"Education is what remains

when we have forgotten all

that we have been taught."

~ Marquis of Halifax

How true this is... it reminded me of my public school experience.

I spent almost all of my youth in public school,

being 'taught' many things for many years.

And I am constantly reminded of how little I still recall.

Very little remains of what I was taught.

I spent all of those years reading, memorizing, researching, and working

for the mere goal of completing assignments

to procede to the next grade.

Yet I hardly took any knowledge with me that didn't soon fade.

Now many years out of school

and spending seven years of home educating my children,

I've come to the conclusion that most of my years

in public school were spent in educational vain.

I learned so much more through home educating my children

in one year than I did in all my years of public school...

So I suppose according to the quote

that my education was at a minimum from public school...

most of what I did retain, I taught myself.

I have spoken with many other people

that hardly remember much at all from public school.... hmmmm....

would I be too bold to say that public school education is an oxymoron?

The two hardly coinside... at least, that is in my case.

I praise the Lord that I have

so many teachable moments as we home educate.

Home educate... not home school....

I am educating my children for life...

not simply to pass on to the next 'grade'.

But to fuel in them a love for learning and self-education. 

I praise Him that we have the freedom to step up

to our God-given responsibility, to train and bring up our children.

My prayer is that I will do all He has enabled me to do.

I just wanted to share the definition of education

from Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary

of the English Language:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Education - 

"The bringing up, as of a child; instruction; formation of manners.

Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline

which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper,

and form the manners and habits of youth,

and fit them for usefulness in their future stations.

To give children a good education in manners, arts and science,

is important;

to give them a religious education is indispensable;

and an immense responsibility rests

on parents and guardians who neglect these duties."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow, I think that's a pretty sober and charging definition.