A Search for Truth: An Informal Essay
Lately I have given much thought to what the Christian philosophy on education is -- if such a thing even exists...? It is very confusing and frustrating because there do not seem to be any clear cut answers, and yet I know that there must be a Biblical perspective. So I guess I'm writing this partly to "voice" my thoughts (as I am a linguistic processor), but also partly to receive input and opinions from anyone reading this.. They would be much appreciated.
I feel like I should first give you a brief overview of my educational background. I was homeschooled from age 4 through the first part of my 2nd grade year due to the fact that my parents were traveling all over the country raising support to leave for the mission field, and it was terribly inconvenient to have 2 kids in a formal school at that time. I was placed in a local public school for the second half of my 2nd grade year, however, and by the end of that year, my parents were ready to head to Costa Rica for language training. I completed most of my 3rd and 4th grade years there in San Jose at a private American Christian school. After that, my parents were ready to head to Spain where they planned to serve full time. Once in Spain, I attended ECA (Evangelical Christian Academy), a very small, diverse, private American Christian school for missionary kids to prepare them for higher level education in the United States, through my Freshman year of high school. During my Sophomore year, my parents took a year long furlough in the U.S., and I attended the same public school that I had attended in the 2nd grade, but this time as a high schooler and for a whole year. After that year, we flew back to Madrid, where I finished up my last 2 years of high school, graduated, and began attending Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I am today.
So that's me. And here is my dilemma: as Christians, what is our calling/duty in terms of educating our own children?
There are advantages and disadvantages to all three options -- homeschooling, Christian schooling, or public schooling. But I am not so concerned with which method is easier or more "safe" or more flexible or even more academically or socially advantageous. I am mostly concerned with which is right. Or perhaps better stated: with which is wisest.
Here has been my train of thought on this issue so far: The purpose of education, as I see it, is to raise up children in such a way that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to be men and women of irreproachable character and integrity as well as intelligent, responsible, contributing members of society. That came pretty much straight out of my Mission Statement as an educator. But that is how I see things, and it is from that foundation that I perceive everything else on this subject. Education is a huge part of "raising children" -- I do not see them as separate -- if I were to make this into a graph, "Raising Children" would be represented by a large circle, and "Education" would form a smaller circle inside of the first. All of education is a part of raising children.
And this is important because while the Bible does not say a whole lot on what our responsiblity is as Christian parents in terms of academically educating our children, it has TONS to say on what our responsibility is as Christian parents in terms of raising our children, and so when it talks about how children should be raised, those same principles should be applied to how our children should be educated. Right? I feel like this might be a place where people will challenge my reasoning..? That's ok -- that's what I'm writing this for.
Anyway, we are all familiar with verses such as the one in Proverbs that says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." I think there is much wisdom and truth in that saying, although there are always exceptions. But in general, I think that most Christians would agree that this passage implies that kids should be raised being taught out of a foundation of Biblical Truth, and being taught how to live as importantly (if not more so??) as being taught the right knowledge and skills necessary to be an intelligent, contributing member of society. Still tracking?
Furthermore, when looking at the Bible and how education was set up in the Jewish culture, this idea is backed up: young Jewish boys were educated in the local synagogues from a young age, while girls were taught at home. In both settings, they were instructed from a foundation of Biblical Truth, and were instructed on how to live as well as what they needed to know to survive. And God was always very adamant that parents should instruct their children on godly living from an early age, and that the Hebrews (and later, Christians) should not mix and intermarry with non-believing peoples -- in large part, I believe, so that other pagan ideas and influences would not be brought into the homes, causing children to stray. Am I taking stuff out of context here? Or extrapolating too much..? I am not trying to take sides -- I am only trying to understand the truth here based on patterns and ideas that I see in the Bible...
Anyway, because of these ideas, from a purely Biblical standpoint, it seems to me that homeschooling and Christian schooling are the most wise and "right" options for our children. And yet I have a problem with that. But first, let me finish: I see these two as the best options, because only in those 2 environments can our kids be taught Truth, and only in these environments can our kids be taught priciples of wise Christian living based on the Bible. The public school does not allow for that. Why should we allow our kids to be educated in a system that is 1) opposed to teaching Biblical Truth (there is NO neutral ground), 2) that encourages many Biblically immoral behaviors, and that 3) has fostered an environment where student peer-pressure to conform to immorality is immense because the system does not accept any foundation of truth from which to train and discipline its students.
