Section 53 of the Education Act provides only one reason for school non-attendance (the word "school" is not defined). That reason is that the "child has been excused by a general or particular order of the minister." This single reason fails to provide the full detail provided in the Community Welfare Services Act. The Community Welfare Services Act (section 74C.3) provides four "reasonable excuses" for non-attendance. One of these 4 excuses includes the "provisions of section 53 of the Education Act 1958". The first of the four excuses is that "the child is under efficient and regular instruction in some other manner and is complying with the like conditions of attendance as are required under this section with regard to attendance at State schools;"

Some home schooling parents have been troubled by the stated requirements for attendance consisting of two hours before noon and two hours after noon. To put your mind at ease about this requirement, just remember that this law specifies only attendance and does not specify any particular activity . Children trained at home surely spend more than two hours before and after noon in "attendance"! However, if you want to keep good records to prove activity (in addition to attendance) including 2 hours before and after noon, remember to include cooking, cleaning, physical activity, artwork, personal reading etc.

In reading the history of Christian education, we learned that there is one subject which in times past was included in every curriculum, but which we seldom (or never) see today. That subject is rhetoric which is defined as, "The art of speaking with propriety, elegance and force" in in the "American Dictionary of the English Language" (Noah Webster's original dictionary - 1828).

In the Bible , we can see examples of the importance of rhetoric. We know that being born again is a work of God, yet we are called to be witnesses of the Gospel. The Bible also tells us "Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do {it} with all your might." First, we will look at Biblical example of the use of rhetoric by Paul. When Paul was in Ephesus, we can read,

Acts 18:19
20. And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there. Now he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

Acts 19:8
9. And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading {them} about the kingdom of God.
10. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
11. And this took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
12. And God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,

What was the result of Paul's "effective communication?" The idol manufacturers tried to have him arrested saying,

Acts 19:26
27. "And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods {at all.}

We see further evidence of pursuit of effective communication in the following examples.

Acts 17:2
3. And according to Paul's custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
4. explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and {saying,} "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."

Acts 17:17
18. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing {Gentiles,} and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present.

Acts 18:4
5. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
6. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul {began} devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

When Paul was before King Agrippa being tried, he continued to share the Gospel as effectively as possible with the result,

Acts 26:28
29. And Agrippa {replied} to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian."

Even when Paul was a prisoner in Rome, he continued with his life's work of persuasively speaking the Gospel as we read,

Acts 28:23
24. And when they had set a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.
25. And some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe.

As home training parents, we need to ask God's wisdom on how to approach this subject of rhetoric. Within Australia, we start with the abominable example of our parliaments where invective (calling names) replaces reason, logic and information. Our instant society, where great issues are reduced to 30 second TV news reports, weighs against our children in developing effective communication skills. In this newsletter, we don't have answers for a complete program, just a conviction that this "lost subject" needs addressed, and we look to the Lord for wisdom with the anticipation that our children will bear fruit in His Kingdom.

We conclude with Paul's statement about the balance of sound persuasion and rhetoric with the work of God in our lives,

II Corinthians 5:11
12. Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.
13. We are not again commending ourselves to you but {are} giving you an occasion to be proud of us, that you may have {an answer} for those who take pride in appearance, and not in heart.
14. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

Just as the Bible says that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, we also learn that the act of Christian persuasion and rhetoric also begins with the fear of the Lord.