Mindful breathing is not an education

Homeschooling is becoming an imperative

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The country school, Winslow Homer

It was recently reported in the New York newspapers that the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, is mandating two to five minutes of mindful breathing each morning for all city schools beginning in September. Teachers will be having training sessions over the summer to be able to lead the students in the breathing exercises.

Awesome.

The same day it was widely reported in the New York press that less than half of third- to eighth-grade students scored proficient in English language arts or math last year.

Maybe breathing isn’t the big problem. Maybe they already know how to breathe and should be practicing their math facts instead.

Half of the high school students in the largest school system in the country were chronically absent during the 2022-23 school year and kindergarteners barely showed up at all. Low income and at risk children are far more likely to be chronically absent and are much more likely to be behind academically than their peers.

But let’s focus on yoga. Because that will make it all better.

The mayor is a sometimes vegan, yoga practicing health nut who is introducing yoga as part of the curriculum in an effort to curb violence and empower students. He’s also instituted meatless Fridays in school cafeterias for health reasons.

None of these initiatives are particularly bad, although as a Catholic I wouldn’t let my child be a part of a yoga class, and the intentions behind them are, I’m sure, good, but it hardly addresses the issues at hand. No one is learning even the basic skills needed to function in society. They are learning a myriad of made-up genders and some poor grammatical use of pronouns, but the multiplication tables seem to be off the table.

While NYC is an extreme example it is not the only school system failing it’s students.

“In 2022, the average fourth-grade mathematics score decreased by 5 points and was lower than all previous assessment years going back to 2005; the average score was one point higher compared to 2003. The average eighth-grade mathematics score decreased by 8 points compared to 2019 and was lower than all previous assessment years going back to 2003. In 2022, fourth- and eighth-grade mathematics scores declined for most states/jurisdictions as well as for most participating urban districts compared to 2019.” NationsReportCard.gov

And if that doesn’t scare you to bits…

“In 2022, the average reading score at both fourth and eighth grade decreased by 3 points compared to 2019. At fourth grade, the average reading score was lower than all previous assessment years going back to 2005 and was not significantly different in comparison to 1992. At eighth grade, the average reading score was lower compared to all previous assessment years going back to 1998 and was not significantly different compared to 1992. In 2022, fourth- and eighth-grade reading scores declined for most states/jurisdictions compared to 2019.” NationsReportCard.gov

It is becoming absolutely imperative that parents find alternative methods of educating their children. In New York City the children that attend charter schools have high graduation rates, high college attendance rates, high test scores and excellent attendance, so of course the teachers union has waged all out war on them, the result being parents have less of a choice as to where and how their children will receive instruction.

In Montgomery County Maryland parents are protesting the right for their children not to be instructed with an LGTB… curriculum. Sexual politics really have no place in your local elementary school where it serves only to increase division and confuse young children who should be more concerned with learning to read and picking sides for a game of kickball. That coupled with the fact that parents, even in 21st century America, still have the right to raise their children with religious values and according to their own code of ethics which should preclude this kind of curriculum.

One wonders if the proponents of this curriculum would be fine with a few hours a week of instruction in Bible history. You used to get the occasional Bible story in public schools, the premise being that there is a certain cultural awareness obtained in being familiar with stories about Adam and Eve and Jonah and the whale.

The official statement from the Montgomery County Public Schools

Students and families may not choose to opt out of engaging with any instructional materials, other than “Family Life and Human Sexuality Unit of Instruction,” which is specifically permitted by Maryland law. As such, teachers will not send home letters to inform families when inclusive books are read in the future.

So your children can be indoctrinated without your knowledge or consent.

You must get your children out of these schools. You will not make them better and you will not be a force for good or for change, the entire system is corrupt, deviant and immoral. The system needs to be burned to the ground and the architects of it’s present condition exposed for the fascist, lunatics that they are.

If you are a person of faith I would contend that sending your child to a government run school is akin to a near occasion of sin. They will be exposed to things that will imperil their mortal soul and as parents that responsibility will land firmly on us.

“As those first responsible for the education of their children, parents have the right to choose a school for them which corresponds to their own convictions. This right is fundamental. As far as possible parents have the duty of choosing schools that will best help them in their task as Christian educators. ³⁸ Public authorities have the duty of guaranteeing this parental right and of ensuring the concrete conditions for its exercise.” Catechism of the Catholic Church 2229

Since there are very few good schools available, at least in “blue states” that will help parents in their task as Christian educators; and even for non-Christian parents who want their children to be able to read, write, calculate and think, it is imperative that younger parents make sure that the public schools are empty.

You might think there are no alternatives. You need two incomes and you feel that homeschooling or an alternative school is not in your reach. That is not the case. Homeschooling can be done on your schedule, not a district schedule. Online classes are widely available. There are co-ops and hybrid schools, and classical academies are opening up all over the country. Charter schools started by parents are also a viable option.

You might think I have no dog in this fight since I have been homeschooling for over twenty years and I’m on the tail end of that journey but you would be wrong for a couple of reasons. First, I will (I hope) someday have grandchildren and I want their parents to have a choice in how they are educated. Second, as I get older I want to see the services in my country taken on by people who were well educated in academic subjects rather than ideologies decided on by looney leftists. My doctor should have been accepted to medical school because he or she studied hard and excelled rather than there being some arbitrary quota to fill. My auto mechanic should know the inner workings of a combustion engine rather than the various designations of made up genders. My accountant should be able to add and subtract correctly. Things like that concern me. The world that my children and (hopefully) grandchildren will have to live in scares me.

I care deeply about the truth. In truth I can not call a man a women or vise-versa. In truth I can’t accept that alternative curriculums serve society better than actual academics. In truth I think preserving a child’s innocence for as long as possible provides them with a childhood that will lead to an emotionally healthy adult. In truth I can’t see any of this ending well.