Why would Christians ever allow their kids to have a large part of their "being raised" to happen in such an environment when the Bible is so clear on how our kids should be raised?
Yet I see the other side of the issue as well. As Christians, are we not commanded to live in the world and wrestle with it? Are we not commanded to engage? Were we ever commanded to shelter ourselves? Didn't Jesus set the example and befriend (not only befriend, but actually commune with!) the worst of sinners? Were his last words not that we should "go into all the world, making disciples"? Doesn't this command go for all Christians, and not just adults? Do you see..? There is a controversy here, it seems....
I see both sides. And I guess here is the temporary, half-hesitant understanding that I have come to after thinking so much about this... I believe wholeheartedly that kids need to be brought up "in the way they should go," because 1) as a good father, I would only ever wish to impart Truth to my children, and 2) because as a good father, I desire more than anything to see my kids succeed and be blessed in the Lord, and so I will do everything in my power to train up my kids in the Lord. Therefore, I believe that kids should be well grounded in Biblical truth FIRST. And I do not believe that that can happen well if the kids are simultaneously attending a public school. And some may ask, "Can you not train up your child in the right way at home, and then send them to school?" And my answer is: I don't know. It just seems to me that at such a crucial time in their lives -- when they are establishing what is True and good and right -- by allowing them to attend a public school, they will be hearing opposite things through each ear. Why take the risk in confusing your kid by teaching him one thing at home and then sending him off where he is taught (or pressured) into behaving or believing the complete opposite in many instances? Maybe a little sheltering is good and wise at a young age... Just like we shelter our kids from seeing certain movies or reading certain books or engaging in certain activities at a young age until they have developed sound judgment -- the same only makes sense when considering education.
Because then there is the second part of the proverb: "and when he is old, he will not depart from it." See, it used to seem to me that "when he is old" meant like, maybe 70 years old. Because that's old. But I don't think that's what it really means. See, the whole proverb is speaking to the human condition; it is addressing the fact that every human operates off of a foundation of beliefs. A person's beliefs directly influences a person's behavior. And so this proverb is exhorting Christian parents to train up their children in such a way that these Biblical foundations of beliefs are established in their lives, and once this happens, this belief system will directly influence their actions so that their actions will be consistent with their beliefs and they will not stray from the foundation they received. At least that is the theory -- and for the most part, that is the rule. Because it takes quite a bit for someone to become convinced that their foundational beliefs are wrong. It is only after our children have developed and adopted this foundation that it is right for parents to "release" them into the world -- yes, Jesus engaged the world and befriended Gentile sinners and commanded his followers to engage the world, but only after he had been trained up and tested; for Jesus, that process of "readying" himself took 30 years... But yet his disciples were commanded to engage the world as teenagers -- the age is irrelevant -- only that each man knew who he was and what he was about and what he stood for before he was ready to go out.
So, Aaron, give me a straight answer: public school, Christian school, or homeschool? Unfortunately, I have no straight answer for you, mostly because I do not believe this question has a straight, simple answer. I think it has a very complex answer, actually. But I will put it this way: I believe that Christian parents should start out by having their kids educated in a place they will be taught Truth, and where they will be disciplined well, held accountable for their actions, and where they will be able to see solid Christian living modeled for them. Whether it is via homeschool or a Christian school, those things are what is important at that stage. (Personally, I prefer Christian schooling.) Then, once they have established and adopted the Biblical foundation for their own (if they do), should parents feel free to make the decision whether or not to send them to a public school. I think that this age will vary from child to child, but personally (and perhaps somewhat naively?), I would think that it would be wise to keep kids in a largely Christian environment up until sometime in middle school.
Anyway, that is the longest entry that I have ever written, by far, and so actually I am very discouraged at the moment, because I do not think many people will take the time to read it, and yet I want feedback. I hope that those of you who did read it have benefitted from it, or at the very least, that you have been challenged by it. And I am especially hoping that some of you will comment back and challenge me in return. :-) Blessings!
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7 comments:
Good thoughts, but I wholeheartedly disagree. If kids don't make their faith their own, it won't matter what environment they are taught in. Ultimately, kids choose the path they desire regardless of their upbringing. I've seen too many sheltered, naive, and sadly ineffective students come out of such environments because they know nothing of the world around them. How can we fulfill the Great Commission with no knowledge of the world? Just a thought...
