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ACE, Books, Christian education, Christian home school programs, Education, History, history of Christian education, Home school programs, Home schooling, home schooling schooling programs, Life, parenting, School
Back in the 1800s and centuries before, education was mostly on a one-on-one basis with families employing governesses to raise and educate their children. Even when legislation was introduced in the USA in 1852 to make school attendance mandatory, there were many who still continued with the old tradition of home schooling. Famous personalities such as Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Dickens and Benjamin all had home schooling. Going to school became the norm in most cities and rural areas except for far flung places and home schooling receded in the background until recent times.
Modern education reformers question the current style of sending children to school. No doubt children benefit by being in the company of peers and learn about competition, sharing and interactions to develop personalities but the crux or core, which is education or transfer of knowledge, suffers. The present day home schooling movement, which is proving highly popular these days, can be traced back to the 1970s when John Holt, a public school teacher made efforts for reforms and founded the Growing Without Schooling Magazine. Dr Raymond and Dorothy Moore were the other activists who promoted home education.
When one talks specifically of Christian home school programs, it is traced to 1983. During that period Christian schools were accused of discrimination and were under scrutiny and tax regulations — in fact, a majority of Christian schools across the USA became ineligible for tax exemptions. Naturally, the only way out was to increase tuition fees, which in turn put education beyond the pale of poor families. The net outcome — small private schools ceased to exist and parents had to shift their children to public schools or opt for home education. Home schooling was a better option and it has prospered.
However, true Christian home school programs can be traced back to the 1970s when Dr Donald Howard set up the Accelerated Christian Education program based on an educational curriculum with a biblical slant that was adopted by many private Christian schools. He promoted his ACE curriculum and encouraged the establishment of such Schools, with the first one being set up in Garland, Texas, carrying 45 students on its rolls. In less than a year six new schools came up and by the 1980s there were 3000 such schools affiliated with ACE ministries throughout the country. The tax imbroglio saw school attendance education being supplanted by Christian home school programs.
The ACE home school curriculum is individualized, has a biblical basis and aims to build character through affordable home school programs relying on workbooks labeled PACEs comprising of modules in English, social studies, word building and science. Despite the fact that the program has come in for a lot of criticism, students score lower than those from public schools, yet this system is here to stay.