Public Schools or Sheep Factories

Education is a state-controlled manufactory of echoes.
Norman Douglas

This year we have decided to homeschool our daughter. We came to this decision after watching our bright little girl that loved to learn new things change into a child that dreaded going to school each day. Her smile faded and it felt as if we were punishing her when we dropped her off each morning. She did the work and made the grades but her love of learning had disappeared. She is only in the sixth grade! Something is seriously wrong with our public school system. Any institution that can so throughly wring the joy of learning from a child needs to be changed. Our future depends on these children! We need a generation of thinkers to tackle the problems that we face. If we raise a generation of sheep who do only what they are instructed to and have no desire to strive and learn on their own, then we are lost. We need a generation of life-long learners.

I don't know what it will take to change the public school system. All I know is that since my daughter has started homeschooling, her smile is back and she is reading everything she can lay her hands on. I can think of no greater gift to give her than a love of learning.