Curious--who should control the upbringing and education of our children?

[stepbystep]

Hello all,

I am a college student majoring in education, and in considering all kinds of different views, I am wondering--who do you think does or ought to control the upbringing and education of our children? Why?

Just wondering what you all have to say.

[countmein]

First get rid of the "our children" please. They are not "our" children, but they are someones' children. Mine for example belong to us, meaning my husband and I. I carried them for 9 months, went through surgery to deliver them, nursed them, cared for them when they were teething and sick, managed to potty train them without "expert training" and have continued to teach them everyday. My hubby continues to work to provide for their financial needs. "We", as parents, are responsible for the upbringing and education of "our" children.

[Getty Girl]

Hello all,

I am a college student majoring in education, and in considering all kinds of different views, I am wondering--who do you think does or ought to control the upbringing and education of our children? Why?

Just wondering what you all have to say.

the parents.

[stepbystep]

Countmein,

Yes. Thank you for pointing that out. I was actually thinking of that as I wrote--but didn't know how to express that. Your point is well-taken and I appreciate you taking the time to explain it.

[Safiel]

The parents should control the process. Including the curriculum, standards, methodology, etc.

I home schooled.

But if you choose to enroll your kids in public schools, it should be the parents, via the elected school board, that determine curriculum and standards and NOT the state or federal governments.

If you cannot find an adequate solution for your children within the public school system, then the parent should have the absolute right to private school or to home school.

[stepbystep]

If you cannot find an adequate solution for your children within the public school system, then the parent should have the absolute right to private school or to home school.

I agree that parents ought to direct the education and upbringing of their children. You mentioned that they should also have an absolute right to do this.

Something I've noticed in the news lately is the current attempt to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has dangerous implications for our ability, as U.S. Citizens, to control the two things listed above. Do you think it would be helpful to codify these "rights" in our Constitution?

I've heard of an organization (www.parentalrights.org (http://www.parentalrights.org)) that thinks we should amend the U.S. Constitution to codifiy these rights of parents. Thoughts on something like this?

[chris13]

PARENTS.

Like countmein said, they are MY kids, not YOUR kids.

[page017]

I think the local school boards should have more ability to make changes on their own. Local school boards represent the parents of that district, and have daily contact with parents, students teachers and administrators. Then I think there should be some sharing of services at a regional level. I have seen little to indicate that the state level really knows what goes on in a actual classroom, and the regulations they add just make it harder for everyone else to do their job, and for parents, teachers and administrators to run the school in a way that's best for their community. Moving up to the federal level, and you get one more step away from actual classrooms calling the shots. Give school boards and administrators more power, take it away from the federal and state levels.

[RWReaganfan]

The parents should control the process. Including the curriculum, standards, methodology, etc.
I home schooled.

But if you choose to enroll your kids in public schools, it should be the parents, via the elected school board, that determine curriculum and standards and NOT the state or federal governments.

If you cannot find an adequate solution for your children within the public school system, then the parent should have the absolute right to private school or to home school.

I salute your ability to homeschool, but I honestly do not believe that the average parent has the education and experience to do what you propose. Any person with only a high school diploma should never attempt to homeschool simply because they do not have the well-rounded education in order to assit the students in learning a varied curriculum.

[countmein]

I salute your ability to homeschool, but I honestly do not believe that the average parent has the education and experience to do what you propose. Any person with only a high school diploma should never attempt to homeschool simply because they do not have the well-rounded education in order to assit the students in learning a varied curriculum.

Yeah! I'm above average!

[Impenitent]

the messiah's education czar of course...

your kids? no, they are future tax payers and pawns of the state.

hope and change

[Mobulis]

PARENTS.

Like countmein said, they are MY kids, not YOUR kids.


Then when one of YOUR kids commits a crime I expect you to serve the same punishment as the kid.

[gonavy]

Their Parents.

[StoneScratcher]

Hello all,

I am a college student majoring in education, and in considering all kinds of different views, I am wondering--who do you think does or ought to control the upbringing and education of our children? Why?

Just wondering what you all have to say.

Control? No control. BUT: Guide, support, encourage, champion, reasonably challenge, allowing growth from failures, value individual free-thinking, etc, etc.

