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Moms getting a degree

Recently a thread was started in my uschooling group about Obama wanting to add more time to the school day and school year. I whole heartedly disagree with this, but that’s also why I homeschool.

The thread got sidetracked at one point and one of the members mentioned the ads for Obama wanting mothers to get an education.

Have you noticed all the ads going around about encouraging moms to go back to school and get a degree? The government will take care of the kids! Have they lost the “strong families make strong countries”?
“Dr. X.” – insert name here, PhD/ND-CTN/CBT
Doctor in Natural and Holistic Health – Quantum Naturopathy / EFT-BSFF /EPFX-QXCI

Being a homeschooling mom with a degree I couldn’t help but respond. I’ve just posted so the discussion is just getting started. I also think it’s interesting that someone with a PhD, or some sort of education in her field, is so against educating mothers.

I’m not going to use quotes for the following because they’re kinda long. I’m also not going to post all the discussion, but just some that I think are valid.

My response:

My response to encouraging moms to go to school.

I think higher education is something to be valued. Education should be valued, and things taught in a college setting are not always easily acquired in the real world and through life learning, though with my degree you could learn a lot in real life and just through text books.

I know the ads are there to encourage people to get a degree so they can work and pay more taxes, but I think they’re really trying to help families who are in lower incomes so they can get a degree and pull themselves up from poverty.

I hope we can all agree that those in poor circumstance who rely heavily upon the government would be better off if they were able to provide for their own families. Most who rely on the government for food and assistance already have their children in the public education system and taking them out is not an option. If they become educated then it helps their children to value education by mere example and it’s shown that children with mothers who have a degree are more likely to get a degree, and then you have a generation who is more capable to take charge of their child’s education and teach from home. I know education does not equal wealth and there are many occupations where a higher education is not needed, and that is fine, but their target audience is not people who are able to make it on their own, but those who are using help and already rely on the government.

I have a degree yet I stay home and teach my children. Having a degree doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to abandon your children to the public education system. It’s about enriching your life and learning more. I also am not alone in having a degree and being a stay at home mom and homeschooling mother.

I know have have a more traditional view towards homeschooling than others in the group, but we’re still trying to instil an ‘always learning’ type thinking, one area I think we agree on.

Thanks,
Lacey

A response from Ms. A:

But most of the poverty-stricken people wouldn’t be able to afford higher education anyway. And I disagree that the most important thing to poverty-stricken families is more education.
The key is tighter family units. In a tight family unit, where trust and love are primary, kids have the best likelihood of thriving as adults. Happy, loving families produce happy, interested and secure children who grow up able to choose their own paths easily and with courage – with or without money. You can’t do that as well when you come from a background of stress or unhappiness.
Encouraging women to pursue an education, devalues their role as mothers. It says “you’re not important unless you go to work”. Shouldn’t we be supporting woman who are raising children? Can’t those same women still encourage their kids to make good choices – whether or not that includes college?
We were pretty dirt poor for most of my childhood, only getting to a stable (but still below middle class) level when I was a teen. I didn’t finish high school. But my mom was sure to empower me that only I was in control of my success. Without a high school diploma and without a business course, I owned my own business. I know lots of others who did the same.
I’m not saying education is bad or shouldn’t be supported, if it’s the persons choice. But I do feel the motivations behind it most times are unrealistic or unnecessary. And I do feel the government has its own agenda. As do the universities themselves. So many people choose college because they feel it is the only way to be successful. That’s a lie.
I don’t feel higher education should be valued more than any person choosing a life path that best suits them. I think it should be seen as one option among many to creating successful people. Sometimes the best choice. And sometimes inferior. I can’t tell you the number of professionals with a college degree in one thing and a career in something completely different. People that feel they wasted four years of their life and thousands of dollars. Why? Because they falsely thought they had to.
College CAN be great. College can ALSO be a total sham. I don’t think it holds any more value than life itself.
And I don’t think it is as important to raising happy, healthy children, interested in the world and confident in themselves and empowered in their choices.
–
Me:
Those in poverty areas may not be able to afford going to school, but part of the program is to help those women be able to go to college. Right after I posted this I thought about how the target audience might be single mothers who are in lower income situations who would like to provide more for their families and education might be that key for them.

