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Chapter 4, Part III: An Alternative to Health Class (True Story)

orrespondence courses in health are a viable alternative to the classroom health classes in which parents have little or no control over who is telling their students what.

Missouri students are expected to take one-half unit of health in order to graduate.� The Competencies and Key Skills for Comprehensive Health� contain issues that are values-laden such as controversial issues like medical ethics, euthanasia, eugenics, “life-styles,” family planning, and over-population.

One family chose not to delegate their responsibility in teaching about these issues.� Before their children entered high school, a meeting was arranged with school administrators to discuss how they could work together.� When administration was asked what was needed in order for the child to acquire the half-credit of health to graduate, they said they didn’t know, but would check and they would meet again.� Concerns regarding the effects of non-directive education, and its humanistic nature which public schools teach by default, were discussed.� Each administrator kindly accepted copies of the Humanist Manifestos I and II provided for them.

During the second meeting, the school nurse was also present.� It was important to the parents to know the content of discussions, as well as the content of the textbook and handouts. They felt the only way to accomplish this was either to attend the class or to record it.� The parent was told that to attend class each day would be disruptive.� There was concern that taping the class would make the other students in the class feel uncomfortable.� There would be a need to obtain signed releases.� The parents explained that this virtually removed a parent from the classroom.� The parents were asked if their student took good notes, to which the parents responded “no.”� The parents explained that notes would not reflect verbatim what was said.� The health teacher explained that the students keep a journal, and they discussed the personal nature of journals which contain personal thoughts and insights into a student’s sense of self-worth.� They also discussed self-esteem and the fact that the real source of one’s self-esteem stems from being created in the image and likeness of God.� The teacher (nurse) was very supportive about the need for students to realize that there is a spiritual aspect to health, and therefore, teaches its importance during the class.

The administration explained that while all present were coming from a common direction, they needed to be very careful, since it is necessary that the district respect the beliefs of everyone.Â? The parent understood this and this was the very reason why the family found it necessary not to delegate their responsibility in this area of education.Â? Schools are asked to do the impossible.Â? By default they avoid acknowledging absolute truth in a sincere effort to avoid offending others.

The family decided that it would be less complicated to homeschool their child in health, rather than worry about who would be invited in as guest speakers or what was being handed out in class.Â? Also, there was no guarantee that whatever questions came up in class would be answered in the same way they would be answered in their home.

Administration felt that the situation could be resolved if the parents would meet with the teacher to go over all the materials, obtain a copy of the health curriculum to see what it contained, and go over the lesson plans.Â? It was agreed that the teacher would call the family to set a date to go over the curriculum and materials.Â? Numerous attempts to obtain the curriculum and meet with the teacher were unsuccessful due to various logistic complications.

In the meantime the family contacted the state Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationÂ? regarding their options.Â? The state suggested the child take a correspondence courseÂ? as an option.Â? The family was thrilled to learn of this option, and informed the district in writing of their decision to proceed with the correspondence course.

They learned that it was necessary to choose a correspondence courseÂ? that was approved by the board of education and accredited by the state.Â? This meant they had to return the home school health course they had ordered.

Before spending the nearly $100 fee for the state approved correspondence course� and book, the parents wished to review the text to see if it undermined the values� of their family.� This task proved to be more complicated than expected.� The University of Missouri-Columbia’s Independent Study Department explained that the parents would need to travel two-and-one-half hours by car to the university in order to review the text, even though the University of Missouri in St. Louis, an extension of the University, was just a twenty minute drive away.� The reason given was that while the St. Louis location had an independent study department, it did not have a correspondence department.

Through a friend, it was learned that the text may be available for loan through the local university’s bookstore.� As it worked out, the family was able to review the book without leaving town.� Overall, the parents were favorably impressed with the text.� There were a couple of areas in the text that were not consistent with the family’s values.� Those instances were used to reinforce the reasoning behind the values of their home.

There are those who ask why this whole process was made so difficult?Â? It would be helpful if middle school students and parents were informed about the option of a correspondence health course prior to registering for freshmen-year courses and arranging their four-year plan.