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| Fr. Stravinskas |
In an apparent override of Natural law, common sense, and the Magisterium of the Church, Our Sunday Visitor has published an interview with the formerly respectable and orthodox Priest, Fr. Peter Stravinskas. After reading this article however, I will never again apply the glorious label of orthodoxy to this cleric.
In this interview, which includes unsupportable claims, unidentified references to "The Church Fathers", and flat-out falsehoods, Fr. Stravinskas attempts to portray parents who choose to homeschool their children as "psychologically unhealthy", "anti-clerical", and, to top it all off "a church within a church".
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| "Psychologically unhealthy Elitists"? |
I very much wonder where Father has gotten this information. Has he actually taken the time to get to know any of these "elitist" homeschooling families, or is he just towing the line of the (FAILED) Catholic educational system? Having spent large amounts of time among both homeschooled students, and products of Catholic education, I must insist on the exact opposite of Father's surmise. In the company of homeschooled students, I have almost invariably found an honest quest for truth, the capacity for articulate discussion, and indeed, keen insights.
Father also laments the "dearth of vocations from home-school families". Once again, I am at a loss for the source of this wild generalization. Perhaps this "dearth" is due rather to the fact that homeschoolers make up only a minuscule portion of the Catholic population. Consequentially, they can hardly be expected to supply a similar volume of Priests as do other educational systems. I must ask though: If the Catholic school system is such an incubator for Vocations, why are we in the depths of the greatest vocational shortage in modern times?
Another aspect mentioned is that it is "academically nearly impossible" for homeschooling to succeed. This is perhaps the most unjustified and untenable claim of all. One needs only to look at various independent evaluations (Strengths of Their Own: Home Schoolers Across America - 1997.) to ascertain the truth. In fact, far from what some would like us to believe, homeschooling students routinely outperform their non-homeschooled counterparts in every subject. According to the 1997 study, homeschooled students, on average, score 37 percentile points higher on standardized testing, than do their counterparts in the public school system.
Father Stravinskas concludes with a condemnation of parents who "don’t want their children exposed to others whose families might not have the same values as theirs." Oh the humanity! Just imagine it, parents wanting to protect and safeguard their children's innocence, against the pervasive immorality and gross violations of moral propriety which engulf both the Catholic and public educational system. Why on earth would they not want their children exposed to heresy taught as catechism, chastity mocked, licentiousness excused, and other such indefensible failures of the system?
In his reading of the Vatican document Gravissimum Educationis, which does indeed emphasize the importance of Catholic schools, Father seems to have missed the statements: "Since parents have given children their life, they are bound by the most serious obligation to educate their offspring and therefore must be recognized as the primary and principal educators", and "Parents who have the primary and inalienable right and duty to educate their children must enjoy true liberty in their choice of schools."
Furthermore, the document states that: "The Church reminds parents of the duty that is theirs to arrange and even demand that their children be able to enjoy these aids and advance in their Christian formation to a degree that is abreast of their development in secular subjects"
When confronted with the abject failure of religious education in the Catholic school system, does this not affirm and verify the right (and in some cases even the duty) of parents, to secure a better educational environment for their children?
Hmm...show me a "home school" seminary.
ReplyDeleteWell-written, but this is a complicated issue. Both public and Church educational systems are in a state of chaos, necessitating solutions that are less than ideal. And ideal is the operative word here.
Addressing Father Stravinskas (who, if you've followed his problematic career, has never been a champion of our brand of "glorious" orthodoxy) it's the "ideal" that should be kept in mind.
There are reasons for home schooling in the present crisis, which are sometimes successful, sometimes not. It's not the perfect, and indeed, obtainable, solution for everyone. To my mind, it's a solution in time of war, and should be considered that way. However, it's a solution which in an ideal, Catholic, world, where imparting communal identity is a primary goal of Catholic education, that wouldn't measure up.
You have both friends and family who are products of post-V II Catholic, and public, education, who turned out none too shabby. Their feelings should be considered in your public articulations, which would earn you more laurels if they were a tad more nuanced, and not fragranced, ahem, with the air of bloviation.
In an ideal earthly situation(Since indeed, as long as we are on this earth, we are in wartimes), homeschooling and the Parochial school system would exist side by side. For the simple reason that both are viable education options, and some children are better suited to one than another.
ReplyDeleteBut now, to move on, show me where I attacked the students of the Catholic school system. To be brief, I did not. The system's multitudinous failures: ( of which my acquaintances with many products of the system have allowed me to have some idea) Yes. But the Catholic youth who have had to suffer through them: No.
Respectfully,
The Seneschal
"According to the 1997 study, homeschooled students, on average, score 37 percentile points higher on standardized testing, than do their counterparts in the public school system."
ReplyDeleteFactor out the public school number that includes the vast inner city populations. Give me a number that compares apples to apples, demographic to demographic.
Nuance. Nuance.
Then there's the fragrance part. I'd suggest that since you're now writing for public consumption that you include both Mark Twain and Samuel Johnson in your daily diet. That should clear the air.