Fearing Corruption of Kids in School
Question

                I am always arguing with my husband and the reason for that is that he does not want to let the children go to school and he says that the schools will corrupt the children's upbringing. What is your opinion from a religious point of view?
Praise be to Allah.
      Firstly: 

    Children are one of the great blessings of Allah that He 
    bestows upon His slaves, and they are a trust given to the person about 
    which he will be asked on the Day of Resurrection, as it says in the hadeeth (prophetic narration) narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who heard the 
    Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Each of 
    you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The ruler of 
    the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A man is the 
    shepherd of his household and is responsible for his flock. A woman is the 
    shepherd of her husband’s house and children and is responsible for her 
    flock. The slave is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible 
    for it. Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his 
    flock.” 

    Narrated by al-Bukhaari (853) and Muslim (1829). 

    It is the duty of the father to protect his children from all 
    kinds of evil, whether it is tangible or intangible. The most important 
    thing which he must protect is their religious commitment and proper 
    conduct. 

    Secondly: 

    The basic principle is that the Muslim should weigh up the 
    pros and cons of anything, and compare its positive and negative aspects, 
    and see what is most likely to be the case. 

    There is no doubt that schools have their negative and 
    positive points. Schools can have a positive or negative effect on the 
    children’s upbringing. Many mothers and fathers complain about the negative 
    impact of schools and this is a real issue that is faced by most religiously 
    committed families. But the Muslim can overcome these negative effects by a 
    number of means: 

    (a)

    Seeking the help of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, 
    to protect them by calling upon Him and beseeching Him, for du‘aa’ is a 
    great weapon in protecting children. Allah mentioned the du‘aa’ of the 
    righteous (interpretation of the meaning):

    “And those who say: Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives 
    and our offspring the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of the 
    Muttaqûn (the pious)”

    [al-Furqaan 25:74]. 

    The righteousness of the parents also has a major role in the 
    guidance of the children, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in 
    the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them; and their 
    father was a righteous man, and your Lord intended that they should attain 
    their age of full strength and take out their treasure as a mercy from your 
    Lord”

    [al-Kahf 18:82]. 

    Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

    Allah may take care of a person’s offspring after his death 
    because of his righteousness, as it says in the verse, “and their father 
    was a righteous man” [al-Kahf 18:82]: they were protected because of the 
    righteousness of their father. End quote. 

    Jaami‘ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam, p. 
    186 

    (b)

    The parents have a role to play in the upbringing of their 
    children; it is not limited to the school’s role. The father has to bring 
    his children to the mosque and send them to classes to memorise the Qur’aan 
    and study (religious) knowledge. He should instil love of Islam in their 
    hearts. This also applies to the mother at home with her daughters. 

    (c)

    He should watch the children closely and always follow up on 
    what they are studying, with teachers and other students; he should also 
    offer advice and direction to his children in a kind and gentle manner, 
    combining encouragement and deterrence. 

    (d)

    He should replace government schools with Islamic schools 
    which focus on the religious aspect of the students, and he should choose 
    the best school for that. There are many such schools, praise be to Allah, 
    in most countries. If the father is not financially able to pay the fees of 
    those schools, he can look for the best public (state-funded) schools by 
    asking and consulting other parents 

    (e)

    The parents should play a role in choosing good friends in 
    the school and in the neighbourhood. For example, they should be people he 
    knows from the mosque or the Qur’aan class, or relatives who can be trusted.

    (f)

    The parents should not let there be any gap between them and 
    their children, so that if there is a problem for example, the children will 
    hasten to discuss it with their parents. This is something that is well 
    known from experience. 

    The point is that one of the greatest of responsibilities is 
    the responsibility of looking after children. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have 
    mercy on him) said: 

    Whoever neglects to teach his child what will benefit him, 
    and pays no attention to him, has mistreated him in the worst way. In most 
    cases, the corruption of children results from their parents and parental 
    neglect of them, and their failing to teach them the obligatory duties of 
    Islam and the Sunnahs. So they neglected them when they were young. End 
    quote. 

    Tuhfat al-Mawdood, p. 229 

    After that, we should explain that if a person has no choice 
    but to take his children out of school, the basic principle is that he 
    should provide a suitable alternative to those schools, so that they will 
    not end up with nothing, especially since we have seen cases of people who 
    took their children out of school altogether, so the children were lost 
    between the television and the street, and they sank into ignorance and 
    played too much, and thus (the parents) did not achieve anything; rather 
    they sinned by allowing harm to befall their children. 

    Hence our advice to the father is not to keep his children 
    from going to school, but what he has to do is strive to remedy their negative 
    effects as much as he can. 

    Our advice to the sister is to seek the help of Allah and 
    turn to Him by offering supplication (du‘aa’); she should also discuss with 
    her husband, in a gentle manner with evidence and proof. She may seek the 
    help of wise and righteous people among her family or his. Allah is the One 
    Who we hope will protect us and you, and our children, from all evils. 

    And Allah knows best.