Is College For Girls?

Another reason that girls need to get a higher education of some sort - college or technical training - is that there may not always be a man to take care of her. In a perfect world, a father or a husband does the providing for women. But if a husband dies, or leaves the home, or is a deadbeat about providing - a woman needs to have some way of providing for herself and her children if necessary.

[Greg Linscott]…but I’m not sure that is an adequate enough reason. If the situation does get desperate enough, many people secure jobs without college degrees- not the most glamorous ones, certainly, but they are out there.

Couldn’t you use the same reasoning for a young man? There are plenty of groups out there that don’t believe that college education for men is necessary either.

In fact, I read a PF (personal finance) blog that has had plenty of discussions of the value of a college education (of course most of them are assuming you have to go deeply into debt in order to get a degree).

What I see happening, though is that comments are made like this on a blog I read by a home schooling, home schooled mom (finished only 1 year of college, but don’t think it was a Christian one—) “the good thing about making the communion bread is that you have fresh bread for your home.” (she doubles the recipe—she made loaf of white bread). Now I was dumbfounded that she would equate the two as the same. She didn’t care whether it was unleavened or not, etc. She is a Christian, not necessarily of a fundamental bent, but didn’t even seem to realize that there was an issue of using leavened/unleavened bread for communion. I thought a little more education would have at least exposed her to the issues. I would never “double the recipe” for personal use of the unleavened bread I’ve made for communion. It really doesn’t taste that good.

When the issue was brought up in her comments, she just shrugged it off, as “whatever makes you happy”. Maybe this is just indicative of the types of things that bother me. This is an intelligent young lady.

That’s not to say that college solves everyone’s “thinking” issues. But usually kids are just starting to really learn to reason/think by the time they are finished with high school. Life for them has just begun. If they cut off their learning at 19 and figure they’re “all grown up”, they can cut out many years of precious really maturing time.

I suppose for many of them it is hormones on overdrive. That may sound really unkind, but it appears to be what I’ve seen.

It bugs me to think that they think that 18-19-year-olds are mature and ready for marriage. Why do they think so? Why do they cut off a young lady’s chance to experience something of the big world? Once you are a mom, you will be for the rest of your life. What is wrong with not rushing into it? I don’t think my “pre-mom” experiences (teaching, traveling) made me less eager to be a mom. I think they helped me feel more settled and ready to settle down. I always felt sorry for my 18-year-old friend who settled into marriage right after high school. (I did meet up with her last year and she has since divorced and remarried.)

I think the only reason this is even controversial in this day and age is the Jonathan Linvall (?spelling) group that advocates no driver’s licenses or voting or college for young women. When I read about them, I wish this group would just fade away into oblivion. You can support the idea of “motherhood” without throwing out a woman’s ability to be an intelligent, 21st century human being.

[Greg Linscott] Couldn’t you use the same reasoning for a young man? Well, I’m the first in at least three generations of men in my line of descent to hold a college degree, so sure, of course you can.

I do think it is sad that we more and more seem to limit a degree to how it makes us marketable for employment, and give less and less to consideration to how education can help make us better and more thoughtful people. Wilson touched on this in her article as well.

My husband’s dad also did not even finished high school. I believe he only went through 8th grade.

[Greg Linscott] And if a woman secures a degree but never gets into a field where its applied, it has a more limited value as time goes on without the experience to accompany it.

I don’t know how true it is now, but most of the professional and management people with whom I have worked held jobs that had nothing to do with the field of study covered in their degree program.

My superiors and HR (or, “Personnel Dept” at that time) told me that the value of a degree was not so much the the field of study, but that the person was able to commit to a program, and finish it without quitting before completion. It showed a level of charater that was desirable in an employee.

Principle applicable to both men or women.

From the article:

Why should you pay money (and lots of it) for the God-haters to teach your children lies about the world and the God who made it and them?

I could roll my eyes when I read this over-generalization, however not surprised.

