Who Should Homeschool?

I have recently been asked the question, "Who should homeschool?" The answer may be surprising. All parents should homeschool. Parents should decide to homeschool when they find out they are pregnant. Homeschooling is simultaneous with living.

Pope John Paul II in a variety of places, including Familiaris Consortio, Canon Law, quotes the Second Vatican Council, which states that, "The right and duty of parents to give education is essential, since it is connected with the transmission of human life; it is original and primary with regard to the educational role of others, on account of the uniqueness of the loving relationship between parents and children; and it is irreplaceable and inalienable, and therefore incapable of being entirely delegated to others or usurped by others." (see also FC 36) This means that all parents should be homeschooling or discipling their children.

I love what the late Fr. Al Lauer had to say about homeschooling. As we disciple our children, we must decide on supplements to their education. A textbook or co-op class I may choose to use, or a support group I may join are all supplements. Other parents use larger supplements such as enrollment in Catholic schools. He also stated that a parent would need a special calling to put a child in into such a gigantic supplement as regular school. The philosophy of the public educational system is that the government is the primary educators of the children, which is at total odds with church teaching.

Therefore, regardless of the supplements we choose all parents should realize that they are homeschooling their children. They should prayerfully discern together what type of supplements the Lord would have them utilize.