Homeschool

Michael Pearl is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, and founder of No Greater Joy Ministries in Tennessee who became a point of controversy when his teachings about child training became linked by critics and the media to at least three fatal cases of child abuse. He spoke with The Christian Post recently and discussed what he sees as the difference between "disciplining" and "physical punishment" with one of his critics, Janet Heimlich, a journalist and author of Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment.

Pearl and his wife, Debi – both of whom are ministers and authors – penned several books about family life in accordance with Christian faith, based on the Scriptures and their own experiences and understanding of Christianity. One of these books, To Train Up a Child, which recommends strict "training" methods including such that can cause children pain, became the center of a controversy, especially after it was discovered that parents of three children who abused them to death were known to be familiar with the book and the Pearls' teachings. The book was self-published by the ministry in 1994 and sold an estimated 670,000 copies since.

The pastor's support for practicing spanking as a disciplining method, which Pearl claims is "natural" and coherent with the Christian faith, often causes an outcry, even though the Pearls are not the first authors to advocate spanking. more >>

Rick Santorum responded on Monday to Bill Maher's criticism against homeschooling by arguing that his 12-year-old son would "out-reason" the self-claimed "rationalist."

"Our children will out-reason him (Maher); my 12-year-old will out-reason Bill Maher when it comes to understanding how logic works because he is completely illogical," he said on Fox News.

"There wasn't an interview that went by the last week where I wasn't asked a question about Rush Limbaugh, and yet repeatedly, these folks on the left – whether it's Maher or Letterman or you name it – they're out there trashing everybody who stands up for Christian conservative values, anybody who dares to actually teach their children faith in their home." more >>

Legislators in Virginia are working to pass a law that would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school athletic programs, just like Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow did when he was younger. Some are opposing the idea, however, saying such a law would give home-educated students an unfair advantage over other students.

Scott Woodruff, senior counsel with the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), was recently called to the state's capital to testify regarding the issue.

He told The Christian Post on Tuesday that some homeschooling parents think it is unfair that their children can't participate in public school sports teams when they are spending thousands of dollars annually to support the public schools through taxes. more >>

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has defended her parenting technique, which has been criticized by some for making her children travel the globe with her instead of sending them to school. She fought back by saying that the modern-day education system is such a mess that her children are better off being homeschooled and travelling the world with her.

Jolie, and partner Brad Pitt, have six children; Maddox, 9; Pax, 7; Zahara, 6; Shiloh, 5 and 2-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. Instead of giving the children a permanent school location, Jolie chooses to hire private tutors and homeschool them.

Currently starring in Kung Fu Panda 2, Jolie insists that her methods of raising the children are far more educational than the current school systems on offer. more >>

The New Hampshire Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed a lower court’s decision to order an 11-year-old out of homeschooling and into a public school.

The three-justice panel ruled in favor of divorced father Martin Kurowski, who argued that homeschooling prevents “adequate socialization” for his daughter. The justices asserted in the court opinion that they were not choosing sides among the various forms of education.

"While [the case] involves home schooling, it is not about the merits of home verses public schooling," they stated. more >>

A high school wrestler in Iowa refused to compete against a female opponent due to his Christian beliefs.

Upon hearing that the match would be with a girl in the state tournament, Joel Northrup decided to lose by default rather than compete against Cassy Herkelman.

The 112-pound wrestler explained, "I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan and their accomplishments. However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times." more >>