Parents Have Ultimate Authority to Educate Children

Whether parents choose to homeschool or not, parents are the ultimate authority over the education of their children. No government, municipality, or individual can usurp this authority, though they may work in concert with parents on decisions of education.

Parents have the right to govern the activities and curriculum delivered to their children. Since the authority of parents to teach their children comes from God, parents can only lose this authority due to abuse, neglect or criminal activity. Our Constitution recognizes this God given role. So, parents have the basis to be the authority as the primary educators of their children, both scripturally and legally. It is important as a parent to understand this foundation and assume your proper role as you choose the education path for your children.

Along with this authority, it is well known that the Christian faith is a major catalyst for homeschooling. Christian families that homeschool believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God and is therefore the standard of truth in every field of knowledge and the measure of every moral issue. A Biblical education takes its premises from the Word of God. So, children are to be educated and disciplined by the initiatives within the family and the church and not secular institutions.

Parents are responsible to develop in their children’s good study habits, an appreciation for physical labor, strong moral character, honesty, dependability, a fear of God and obedience to His Word. It’s important to teach children proper respect for authority in the home, church, school and state. God commands parents (not institutions) to teach their children, Deut. 6:5-7. Therefore, the final responsibility for a child’s education is placed upon each parent, though they may lend their authority or delegate it to another.

To truly educate a child in both spiritual understanding and academic excellence, a proper perception of God is necessary. To understand life, one needs to know the Author of life. To understand the world around us, one needs to know the Creator of the universe. Romans 1:18-25. Any subject taught without knowledge of the Author of knowledge will be lacking in depth and perception. God and His Word must be recognized as the source of all truth, and understanding principles and concepts gives one the ability to comprehend the “why” behind the solution, whereas a mere acquisition of facts only produces surface understanding of a matter.

Parents exercise their authority when homeschooling as they strive to fulfill Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” And Ephesians 6:4 “....And ye fathers bring your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Please submit questions to be answered in this column to email: [email protected]. This column serves to build a relationship between the public and homeschooling families. Nancy is director of Family Tree Private School, www.myftps.com since 1999 – a school for homeschooling families. Nancy has a Master’s degree in Educational Technology and Research and was Florida certified K-12 for over 30 years. She and her husband homeschooled their 3 children.