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Rex and Maria, Australia - 05 March 2004
Were you homeschooled?
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No we were not homeschooled. |
Why do you homeschool?
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We home school, (or home educate) in order to raise
our children the best way we can. We believe that we are not only
educating a child, but building a person for the future. |
Where you always going to homeschool, even before you got married?
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No, home schooling was not on the agenda until after
our first child started Pre School. |
Are you qualified to teach your children?
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We believe so. All mothers are teachers, and who could
be better to nurture, grow and discipline their children than the
parents? |
Is homeschooling better?
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We believe that home education is better for us, and that it suits
the particular lifestyle that we have chosen. |
What can you teach in the home that is not taught at school?
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How to communicate with all age groups. How to "socialise"
(there's that word already!) in a better way than conventionally
schooled children. Home skills, and above all, how to be self motivated,
to think outside the square and to research for themselves in order
to obtain a wider perspective. |
Have your kids ever been to school?
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No, preschool for the older child was as far as it
went. |
If your children have been to school, why did you take them out and
homeschool?
Do you even know the history of schooling when it started?
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Yes, we have read up on schooling/history, or the
education system "evolution" in to what it has now become. |
Do you not think that right now the schools system may not be perfect
but that it is only ever going to get better as society begins to manage
it better and as investment in schools and education improves?
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No way! The system is presently failing thousands
of families. (I would say children, but it goes further than that).
The last 20 years has seen the traditional schools become more politically
correct, and less effective in growing children in to adults, or
readying them for life as adults. Increased funding will not improve
the state system. |
Why not allow the state to educate you children?
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For all of the above reasons. The state system is
failing families, and we believe that we can build our children
in to a more responsible, clearer thinking adult, thus improving
their future. |
I received a state school education and I turned out OK, You probably
received a state school education what is wrong with the way you and
I were educated?
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We were both educated in the state system of 30 to
40 years ago. We believe that it has deteriorated since then. However
even then, the school was not a healthy environment. Peer pressure,
single mindedness and only thinking "within the square" dictated
the way we learned. We believe that even then, the system was letting
families down and in many cases children could have been better
achievers than they were. |
Are you not just being rebellious?
Christians should conform, or at least should not irritate everyone
else buy being different in the end it always works out for most families,
with a few exceptions?
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Christians should work within the laws of the land,
however stand up for themselves and what they believe. If people
are irritated, it is sometimes the result of seeing that they are
not doing the best for their families that could be done. We are
different, and should not be scared to be so. |
Society need to work together at everything, focusing on team work
and exercising tolerance to one another not highlighting divergences
and trying to create a perfect race as you seem to be trying to do?
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We are looking to the future. We are not trying to
create a perfect race, but we are endeavouring to do justice to
the comprehensive task that God has given us. To help Him educate
and build a person. Who knows?, this person may make a difference
to society in their lifetime. |
But what if you are wrong? What if this all goes wrong these children
could grow up into problems for the government to have to deal with
later on?
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If we are wrong, we will have to live with the responsibility
of our actions. One of the things we are teaching our children to
do! To be fair, we have seen more problems created by the state
school system than home ed families. But that is not what we are
about. We are not here to "bag" the state school system, but to
inform you of our reasons to choose an alternative way to educate
our children |
Do you only use the bible to teach?
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The Bible is but one of many many books that are referenced
for teaching. Our library is continually growing and the children
are encouraged to research on their own as part of our teaching
methods. |
Are your kids more important to you than you wife or husband?
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Our children are not only important to us. They are
the future, therefore of importance to the world. As far as being
more important than our spouses? Not really a question that we can
answer. |
Should every one homeschool?
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No, probably not everybody should home educate. It
is not simply a matter of the education, it is a way of life and
not something to be taken lightly. One has to make a big commitment
in order to live the life. Not all people are in a position to do
so. |
Our taxes are spent on your children, is that fair?
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What do you call fair? Our taxes go toward the state
school system and we do not use it. We pay for our entire education
curriculum without financial support. |
So you have got it right, a happy family, a lovely home, a husband
works near you, you don't need to work yourself, but these days both
parents need to work and most families haven't the lucky break you have
had!
Do you have advice to say to young christian families?
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Not really. We could say that if God has blessed you
with children, be sure to think about the awesome task that you
have been given. Do your best to do justice to the task. |
What would advice young people planning to get married and start a
family?
What is wrong with sending your children to a christian school, at
least then everyone is on the same curricula?
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Christian schools are an alternative to the state
school system, as is home education. Many families are getting good
results from the Christian schools, however we chose the other alternative.
Sometimes children who have failed in the state schools are placed
in to Christian schools in order to get some "discipline". This
placement often has a detrimental effect on the other children.
As far as everyone having the same curriculum goes, it is not really
an issue to us. We believe there is more to education than curriculum. |
Have you thought about sports and dance, music and social interaction
that schools can offer, not mention visiting speakers, outing and school
camps etc.?
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In answer to your question, yes. And further to that,
we do ensure that our children get all of the above, without the
peer pressure etc that goes with the state school system. |
What if there is no God, haven't you wasted your time?
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God does exist, but even if he did not, we still believe
that we are doing the best for our children's future. |
Christianity it the cause of some many problems and rifts, If we did
not have it our society would have advanced significantly and we would
probably be colonising Mars by now!! So really you are just holding
things up?
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Interesting question. Christianity is not the cause
of as many problems as "religion". This is another issue altogether
and would require a lot more time and space than we have here! |
You have so many children!
You may or may not have convinced me to you have any book recommendations
where I can find out more?
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See "home-education.com.au"! |
Do you know of any successful homeschoolers?
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Yes, many. Both in history and now. Home educated
children are encouraged to be self motivated and work on their own.
This assists with the university style of further education and
often home educated students find university easier than other children.
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How did you get started with homeschool?
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Maria was convicted to home educate. That is another
story. |
OK! so you are superwoman! not everyone is superman or superwoman.
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Not applicable, superwoman does not exist. Certainly
not in our home anyway! |
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