I can see what you're saying, and it's true: kids will choose the path they desire regardless of their upbringing. However, by that reasoning, why train your kids in the right way at all if they're just going to choose what they want anyway? Is there no point to that? No, I think we train our kids in the right way because there is very strong evidence that kids are much more likely to choose the right path if they've been brought up trained in the right path rather than if they are left to figure it out for themselves.
And so if you're going to train your kids in the right path, and education falls under training, then shouldn't they also be educated (at least when they're younger) in a place and through a system that shares your same values in order to give them a solid foundation?
I have also seen too many solid kids go through public schooling and either end up rejecting the values they were brought up with or leaving school, yes, with their faith, but knowing virtually nothing about how to biblically combat secular doctrines like evolution, tolerance, free sexuality, or an absence of absolute truth. The damage can be done no matter what system kids are in. You don't need to go to a public school to find non-Christians and worldliness to fulfill the great commission -- trust me -- I know that even from Cornerstone.
I don't think any Christian school is set up in order to shelter kids; instead, they are set up to TRAIN kids in order to RELEASE them into the world. Even I am not at Cornerstone to be sheltered -- I am at Cornerstone to be trained according to the values that I know are right so that I can be effective in my ministry in the world.
So I can see value with both systems -- the Christian school as a place for kids to get training and develop a solid biblical foundation, and the public school as a place to set in motion what they have learned and to learn to engage the world while still under the direction of their parents. They both have their usefulness and practicality in their own ways, so why not take advantage of both systems for your kids..? It seems to only make sense...
I for one do not think that it is the responsibility of the school system to give our kids a strong foundation in Christ. That is the responsibility of the parents and of the church. I feel as if you doubt your own abilities to teach your children what is right and are hoping to rely too much on others to do YOUR job.
Private education is not as a rule "better" than public education in many ways. One of the main things that sticks out to me is that the qualifications for teaching at a private school are mediocre to say the least. You do not have to be certified to teach there like you do at a public school and therefore you will potentially have untrained moms who think they can teach telling your kids what to believe. That's not what I want for my kids.
I can't say that in my whole life of knowing privately educated kids that I have met anyone who is both comfortable and effective at sharing the Gospel with the secular world. There is something about going to a public school that teaches you skills a private school couldn't even dare mention.
One last thought...there have also been a similar number of "solid" kids go through the private school system and end up rejecting their values as well. I'm hesitant to blame the schools for this. There are many of the same issues in private schools that there are in public. Not all kids who go there are passionate about Christ. Often, there parents are just rich or else they were kicked out of the public schools and couldn't go anywhere else. I don't think I could ever justify willingly subjecting my kids to that sort of sheltering with little benefit.
Sometimes it's just easier to pay the money and have our children placed in a private school where no one will ever challenge their beliefs and where they won't have to stand up to true opposition. But I think that in our attempt to protect our children, we are simply limiting them and only temporarily hiding them from the realities of our world.
But I don't feel like you are hearing my position... I never ever said that private schools are as a rule "better" than public schools - I said that they both have their advantages and disadvantages.
And I never said that I think it is SOLELY the responsibility of the school system to give our kids a strong foundation - I said that both the school AND the parents contribute to that. Which is true.
And yes, while I agree that going to a public school teaches you skills that a private school couldn't, going to a private school ALSO teaches you skills that a public school couldn't dare mention either.
Don't you see? I am not pro-private schooling and anti-secular schooling - I see equal pros and cons of each, and therefore equal uses for each. Both are extremely valuable and useful, and ultimately, experience in EACH one will help kids be more well-rounded, better experienced, balanced people.
(As for certification, yes, a HANDFUL of international Christian schools abroad do not require certification for teachers yet, but only because their NEED for teachers is so great, so they are forced to be more of a homeschool-like organization. However, EVERY accredited Christian school in the United States requires its teachers to be fully certified before they may teach. And in most situations, private schools have even more rigorous academic standards than the public schools - you shouldn't have to worry about your kids being taught at school by untrained moms. Although you seem to think that it is ok for untrained moms to teach kids what to believe at home and then send them to public schools...if you trust untrained moms to train kids accurately at home, why not trust untrained moms to train kids accurately at school? Some moms might surprise you - there are many uncertified, solid Christian women whose teaching I would MUCH rather my children sit under than MANY officially certified secular professors...)