"Our children"? No, the parents' children, or the legal guardian of those children.

Good luck on our education, oops, I mean your education.

About education, perhaps you should ask yourself the same question you asked this board:

"Who do you think does or ought to control the upbringing and education of you? Why?"

Just wondering what you have to say.

[Apatriot]

Hello all,

I am a college student majoring in education, and in considering all kinds of different views, I am wondering--who do you think does or ought to control the upbringing and education of our children? Why?

Just wondering what you all have to say.

Parents, but part of that is the parents can decide to give some of that up temporarily to other entities. For example, I choose to give some control over education to the state, as I put my kids in public schools. I could change that tomorrow.

[Apatriot]

I agree that parents ought to direct the education and upbringing of their children. You mentioned that they should also have an absolute right to do this.

Something I've noticed in the news lately is the current attempt to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has dangerous implications for our ability, as U.S. Citizens, to control the two things listed above. Do you think it would be helpful to codify these "rights" in our Constitution?

I've heard of an organization (www.parentalrights.org (http://www.parentalrights.org)) that thinks we should amend the U.S. Constitution to codifiy these rights of parents. Thoughts on something like this?

Having actually read through the UN convention on the Rights of the Child, most of the precepts are written broadly. There is nothing that would explicitly prevent a child from being raised as most U.S. children currently are. The danger is interpretation.

Please read over the text of the UN convention before commenting much more. I hear too many people complaining without having done research other than reading a commentary about it.

Here's a link:
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm

[Apatriot]

I salute your ability to homeschool, but I honestly do not believe that the average parent has the education and experience to do what you propose. Any person with only a high school diploma should never attempt to homeschool simply because they do not have the well-rounded education in order to assit the students in learning a varied curriculum.

Depends on the level. I don't see how, with using easy to obtain canned curricula, that a parent with a high school degree couldn't teach a kid up to about the 6th grade or so. In later years, homeschoolers have a lot of options, such as virtual schools (online schools, which, in FL, are free), etc.

[ChrisSpencer]

Hello all,

I am a college student majoring in education, and in considering all kinds of different views, I am wondering--who do you think does or ought to control the upbringing and education of our children? Why?

Just wondering what you all have to say.

Having an educated population is a fundamental necessity of a successful society - as of the last couple decades our society has been lagging behind.

The parents are responsible for ensuring that their children are educated, however there should be expected education standards for the population.

[angelicmadrigal]

I've heard of an organization (www.parentalrights.org (http://www.parentalrights.org)) that thinks we should amend the U.S. Constitution to codifiy these rights of parents. Thoughts on something like this?

My thought on this is if parents want certain rights they need to take on certain responsibilities as well. For instance if parents want control of their child's education, they should homeschool them plain and simple. If they want to pass that responsibility on to someone else (via putting them in schools) then I don't think the parents have a damn thing to say about how thier child is educated. They made the choice of putting them in the school thereby in my opinion passing the responsibility of the child's care and education on to someone else.

It annoys me when parents want everything tailored to their child, yet for some reason THEY can't be bothered with educating the child THEIR way themselves.

[stepbystep]

About education, perhaps you should ask yourself the same question you asked this board:

"Who do you think does or ought to control the upbringing and education of you? Why?"

Just wondering what you have to say.

Stone Scratcher,

In answer to your question, it's a little harder to answer from that angle. Now that I am an adult, I feel that I have the responsibility for my own education, since the time of childhood is passed.

If I was still a child, my answer would be significantly different.

Ultimately, I wholeheartedly agree that parents should have the fundamental right to control the upbringing and education of their children. This is a right which has been afforded the parents of our country since its inception.

By fundamental right, I do not mean absolute. That is, parents do not have a "right" to abuse or mistreat their children. It must be remembered that this right is coupled with responsibility.

That's why I beleive that codifying such parental rights in the U.S. constitution would is necessary. The language utilized in the currently proposed amendment explicitly explains this right as "fundamental."

What are your thoughts? Do you all think things are fine as they are? Or should they be solidified by a written codification in the Constitution? Currently, 101 co-sponsers in the House think the Parental Rights Amendment would be a good idea. What about you?