The difficult economic times have had an effect on everyone including Christian schools. Enrollments are down in many Christian schools, teachers have been laid off, and some schools will close. Many parents, who desire for their children to be educated in a school where they can learn more about their Christian faith, are finding that they are no longer able to pay for their children to go to a private school. Where will these children go next year? Many parents say they will home school their children until they can afford to send them back to a Christian school. But other parents are making the hard decision to send their children to public school.
Are the public schools ready? I think that the public schools have not anticipated the large influx of children they will receive who previously went to private schools. There has been much talk of laying off public school teachers and having larger class sizes. But have they thought about the multitude of private school students in the “Bible Belt” area, where a lot of private school abound, that will be going to public schools next year. This influx of students will increase the tax dollars that the schools receive from the government. Will it be enough to prevent teacher lay offs and keep class sizes the same? Only time will tell.
But more importantly, are the children ready? Change is difficult for many children. Not only will they be going to a new school, it will be one where they do not teach about God, some rules and values will be different as will the academics. Some changes will be beneficial for the children, but many parents do not feel they out weigh the negative. Are the children ready spiritually? Will they be able to stand firm in the beliefs that their families and churches have taught them or will they be swayed by peer pressure into making poor choices? These parents will do what they have always done. They will pray for the Lord to take care of their children and give them wisdom to do what is right.
I agree that keeping up with the times and changing economic trends is a huge deal when it comes to choosing a school for your child. Hopefully the economy will have a turnaround so that each family can make the best decision for where to send their child to school. I also agree that taking into account where the child would fit best (and whether or not they are ready for school) is very important.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of this before reading your post. I will be watching to see what impact this has when school starts. Thanks for a thought provoking post!
ReplyDeleteI never thought of this before reading your post. I will be watching to see what impact this has when school starts. Thanks for a thought provoking post!tax rules for commercial roofs
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