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Purpose Statement (Family Mission Statement) Last Revised: January 1, 2009 |
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Purpose Statement (Family Mission Statement) Last Revised: January 1, 2009 |
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or family mission statement. What is that and how do I write one? A purpose statement is a sentence or short paragraph that explains why your family is homeschooling. It is sometimes referred to as a mission statement because it explains your mission in life and your reason for homeschooling. It is one part of your overall vision for homeschooling. Proverbs 29:18 warns us: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Having a vision and a clearly-defined sense of purpose for our homeschooling keeps us going when times get rough. It helps us make decisions about our approach, teaching method, and curriculum. Explanation Your purpose statement is not the specific circumstances that led you to decide to homeschool, but the general reasons for your decision. The circumstances are temporal; your reasons should be more enduring. Even though the circumstances are not part of the purpose statement, they can help you think through your reasons. Start by asking this question: What situation, circumstances, or events brought us to this point? Some examples follow. ____ desire for family togetherness ____ desire/need to adjust curriculum to child’s learning needs ____ parents’ biblical mandate to train the child ____ behavioral problems in class (e.g. not paying attention, disruptive, bored, daydreaming) ____ not getting the individual attention needed to succeed ____ personality conflicts with or inability to learn from current teacher ____ conflicts or issues with other students ____ safety concerns ____ expulsion ____ learning disability diagnosed or suspected ____ concerns about topics being taught in the classroom Once you’ve made your list, mark the one item that is your primary concern. Now look at your list and think about WHY that item is there. Write down your reasoning. Now ask yourself this question: Why are we doing this (or thinking about doing this)? All of us would probably say that we want a better education for our children. So try to go deeper or be more specific about your reasons. Some examples follow. ____ the biblical mandate that places the primary responsibility for training children in a godly manner with the parents ____ the biblical mandate to impact society, to be witnesses to all the world ____ the opportunity to spend quality time with my children and foster a greater sense of family unity and purpose ____ the opportunity to design a program that develops the individual skills, gifts, and interests of each child ____ the flexibility in choosing methods and materials that match each child’s way of learning ____ the desire to provide an atmosphere and curriculum that reflects our family’s values, beliefs, and worldview ____ the desire to adjust the program to the child’s own development (readiness) or special ____ the desire to prepare our children for “real life” that is not covered in institutional settings ____ the desire to provide a safe educational environment, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, morally, or spiritually ____ the belief that the institutional system is not providing an adequate education for my children This is only a partial list, and already you can see there are a wide variety of reasons why families decide to homeschool. But they generally fall into one of three broad categories:
The terms purpose statement and mission statement are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. A mission statement is usually much more involved. It should include your purpose, but also give the underlying beliefs or premises that guide your reasoning. For Christians, the family mission statement often includes a statement of faith and a summary of your worldview. A statement of faith is a brief listing of the doctrines you consider vital to your faith/religion. Most churches have a statement of faith as part of their brochure and structure. You can ask your pastor for a copy if you don’t already have one. A worldview is simply how you view the world around you. It answers the basic questions of life such as: What is truth? What is my view of the individual and his/her worth? What is my view of the family? How should my family relate to the community around us and society? What is the government’s role in society? What is right and wrong? How is this determined? What is the purpose of education? What is the purpose of religion or faith? Why are we here? What is our purpose in life? What morals and ethics should be followed? How are the laws of the land to be determined and by whom? What ideas guide how we relate to others, how we function in society, and how our economic system should work? Your mission statement doesn’t have to answer all of these questions – and these are just a few – but it should state those that are most important to your family and your reasons for homeschooling. Now that homeschooling is so popular, we have a tendency to ignore these vital questions. We assume that our right to homeschool is secure. It is not. There are those who do not accept the idea that parents can adequately direct their children’s education. Others are blatantly against parents “imposing” their beliefs on their children (see the United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child). The US Constitution and Bill of Rights offer some protection, but these founding documents are coming under attack by the rulings of world courts. On the local scale, many administrators, teachers, and legislators believe that there should be a national standard for education, and this standard does not include religious beliefs due to a faulty understanding of the separation of church and state. The education community tends to believe that only trained professionals can provide the right education for your child; they believe they know what is best for your child more than you do as the parent! In other words, the more you understand your purpose for homeschooling, the easier it is for you to defend your position. On a practical level, a clearly-defined purpose statement and/or mission statement can help you decide what approach to take in homeschooling, which curriculum to use, and what activities to include in your program. A written mission statement can encourage you during the rough times, and can remind you of how important your homeschooling is to your family and society. KEY WORDS: purpose, mission, statement, home school, homeschool, homeschooling, goal
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