If you don't think private schools are better, why would that be your ultimate choice?
And no, I wasn't implying that it is solely the responsibility of the school, or the responsibility of the school at all. If the parents do their job, it won't matter if they aren't being taught about the Bible in school because they will already have that foundation.
The skills that private schools provide can be gained both at home and in the church. The skills that you learn in public schools can be learned elsewhere, but only if a kid is placed in that sort of setting through other means. I don't know many private school kids who spend time with "sinners" as Jesus did. I feel like there is always this mentality that they are too good for such people.
And I can't agree that private schools make kids more balanced at all. The word sheltered comes to mind. I think they lack many of the basic skills needed to reach the world around them. You can know everything there is to know about the Bible, but if you don't know how to be in a setting with nonbelievers without making them feel judged or like you are better than them, what value is your witness?
Look it up about the requirements for teaching in private schools in the states. You don't have to be licensed. All you need is bachelor's degree. And no, I would not trust some random mom with an agenda trying to tell my kid what to believe. Why should I leave that to her? That is my responsibility. And the body of Christ is there to hold me accountable. That is what the church is for, to build one another up in Christ.
And yes, I'm sure there are some moms who are qualified to teach Bible stories just fine, but what about the other subjects that are also crucial to a kid's education? What about math? What about English? Are these not important as well?
Kids need to be challenged. They need to have to fight for what they believe and to stand up for their faith in real-life situations. Unless of course they plan on being solely amongst believers for their entire lives which I have known many to do. But the world is much larger than that and our calling much deeper. We must prepare our kids to face a world that we might not like or agree with, but that we are called to be lights in.
...nowhere....either in my original post, or in any of my replies did I say that private schooling was THE ultimate choice OR MY ultimate choice...
It's clear that we disagree on a lot, but these 2 points, I hope we agree(?), are fact:
1) WHEREVER your kids end up, they will be in situations where random people with agendas are telling them what to believe. Christian, public, on the streets - all of the above. Agreed? And we both agree that kids need to be challenged, but in the 2 paragraphs right before you said that, you said that you would not "trust" some random person with an agenda telling your kid what to believe in a private school. However, a) that would happen in a public school anyway (as ALL teachers, Christian or not, are random people with biases telling your kids what to believe), and b) by keeping your kids FROM said biased, untrained teachers in private schools because you don't trust them is ALSO a form a sheltering your kids. ..or is it not?
2) A private school is different from a public school. A private school is different from a church. A private school is different from a home. A private school is different from a homeschool. Right? None of the above are the same things, and therefore, all of the above are different, and therefore, all of the above offer different experiences. Therefore, if each institution offers a different experience, kids will be more well-rounded and diverse by being a part of more of them rather than less of them. NOTICE: they will NOT be *better* kids as a result of this -- they will simply have more experience interacting with a greater diverse population, thus enabling them to reach a greater number of people with the gospel and the truth down the road should they accept that lifestyle as their own.
The truth is, good, solid kids have come out of public schooling and equally good, solid kids have come out of private schooling. And confused, unruly kids have come out of public schooling, and equally confused, unruly kids have come out of private schooling -- I've seen all of the above. Maybe I AM giving the school system too much credit? Maybe it really doesn't matter so much?
But I believe strongly in a DIVERSE education (not any one over any other) because I believe just as strongly as you do that kids need to be challenged, and that they need to learn to fight for what they believe in. I remember in high school taking a year in Bible class to study biblical apologetics - that class taught me what I needed to know SO THAT I could fight for what I believed in; without that class, I would have been absolutely intimidated to share the reason for my faith with anyone. And then I went to public school where I spent a year learning to hang out with people very different from me, and that year taught me HOW to love those people and learn to share with them without turning them away. Both years I was challenged in my growth; both years I developed new beliefs; and both years I learned how to fight for what I believed in - one year taught me how to defend what I believed in and the other year taught me how to tactfully share what I had learned to defend.
The two years, and two experiences, complimented each other - and that is all that I am suggesting... Can we agree on that much?
p.s. - I really do appreciate what you have to say. :-) It's obvious that you've put a good bit of thought into this, and that's encouraging - even if we don't quite see things the same way. Thanks for sharing. :-)
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