I respectfully disagree that telling anyone they need a degree devalues them and whatever role they have, but I see a degree as a pathway to more information and not necessary as a pathway to more money.

I know that there are many amazing successful and intelligent people out there who have not finished college or even high school and that college can be a total sham if you thought you were going there for one reason and then figured out they couldn’t deliver what they promised. There were many classes I was required to take for my degree and I thought, why the heck am I taking this, then there were classes I was required to take and would not have on my own, but learned so much. I went knowing I was just receiving my education because I wanted to learn and not because I was going to use it to get a job. In fact if I ever work, my degree would probably be useless since I don’t “use” it as a mother. I don’t find that my role has been belittled by me wanting a degree.

I think any woman who is a wonderful, caring mother deserves my respect, whether she has a degree of any sort or not.

I think the key is being well learned in whatever you choose to do so you can succeed, and well learned can easily be replaced by well educated. I know a higher education is not for everyone, but learning is and we should all be learning whether we chose to learn through life or through a more formal setting.

I agree a strong family is needed to help children grow into amazing and secure adults. There are strong families in both lower and high incomes, there are weak families in both high and low incomes, but children in a lower income have a less stable home life due to financial stresses or other stresses in the home and thus are less able to grow into an empowered adult.

I do think the government is becoming all knowing and butting in where they shouldn’t. It would rather have the children in school and teach that money is success than to teach parents on how to be a good parent, but what if it offered classes on being a good parent? It would meet the same, if not a lot more, opposition because everyone has their own opinion on being a good parent and how a good family unit is created.

The problem you introduce is how do we provide a good stable family environment to every child so they can become whatever their potential is?

So how?

I don’t know because I know a lot of idiots out there who don’t care about their kids, none of which are in this group. 😉

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 at 12:59 pm and is filed under homeschooling, Public Duty, School. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

3 Responses to “Moms getting a degree”

  1. Jonathan Blake Says:
    September 29th, 2009 at 1:52 pm

    I agree that getting a college degree doesn’t guarantee that you’ll work in a related field. Look at me! If that’s what you expect, you may be unpleasantly surprised.

    Regrettably, our culture has turned higher education into a kind of vocational school. Perhaps this is out of necessity because of the increasingly technical nature of work today that requires specialized knowledge. Be that as it may, we’re losing sight of what a liberal arts education is meant to do.

    A college education is meant to expose us to a larger world of thought and make us a more well-rounded person. It’s a place where we are led by mentors to consider the world around us and imbibe the wisdom of the ages. We can reap the benefits of higher education without ever working outside the home. The sole reason for attending college isn’t to get a better job.

    Having said that, college does also play a role in our vocations. Higher education is the only gateway to some vocations. There is no chance of someone getting a job in engineering and nursing, for example, without some form of higher education. For other jobs that don’t require a specific degree, it increases our chances of getting a job that pays a living wage.

    Aside from technical knowledge, a college degree signifies an ability to make long term plans and commitments and follow through with them. This is one reason why employers look for college degrees.

    In the case of single parents, after they show love and encouragement, one of the best thing they can do for their posterity is to attend college. Earning a college degree can help lift people out of poverty. Money isn’t everything, but it can buy stability, health, and peace of mind (up to a point). Helping single mothers and fathers to attend college through financial aid and other programs can help break the cycle of poverty.

    In our enthusiasm to help each other to be free to choose our own paths, let’s keep the path of higher education open for those who would benefit from it and choose to take it.

  2. Jonathan Blake Says:
    September 29th, 2009 at 1:56 pm

    On the other hand, I’m dubious about lengthening the school day. This neglects the importance of unstructured play, especially if the homework load continues at its current high level. I can see after hours programs for students who need extra attention, but to make it mandatory for every child is a mistake, in my opinion. Parents who work and need after school child care may welcome this, but I wish we could back away from the dual-income trap and make due with fewer material things that don’t really contribute to our happiness or well-being.

  3. andrea Says:
    September 29th, 2009 at 3:35 pm

    I was watching a news channel last night and the broadcaster pointed out that in Japan (I believe) students attend fewer hours of school each day, but have more days of schooling throughout the year than the U.S. and the overall number of instruction hours per school year is less than the U.S. They were suggesting that a shorter summer break might be the answer.