by Genine Hopkins

Created on: June 15, 2008

Education is one of the most important ideals behind democracy. An educated public is most inclined to participate regularly in our democratic process and be informed enough to insure its continuation. This was the thought in the foundation of our public school system. It was a noble if not original thought, and has insured that most children are on a level playing field, poor or rich, to place at least a small blur on the line which separates social classes.

As parents, we are compelled to provide our children with all they need to grow up and become healthy adults. We provide shelter, food, love; we also provide ethical/moral education and send them to school for knowledge. What happens, though, when the public educational system fails your child? As parents, we also must be compelled to make sure they receive a solid educational foundation. So how can a parent without a degree properly teach their child? The same way we've parented without any previous experience or knowledge, by learning ourselves.

I firmly believe that our public education system is very important, but it need not be the only way to an education. Private education is one option, but sometimes either the cost or availability does not prove practical. Enter homeschooling as a viable option. States have varying requirements for the homeschooling parent, and they range from certified teaching creditials for the parent or at least assistance from a certified teacher to filing of lesson plans with the local education board. Many times the hurdles may be numerous, but in the end most states allow the child to be homeschooled without much oversight. So why is a non-certified parent a viable option? Most parents who choose this option have the love and dedication to fully adapt to their new job and do so with an intense passion, albeit exhausting one.

A parent should understand that homeschooling is another full time job, more important, at least philosophically, than their primary job. But any parent who has given all of themselves for their child will find this a small price to pay to provide their child with a quality education. There are also numerous homeschooling resources in most communities to assist parents in choosing curriculum and resources. Students and their parents can learn together when the parent is "rusty" in an area and there are also high school honor students who must volunteer their time to meet graduation requirement who could assist the parent in gaining an understanding of

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