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Homeschooling: A Green Solution?
By Christine | May 2, 2008
Another Earth Day has come and gone, and lately I’ve been thinking…
…about the recent ruling in California against homeschooling families. Here in Southern California the state “religion” seems to be recycling, conservation and environmentalism. I’m all for recycling. I’m all for taking care of the earth God entrusted to us. My husband and I do our part and teach our children to do the same. Which is why I’m confused.
I see all the cars lined up in front of the public schools in our area. Carpooling or not, there’s gridlock every weekday before and after school. Gone are the days when parents could let their children walk or bike to class without concern for their safety. My own neighborhood is relatively safe but I still wouldn’t allow my kids to go without me. We send our daughters to private Christian school. I have to drive them there.
Has anyone in this fine state’s legal system considered how much gasoline is saved by homeschooling parents? Has it ever occurred to them how much less pollution goes into our air because these families are in their homes when other families are in their cars? I realize homeschoolers aren’t housebound, but they aren’t on the roads every school day just to get to and from school either.
Next, take school lunches. Please. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist that one.) The amount of waste produced just to provide students with their midday meals is astounding. The plastic, Styrofoam and cardboard used each day for the most part becomes trash. Even lunches prepared at home and brought to school often require plastic bags and utensils. Add to that the food waste. I’ve seen for myself how much students throw away. Less food in their stomachs equals more waste in the garbage. This is not the case with homeschooling families. Have any of these points been considered by our state government?
With regard to conservation, I think this is only the tip of the iceberg (no global warming pun intended, I promise.) I’m not naive enough to think these arguments would ever be enough to sway those who seek to take this form of parental choice off the table. I’m making them simply to show how hypocritical it is to wave the banner of conservation and at the same time declare one very effective option illegal.
I have to assume it hasn’t been addressed at all, but quite frankly it should be. Families don’t choose to home school their children in order to conserve - yet they do it very well. They should be thanked and rewarded for their efforts and not treated so shamelessly by our courts.
In the meantime, I’m hoping and praying the California courts will come to their senses and keep homeschooling a legal option for parents.
Topics: Family, Green, Homeschooling, Hot Topics, In the News, Parenting, Ponderings, Ramblings, Serious Discussions, Thinking Out Loud, Who We Are |
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Well you certainly raise a very good point there. That is terrible about California’s ruling on homeschooling.
I have to say that while living there I was always confused as to how “green” and “crunchy” everyone claimed to be, but yet, everyone was always watering their manicured lawns, washing their cars, and driving everywhere because public transportation was not the greatest in many cities
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:34 pm
This is a very good point, Christine. I will be sharing this one around the blogosphere. =)
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Thanks so much.
Sandy, I think YOU’RE making a very good point as well. I know trying to make lifestyle changes that are more “green” are tough as it is, so when government and the courts make it more difficult they need to rethink it.
May 9th, 2008 at 12:24 am
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