Now that my daughter is turning three this year, the thought of sending her to school is one that's on my mind. I've already inquired with some schools and I was surprised to know how much would it cost me to send her to a good school. But Mr. Sala was true in this article:

Should you pull your youngster out of the secular system and put him into a Christian school? Many parents do--some at great financial cost--because they are convinced that putting their children in a school where God is in and evolution is out, where the days open with prayer, and where teachers are compassionate and caring is worth the personal sacrifice; knowing that their youngster will receive a solid academic foundation. So they make do with fewer clothes, longer working hours and lesser spendings, believing that their sacrifice will someday be rewarded.

Another option that has recently taken off like a locomotive running downhill is home schooling. For years I was not very excited about private Christian education or home schooling. I felt that we as Christians need to be salt and light out there in the world where we can make a difference with our witness.

But as our culture darkened, sinister forces began to make our schools unsafe, and educational competence declined, I began to see how important private Christian schools can be. Knowing that a child is in a Christian environment where teachers are there because of commitment to Christians ideals is important. Teachers in Christian schools are usually motivated by their desire to make a difference in the lives of their students.

Why object to home schooling? I was not sure that all moms could handle it academically, an issue which is still of some concern. I thought that only a superwoman could be teacher, mother and disciplinarian all wrapped up in one. I was also concerned about the youngster's social development. But a growing home school movement brings mothers together, provides social outlets for the kids and provides the youngsters an education that far exceeds anything public education can offer.

Home schooling frees a child from social competition--the "I've-got-to-be-just-like-everybody-else" mentality. It allows him an opportunity to follow Sir Edmund Hillary's wild ride in the ice and snow of the South Pole, retrace the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition or invent the incandescent globe, as Thomas Edison did.

I'm convinced that it can be very beneficial to the student as well as the mother, provided she has the temperament, the education and the time to handle the challenge.

If you have options, explore them fully. Make a list of pros and cons for each one. Lay them before the Lord and say, "Father, this child is a gift from You, and I want to help equip him to know You, love You and serve You all his life. Now, Lord, what's the best thing for us all?"

Insight:
Your child is going to get an education regardless of what happens. It may be one of academic excellence or mediocrity. however, no matter how good or poor the school system he may be in, your input as a parent makes a tremendous difference.