Sisters review homeschooling materials displayed during workshop. Photo: Mikal Veale

Sister Lakisa of Phoenix, Sister Dawn of Atlanta, and Sis. Teoka Muhammad of Utica, N.Y. are a few of the sisters that came together over the Saviours' Day weekend February 26th through 28th to share, exchange and encourage other parents with ways of being successful at homeschooling.

At the workshop titled, “A Mother's Lap is a Child's First School” the attendees were from all over the country and had children in ages ranging from infants to high school students.

Sis. Teoka, presented the aspect of high school-homeschooling. She made the difficult decision to share with the attendees the fact that she was what would be considered a “troubled youth” as a ward of the state for a time. She also shared a secret with the audience. She had only completed the ninth grade. Despite that, her son, a home-schooled child is now 16-years-old and a first year college student.

“I wrestled with the idea of telling anybody this. Whenever I tell somebody they get shocked,” she said. Sis. Teoka also told The Final Call that at one point she used to work while at the same time, attempting to successfully educate her children by homeschooling, however after trying that for seven months, she returned home full time with the help of her husband to continue to take her children further.

Sis. Lakisa, the workshop coordinator, told her own extraordinary story. Originally from South Carolina, the area where she lived did not have an active mosque or study group. That did not stop her from seeking out the proper knowledge of how to become a member of the MGT and GCC. Whenever she was unsure of the proper conduct or action of a sister in Islam, she reached out to other sisters via the internet. With that kind of tenacity and desire to find the truth, Sis. Lakesa provided direct guidance and encouragement to each workshop attendee offering a 96-page resource guide via e-mail with 33 book references, an invitation to monthly teleconferences and Web site recommendations to help them be successful at homeschooling. In addition to all the resources collected and distributed, the sisters reiterated that while we are taking the initiative to teach our children we still must be mindful of the state statutes regarding homeschooling.

There is however a pervasive criticism of homeschooling; that it interferes with the social development of children. Both Sis. Lakesa and Sis. Teoka disagree. They described how they have defeated that argument, citing libraries, museums and mosque meetings as resources.

“There is a difference between socialization and socializing. Socialization is that you're teaching them how to act and how to get along—manners,” said Sis. Lakisa. “I don't want another six-year-old teaching my child, I want to teach them and fulfill that need of our moral character that they should display when they are out in the world. If they want to get together with their friends and play and have fun, there will be plenty of opportunities for that, but that is not what school is for,” she said.

Sis. Teoka's agreed stating that the idea of school and “fun” that is shown on television and in movies, is made for children by adults, and not from a righteous perspective.

One of the two times the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was jailed was when he stood up to defend the independent education our children, these Mothers are standing up to make their own sacrifices by homeschooling.

(For more information on Muslim homeschooling and homeschooling resources contact Sis. Teoka Muhammad or Sister Rita Muhammad at annhsn@yahoo.com or visit www.noihomeschoolers.ning.com and Sis. Lakesa's blog at http://dirtyfaceangelsacademy.blogspot.com/)