'A sign of hope on our educational horizon'

"Homeschooling is now a major force in American education," writes Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and (according to Time.com) the "reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S."

Christian parents have been in the vanguard of this movement. For many Christian parents, homeschooling represents the fulfillment of the biblical mandate for parents to teach their children. These parents deserve our respect, our support, our advocacy, and our prayers. This movement is a sign of hope on our educational horizon, and a phenomenon that can no longer be dismissed as a fringe movement.

As president of a seminary and college, I can attest to the fact that questions about the educational aptitude of homeschooled students are now settled. These students can hold their own as compared to students from all other educational backgrounds. One other fact speaks loudly to me concerning their education. Most of the homeschooled students I meet at the college and graduate levels indicate an eager determination to homeschool their own children when that time comes. ...

In our day, education represents a clash of worldviews. Increasingly toxic approaches to education (or what is called education) drive many schools and many school systems. In that light, the fact that so many Christian parents are taking education into their own hands is a sign of hope. As this new report [The Condition of Education 2009] makes clear, we should expect homeschooling to be a growth industry in years ahead.