I would think women who are considering homeschooling in their future would be seriously considering an education degree. I don’t think this is absolutely necessary, but I would think it would be helpful. Not only mastering subjects at the collegiate level but also learning teaching methods to help in the home.

I would also think that if homeschooling were ever under a serious attack that being a certified teacher would provide some degree of protection toward your right to homeschool.

Keri,

With respect, I would advise anyone, especially someone who intended to homeschool, to study anything before they took an education degree.

Besides the fact that you do not get much advanced, college level training, certainly not like people who are actually majoring in the relevant field, education as a field is a pseudo-field, which garners respect from people inside of it but almost no one in a rigorous discipline. It has neither neither the technical discipline and requirements of the hard sciences, nor the methodological rigor required in the social sciences, nor the tradition and depth found in the humanities.

I think all teachers ought to study education; but one hardly needs an education degree for this; indeed, it may hinder the process.

Getting certified is different matter, one of pragmatics; because certification is often required and usually helps, people who wish to teach are welll-advised to gain certification, although it does not mean anything in terms of quality.

Somehow, great teachers and students existed long before “education” as a field developed; and, since education as a field took over schooling, the results have been unhappy, not to say utterly disastrous.

[Joseph] With respect, I would advise anyone, especially someone who intended to homeschool, to study anything before they took an education degree.

I concur.

Many states have alternate routes to certification for those who have undergraduate degrees. One does not have to pursue a specific education degree. In SC there is a 3-year program that involves a few graduate level courses and seminars which are completed while teaching.

[Keri L.] I would also think that if homeschooling were ever under a serious attack that being a certified teacher would provide some degree of protection toward your right to homeschool.

I would agree, and the above process might be the best way to acquire the certification.

The thread bears the title, “Is College For Girls?”

The answer is, only if that’s what God wants for you. That applies to both genders.

If God wants you to go to college, go. If He does *not* want you to go to college, don’t go.

My own daughter is not intellectually qualified to attend college. If she were, I would do for her exactly what I will do for my son. I will give him access to anything within the capablity of God to provide. I will encourage him - help him - to determine God’s will for his life. And then I will support him with everything I have.

Find the will of God, and do it. Gender is irrelevent.

I also agree that the only real value of an education degree with certification for a homeschooler would be if restrictive legislation were passed that excluded non-certified teachers.

We are going to encourage our dd to develop her skills and explore her interests past high school graduation, but that doesn’t mean she’ll try to earn a degree or pursue a career. It really depends on where her talents lie, and what plans God has for her.

Personally, I’d rather my daughter attend a local community or state college than send her away to a Christian college. The support of her family, the protections of home, and the stability of the local church is more important than having Bible as part of the curriculum and Chapel 3 times a week.

IMO we can’t apply the same principles to men and women equally. Women are not given the same authority or duties in God’s Word as men. We should prepare our sons and daughters for various possibilities, but always trying to be ready for the worst case scenario doesn’t leave much room for faith… or joy for that matter.

Same is true for my husband. His job - highly technical - has nothing to do with his final college degree - humanities. He was told up front that they wanted someone with a college degree because of what it told them about his ability to finish the job, complete the task.

“Many states have alternate routes to certification for those who have undergraduate degrees. One does not have to pursue a specific education degree. In SC there is a 3-year program that involves a few graduate level courses and seminars which are completed while teaching.”

An undergraduate degree would be necessary for the alternative certification though; you are right it wouldn’t have to be an education degree. My point is that if women plan to homeschool why wouldn’t they want a college degree?

Ultimately I don’t see a real difference between educating men and women. If you are able to go to college, I think it is a benefit.

[Keri L.] My point is that if women plan to homeschool why wouldn’t they want a college degree?

Because a college degree does nothing to help a person home educate their child. I’m not saying that someone who is planning to homeschool shouldn’t go to college, but that an intent to homeschool IMO is not a good reason to spend the time and tuition on a degree when it lends nothing of value to the homeschooler. There are other ways to educate oneself that costs little or nothing.