How do you choose what kind of education you want for your child?

Well, that depends on your goals, what do you want in your child's education?
(Definitions:

• Government school- a school paid for by the tax payer and controlled by the government and its employees. This would include K12 and Connections Academy, though they do eliminate the socialization problems of the Government schools.
• Private school- a brick-and-mortar school paid for by the parents. This eliminates the curriculum problems of government schools, but not the social ones.
• Homeschool- education paid for and controlled by the parent. This includes online private schools, correspondence schools, co-ops, private tutors, the library, Wikipedia, complete curriculum packages, "one hit wonder" curriculums (companies that produce only one or two subjects), and any combination of the these. 

Free Babysitting

Duh. Government school.

High Academic Standards

If this is your goal, then you have several choices:

• Government School
• Private School
• Homeschool 

Which one will depend on your own education, time, other commitments, finances, and maybe other things, too.

Test scores say homeschoolers do best, academically, private schools next. But this varies and all families are not capable of producing top-of-the-line academics.

And some government schools, not many, but some, may offer the highest academic choices for your situation. Each family needs to choose what is best for them. There is no right and wrong (Alert! "There is no right and wrong." is the basic philosophical statement of the religion of Secular Humanism...Atheism)

Safety

Life isn't safe.
But homeschool is the safest choice, private school next.
But making choices based on fear is letting Satan choose for you.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

It is never a good idea to let Satan make your choices for you.

Popularity, what is socially acceptable

Easy enough. 83% of all American children attend government schools. Even if you only look at those who claim they are Christians, the number is 80%

Godly Children who become Godly Adults

Christians are supposed to search the scriptures to find God's will in every decision. Many today do what they "feel like God wants," but that isn't biblical. God tells us His will first and foremost through scripture. It is only where the scripture is truly silent, or it gives two options that we need to search our hearts. God never contradicts Himself and it will never be Him telling you to so something different than what scripture says.

So, What Does the Bible Say about Education?

Deuteronomy 6:7, “Teach [My Words] to your children talking of them when you do your errands in town, rest in the evening, get ready for the day, and do your day’s work.” (In other words; Every Waking Moment.)

Ephesians 6:4, “Parents, don’t frustrate your children but bring them up in the education and culture of the Lord.” (Clearly, Mom and Dad, give your kids a Godly education.)

Deuteronomy 4:9 "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;" (When the King James Bible was translated, you, yours were plural pronouns; thee, thy, thine, thou were singular. So, when God means the nation as a whole, He say "You..." When He means individual parents, He says "thyself, thou, thy, thine.")

Deuteronomy 11:19 “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (This is a promise. And, it follows, if you train up your child in the way he shouldn't go, he will go the wrong way.)

Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the Law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (It is learning God’s laws that brings us to Christ.)

Jeremiah 10:2 “Thus says the LORD: “ Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;…” (Don't even know how the unsaved do things.)

Psalm 1: 2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates DAY AND NIGHT.” (This includes school hours).

2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing EVERY THOUGHT into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (Even math thoughts)

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (And we think what we are being taught)

Luke 6:40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained (finished with his schooling) will be like his teacher.” (and if his teacher isn’t a Christian…)

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (We aren't supposed to try to be like everyone else, but make our thinking conform to the will of God, which we know by reading the Bible. If your child is sitting in a desk between the world's children, studying the same books as the world's children, learning the same things as the world's children, they are receiving a worldly education. They are being conformed to the world.)

Matthew 16:23 “But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not MINDFUL OF THE THINGS OF GOD, but the things of men.'" (It offends God when we think more about worldly things and opinions then about His opinion.)

Colossians 3:1 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the first and great commandment.” (Even the Science parts of your mind)

Math= The language God used to create the world.

Science= The study of God's world.

History= The story of God's interaction with humanity and their interaction with each other.

Language Arts= The preparation to spread the gospel to all people, whether through speaking, writing, drawing, painting, dance, blogs, YouTube, Facebook, ....

There is no "non-religious" subject.

On the effects of non-Christian associations (socialization as schools know it) 

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” (being with those who don't love God leads you to not love God. You begin to think like they do)

Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.” (Remember that “the fool says in his heart there is no God.” Psalms 14:1. So anyone who walks with, or spends time with, someone who doesn’t acknowledge God is on the path to destruction. Do the government schools acknowledge God? Why would you want your child on the path to destruction? Also, Proverbs 22:15 "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child;..."  Seems putting our children with other children for large amounts of time isn't really the way to raise wise people.)

Matthew 18:6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

The content of true education

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (What more do you need from an education?)

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (True education BEGINS with the fear of God, but atheists despise true knowledge. Atheist means, literally, "Without God." )

Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” (Remember that the student will turn out just like his teacher [Like 6:40], so what will be the result of teachers, textbooks, and schools in general who don't fear the Lord? Is that really a place for a child to grow wise and knowledgeable?)

Proverbs 2:6 “For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;”

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

James 3:13-18 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 

14 But if you have bitter envy and SELF-SEEKING IN YOUR HEARTS (hints of the many “self-esteem” mantras taught in schools today?), do not boast and lie against the truth. 

15 This wisdom (the self seeking kind) does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 

16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, (such as competing for the best grades) confusion and every evil thing are there. 

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 

18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Psalm 119:97-101 “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.”

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (We SHOULD be diligent in our studies, but beginning with the Bible.)

Matthew 6:33 “But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ALL THESE THINGS (including a good education) shall be added to you.”

Matthew 12:30 "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad" (Are the government schools with Christ? Are they gathering for the Kingdom of God? There is no such thing as neutrality.)

Children belong to God

Ezekiel “that you have slain MY CHILDREN and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire?”

Matthew 22:21 “They say unto him, ‘Caesar's.(image)’ Then saith He unto them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.” (Caesar’s image was carved on the money. Render the tax coin to Caesar. Our children are carved in the image of God. Give them to God, not the government.)

Bro Voddie Baucham

Let’s look at some numbers.

65-85% of children who grow up in Christian homes, attending church regularly, and attend government school leave the church by the end of their first year of adulthood.

15% of children who grow up in Christian homes, attending church regularly, and are homeschooled  leave the church by the end of their first year of adulthood. 85% continue to serve God well after becoming adults. They never leave the church.

Private schools vary. Some loose more than government schools. Some keep almost as many as homeschool.

If your goal is to raise godly warriors for the Kingdom of God, can you send them to God-free government schools? Will you get the results you are looking for?

Now, there is a place for private schools, but they are hit and miss on the godly results. I would think the smaller the school (the more like a homeschool) the better chance of children choosing God.

So which method of education should you choose?

It all comes down to what you want from your child's educational years.

Worldly goals and methods will get worldly results.
Godly goals and methods will get godly results.

God invented the family for a reason; it is the best way to bring up children who will serve Him. Will you do things His way? Or the worlds?