Mercy Academy is a K-12 independent study program for home educators, committed to home education as a way of preserving childhood innocence and nurturing Catholic scholars known for their deep spirituality and keen intellect. Services include: learning profile assessments, individualized curricula development, instruction in teaching to each child’s style of learning, student accountability program, counseling in multi-level teaching, subject integration allowing siblings to learn together, problem solving, record keeping, report cards, transcripts, diploma, and student clubs. Each year students study Religion, Language Arts, Math, Science, History, and one or two electives.
Picture this: It’s Tuesday morning. You and your children get out of bed and eat a hearty breakfast. You all get showered and dress, and prepare to learn. One child pops in the Lord of the Rings – Return of the King for the 5th time, looking to see how closely Peter Jackson has matched the movie to the book of the same title that they’ve just finished reading. Another child has decided to go outside and tend to their garden – they are growing some vegetables that are in season, and want to make sure that all is well in their patch. Yet one more child sits comfortably with you, in your lap, while you read every Dr. Seuss book that there is to find in your home. Welcome to the world of unschooling.
When it comes to the books we read, the neighbourhood we live in, the religion or philosophy we practise, the food we eat, the people we associate with, in fact, in most areas of our lives, we highly value our freedom of choice. Yet, when it comes to one of our most precious resources--our children--parents are not permitted to exercise this necessary freedom. State interference with and control of education is greater than it is in almost any other area of personal choice.