public school. Hell, if I hadn't been raised a JW, I might have enjoyed all my school years.

*Spunky Chick trying to mooooooooooooooove on*

Home Schooling

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