Do parents have the right to educate their children? Today we address what I believe is the central issue in American life—the educational establishment and its war on America, Christians, and conservatives, and what we can do about it.

A recent headline in the Washington Post read: “Parents claim they have the right to shape their kids’ school curriculum. They don’t.” The Post article argues that parents are claiming rights they’ve never had; that the state has always been responsible for education; that it is one of the supreme public blessings the government has provided. The authors argue that American law has “long supported the idea that education should prepare young people to think for themselves, even if that runs counter to the wishes of parents…. When do the interests of parents and children diverge? Generally, it occurs when a parent’s desire to inculcate a particular worldview denies the child exposure to other ideas and values that an independent young person might wish to embrace or at least entertain.” Let’s stop right there. There is no venue in American society more hostile to thinking for oneself than public education. It is an intellectual monolith committed to the indoctrination of children in one point of view—that of the Progressive/Left. There is no place in our society that is more likely to deny the expression of multiple points of view and it gets worse the higher up the educational order one goes. Any number of married couples have more intellectual diversity between them than the entire faculty of a typical ed school.

In late September the democratic gubernatorial candidate in Virginia, Terry McAuliffe said, “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.” McAuliffe got into hot water for the comment but it reflects perfectly the thinking of our Left-wing governing elite.

An article in the online publication, Politico, called parental rights in education a dangerous illusion.

NBC news published an essay by a so-called educational expert arguing that education should be left to the “experts” and parents need to stay out of the way.

Most fundamentally, educational experts on the Left say we need to be delivered from the idea that children belong to their parents. This must be replaced by the Marxist idea that children belong to the state. Some on the Left have argued for licensing parents after they have been taught by the government how to be good parents.

In early October the Attorney General of the United States ordered the full law enforcement establishment of the government to be brought against parents who were protesting their children’s education.

The Left claims the government—that is, them—has the right to educate your children. The college-educated are more likely to vote for Left-wing candidates; why? The Left says it’s because they are smarter; the real reason is four or more years of indoctrination; if I were to recommend any one thing that would change America’s trajectory it would be educational reform. Of course, spiritual revival is the most important but in terms of public policy nothing is more important than changing the way we educate our children.

What does God have to say about all this. Does He hold parents responsible for the child’s education? You bet He does. In the second chapter of the Bible God tells a man to leave the home he grew up in and establish, with his wife, an independent household. In Deut. 6:7-9 he is told to take the deep truths about God and teach them diligently to his children. In Prov. 13:24 the father is instructed to discipline his children; in Prov. 22:6 we see that great promise, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” In Psalm 78:4 we are told that we are responsible for teaching the next generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, His might, and the wonderful things He has done.

Looking at the new Testament we see that elders are held responsible for the behavior of their children; I Tim 3:4 says: [The elder] must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive; Titus 1:6 says the elder is held responsible for his children’s salvation.

I have told many gatherings of parents that their number one priority is to assist their children in coming to know the Lord; their number two priority is to have no other priorities.

I think we can argue biblically that the central life task of a parent is the education of his children.

I realize there are many wonderful public school teachers. I taught public school for nearly thirty years myself and I have met scores of educators I would trust to teach my children. But, as a parent, you must take every possible step to control your child’s education. One outstanding alternative to government schools is homeschooling. As you have probably read it is exploding. The Covid lockdowns and abdication of government educators has helped millions of parents to see the outrage that is public education. Homeschooling now comes in enormous variety. Some people homeschool their children every day of the week for the whole of their education. Some for the first several years of the child’s education. Some homeschool for three days a week and have their kids attend a charter school the other two. Contact your local homeschooling associations and find out what alternatives are available to you.

Not everyone can homeschool and do not feel guilty if it’s not a good alternative for you. Instead, you might consider the various forms of private education for your children. The political leaders who champion the teacher’s unions and public education send their own children to private school. Thousands of public school teachers send their kids to private schools.

Homeschooling or private education may not be possible for you. Do not despair. Make sure your children, when they are home, are exposed to a wide array of Christian educational opportunities. Reading Christian books them yourself is a great idea. It’s possible your child is not a particularly good reader. Make available to them the many wonderful videos and podcasts that are available to children.

You may feel led to get involved in your public schools as an active parent or even a school board member. Many Christian parents are getting involved in the educational system of their local community.

And, of course, be sure and support political candidates that favor children over the teacher’s unions.   

After praying for a spiritual revival for our country this is the single most important issue facing Christians. May God give us the strength and power to do His will.

Thank you for listening. Be sure and check additional resources below. May our God bless you this day in a mighty way.

More Resources:

The article from the Washington Post: https://archive.md/BJyam

An excellent article attacking our educational elite: https://cbradleythompson.substack.com/p/the-fundamental-issue-of-our-time

Interested in homeschooling? Go online and enter, “How do I start homeschooling?” in your search engine. Or ask people in your church. It is likely that many of them homeschool. And that will be your best source of information on good Christian schools and/or charter schools.