When I was a kid, the teacher was always believed, whether it was Sunday School or public school. For instance, Mrs. Burris, my kindergarten Sunday School teacher (elderly, with failing eyesight- not being mean just saying-it's important) one Sunday told my parents that I had been disruptive and misbehaved that morning. When I got home from church with my parents, my dad gave me a royal tuning up (black belt on my backside). I had repeatedly said, "It was not me, it was Keith Buckles and Greg Depoister!" They were sitting on my left. I was not believed. After I quit crying from the pain, I told my dad I couldn't believe he whipped me for something I didn't do. He said, "Well, I'm sure there were other times you deserved a whipping and didn't get one, so it all works out."
My dad's philosophy for public school was that if I got in trouble at school, I would be in twice as much trouble when I got home. I will say that if I got swats at school, which may have happened, the bruising across my rear would be sufficient so that dad would not apply the board of education to the seat of knowledge again. That doesn't mean that there weren't loss of privileges, extra chores, grounding. etc..
Even though the responsibility of the child's education lies with the parents, parents now do not believe teachers or administrators. If something happens at school, it is always someone else's fault, not little Susie or Johnny's. It's the teacher's fault, or the principal's fault, or another student's fault, but never their child's. Schools are so afraid of lawsuits they won't touch children. Children are not disciplined in a way that is a real consequence or has a lasting impact. I can say this because I have seen it everyday for the last three years.
The problem is our humanistic society and the departure from God's Word. Everyone has a worldview. It is either based on God's Word, or on man's word. God's Word says the parent is responsible for the child's education. God's word says that a parent who loves their child will discipline their child. God says you will not kill your child if you drive foolishness out of him with a rod. Man's word may lead you to believe that it is the school's responsibility to educate your child, but that isn't true. It's your job as a parent. God doesn't say you can't enlist the help of others, but it is your responsibility. Man's word dictates that discipline today is timeouts, flipping cards, going to the office to sit and get a snack, or punishing the whole class when you could have swatted one child, etc.. All this teaches a child is that if I don't want to do what's asked, I can just refuse and get sent out of class. Nothing is going to happen to me anyway. No discipline, no respect.
I can give you specific examples that would make your blood boil and curl your hair, but then I wouldn't be able to take my boy to school. I am fortunate that my boy and I were not present in class on those days, or I might be in jail for giving a student what they needed. What was once normal and effective, is now deemed harmful and inappropriate. In many cases, students are being trained to be selfish, violent, non-productive members of society simply because parents refuse to parent as God calls them to. Basing your belief system on the word of man will come back to haunt you every time!
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