Education of our children has been necessary for most of man’s history and naturally has varied in different ages and from culture to culture. On the one hand, certain academic skills are necessary for almost any job and to enable one to function in life. On the other hand, much more is necessary for a child’s education than simply teaching him or her academically. Moral and spiritual values are even more important. Physical education and social skills are necessary too. As a result, many different theories about education have emerged, and there are strong feelings about these various viewpoints. For Christians who are seeking the best for their children, this often poses a real dilemma, for there are advantages and disadvantages to every method.
In this article, I would like to look at various modes of education and examine the advantages and disadvantages of each. It is not my intention to promote or endorse any one system, for circumstances and godly exercises vary greatly among different individuals, cultures, countries and even areas within countries.
Public Schools
Public education for younger children has been available in most countries for many years and has been a real boon to parents who otherwise would have difficulty in educating their children. Governments have recognized the advantages of making a reasonable education available to all, and thus public education has the advantage of being free and generally close at hand. In some places it is basically good, while in other places there are decided drawbacks.
Because public education is paid for with tax dollars, the general character and content of the education will necessarily reflect the attitude of the government that administers it. In a democratic country, it will likewise reflect the moral tone of the society that elects the government. In Western Europe and North America, it has been widely felt that during the past forty years or so, public schools have increasingly failed to maintain academic, moral and spiritual standards, as well as failing to guarantee physical protection for children. Unhappily, at least in some areas, this criticism is justified. A liberal humanistic approach to education, coupled with a lack of structure and firm discipline, has fostered an atmosphere in many schools that predicates against real learning, whether academic or moral and spiritual.
On the other hand, even if these things are true, many Christian parents feel that by providing a spiritually healthy home life and by arming their children with the Word of God, they can safely send them out into the world, knowing that they must, at some point, learn how to resist the attitude and spirit of the world and to walk a separate path. In addition, these same parents are usually willing to augment the academic teaching in the school and to make up for some of the shortcomings.
In the U.S.A., the concept of “charter schools” has emerged during the past twenty or thirty years. These are publicly funded, but are allowed more choice in innovative approaches to education. In most cases, these schools are better than traditional public schools. Enrollment, however, is often limited, and students may have to go some distance in order to attend such a school. Also, it is questionable whether the moral and spiritual tone of charter schools differs much from traditional public schools.
Secular Private Schools
Before public education became available to all, private schools were common, and even today they are widespread in some countries. They have the advantage of being administered by private individuals rather than government, and parents are able to choose a school whose objectives coincide with their own. Classes in private schools are generally smaller, with better equipment, and often students receive more individual attention by teachers with excellent credentials. For these reasons, the quality of education is frequently better than in public schools. Because parents are paying directly for their children’s education, their voice is usually more effective in influencing the approach to learning and the content of the curriculum.
There are a number of drawbacks, however, that must be considered in private education. First of all, the expense is often considerable and is out of the range of many families. Second, children may have to travel a considerable distance in order to attend such a school. Third, private schools are sometimes “the domain of the wealthy” and may tend to stress success in this world, together with an emphasis on participation in extracurricular programs such as clubs and sports activities. Often the educational process is deliberately aimed at preparing students for higher education and distinguished careers that advance them in this world. All of these considerations must be weighed by Christian parents before the Lord.
Private Christian Schools
Given the perceived decline in public school education, some Christian groups have organized their own private schools, in order to provide an education based on Christian values. Like secular private schools, these are privately funded and, as such, can plan their own curriculum within government guidelines, as well as teaching Christian principles and maintaining discipline according to the Word of God. Usually such schools do not restrict their enrollment only to Christians, but it is understood that all teaching will be based on and intertwined with Christianity.
Such schools are usually very good, in that they avoid the moral and spiritual perversion that is often characteristic of public schools. Many of the students come from Christian homes and thus share a similar outlook and values. The Word of God is generally read before the day begins, and prayer is offered.
Once again, there are some potential difficulties that must be considered, however. When children are in a public school and in a worldly atmosphere, they can be taught to be on guard regarding what they see and hear. In a Christian school, parents may feel that this guard is not needed, and children may wrongfully assume that whatever they are taught must be right, since it is coming from a Christian perspective. Considering the outward ruin of the church today, when Christendom has become a “great house,” this complacency is not always warranted. Many Christian schools are sponsored by particular Christian groups, and the teaching will necessarily reflect the beliefs of that group, whether scriptural or not.
More than this, when Christian children are brought together from many different backgrounds, it may have the tendency to emphasize the oneness of the family of God (which is a good thing in many ways) at the expense of careful adherence to the truth of the Word of God. Separation from that which is not according to the Word of God is a most necessary thing today, and this becomes more difficult when believers are often called to work together with those from many different groups. Things that are not according to God’s Word may be glossed over rather than addressed. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:33Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3)).
Homeschooling
In the past 30-40 years, homeschooling has become increasingly popular, especially in North America. Homeschooling has many advantages. The children remain at home under the guidance of their parents, and thus the values instilled in them, as well as the academic teaching, are totally under parental control. Of course, most jurisdictions require periodic testing to make sure that the education conforms to government requirements. However, many programs are available by mail as well as on the Internet, which ensure a well-rounded curriculum. Worldly influences are avoided, and in every way “the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:44And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4) JND) can be maintained. There is liberty for the child to advance at his or her own pace and flexibility in arranging family holidays and trips. As public schools degenerate, homeschooling offers a very attractive alternative for believers.
As with other methods, there are some requirements and potential drawbacks that need to be considered. First of all, homeschooling requires a very organized and devoted mother, who is willing to be available and mentor the student(s) daily. She must be competent to understand and teach academically as well as in the moral and spiritual realm and to be willing to sacrifice herself for her children.
Second, there must be discipline in the use of time. Schools outside of the home require the student to get up at a certain time, to attend classes on time, and to complete assignments regularly. The lack of this compulsion with homeschooling may contribute to a lack of personal discipline, if a schedule is not maintained.
Third, there are frequently other (and often Christian) families in any given area who practice homeschooling, and there is a tendency for families to work together in this, since parents may have different skills. These parents often like to trade with each other in teaching. Again, when Christians are involved, our guard may be down, and separation from what is not according to the Word of God may be more difficult. Finally, the question of when a child does face the outside world must be considered. While it is wonderful to avoid the bad influences of the world, Scripture tells us that we are in the world, although not of the world. At some point, a child must go out into the world and be able to withstand its opposition, as well as witness to it. In the atmosphere of homeschooling, there can be almost complete isolation from the world, and the question must be addressed as to whether this will handicap a Christian child, if it is carried on too long.
In considering homeschooling, we should remember that it also restricts the children from the good teaching abilities that others have, as well as from bad influences. We should be careful not to base our decisions on the assumption that we have the best abilities to teach our children.
No One Right Way
In summary, I would only comment that there is no perfect way of educating our children in a sinful world. There are advantages and disadvantages to every method, and only by considering all the circumstances in our particular case and weighing all these carefully before the Lord can we make a right decision.
More than this, the atmosphere of the home is crucial, no matter what kind of education is chosen. If parents seek to bring the Lord into everything and to make His Word the guide for themselves and their children, it will have an effect on them that nothing else will. Children are strongly influenced by their parents, and as another has remarked, “Children generally want what their parents enjoy.” The parents’ influence is usually greater than the educational system, and a godly walk on their part will do much to counteract the bad influences around us today. If we as parents have the spirit of Ezra and those with him, who could “seek of Him a right way for us, and for our little ones” (Ezra 8:2121Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. (Ezra 8:21)), I believe that the Lord will show us that way.
W. J. Prost