Should I Remove My Child from Public School to Protect Their Faith?

Dear Ellen,

I’m struggling with whether to keep my child in public school or pull them out. I want to protect them from worldly influences, especially regarding sex, gender, and LGBTQ+ topics, but I also don’t want to shelter them so much that they aren’t prepared to navigate these conversations. At the same time, I worry that if I keep them in, they’ll absorb cultural distortions rather than biblical truth. How do I make the right choice for my family?

– Concerned Parent

Dear Concerned Parent,

Although there is no right or wrong answer to the question, there is a right and wrong way to go about it. The what is not so important here, but the how is critical.

For instance, if you choose to keep your child in public school but fail to engage in discussions about what they’re learning—including the distortions they may encounter—it could negatively impact their godly instruction. Likewise, if you opt to withdraw your child from public school due to concerns about worldly influences but neglect to address matters of sex, sexuality, gender, and LGBTQ+ topics, including distortions surrounding these topics in our culture, it could also hinder their spiritual growth.

It matters less whether or not we keep our children in public school (or other areas of earthly influence). It matters much more that we are investing in their godly instruction by transparently, lovingly, and righteously having discussions about these difficult topics with them. We need to provide a safe, calm oasis where our children can unpack the distortions of the world, while we compassionately but firmly correct falsifications.

One thing we should not do is blame, judge, or look down on others because they do not live for God. It is unrealistic to expect the world to live the same way Christians do. We are the foreigners here. We are the exiles. It is not helpful to become enraged and retaliatory when the world does not live according to God’s standards.

Instead, we can grieve with God, seek to show people His way, and guide our families through this world in a way that honors and glorifies Him—which includes treating every human with kindness, dignity, and respect.

In Him,
Ellen