Considering Education

I am well into Frame’s treatment of the Decalogue in The Doctrine of the Christian Life. He treats each of the commandments in terms of its strict interpretation and then in light of “good and necessary consequence” to follow the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger Catechism. Then he moves into contemporary issues that are connected to the particular commandment.

I will work through some of those contemporary issues in the next few months. I’d like to start with secular education which arises in his discussion of the 1st Commandment. This is not a condemnation of secular education. This is an issue sure to divide many Christians. Many Christians are wise and gracious regarding this issue; others … not so much.  Many parents have to consider the benefits and problems with homeschooling, private schools, charter schools and public schools with each particular child and in light of financial realities (I do advocate a school voucher system to help poorer families increase the education options for their children).

We do need to think through the issues, not just generally but also in terms of the local school system. Some are better than others in terms of openness to matters of faith, responsiveness to parents etc. So, I remain convinced there is no one answer that fits all situations as parents consider the education of their children. Fitting since this is the first day of school locally.

“Scripture makes it clear that education, like every other area of human life, must be done to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31) and in the name of Christ (Col. 3:17). Therefore, it must be done in accordance with the Word of God, the Scriptures (2 Tim. 316-17).”  What Frame is communicating is that as Christians we should make this decision regarding our children’s education (or our own) in light of God’s glory and in the name of Christ. This is not something in which Christ has no authority. Like other questions in the Christian life, individuals will come to different conclusions. We are not talking about the outcome, but the goals and desires here.

“We cannot, for instance, study history while ignoring divine providence, let alone (as in many secular curricula) ignoring the substantial role of religion in forming the culture and politics of nations.”

“However, Christians should be very critical of the role of the state in educating children. ” We have to recognize that the state’s goals for education are not the same as ours as Christians would be. One of the things behind Frame’s treatment of this question is that culture is made up of 3 related institutions: family, church & government. The church is the local family of faith in Christ. Government is meant to maintain order in the larger family of Adam in a particular geographic location (we think local, county, state & federal here in the U.S.). As a Christian, I am part of all 3 “families”. The interests of one may not be in line with the interests of the others.

In many places, the state has done a good job educating children at least in many areas of knowledge. But generally we discover that it is not very good at doing this. The larger the school system, apparently, the worse the education. The economies of scale don’t seem to work as well in education.

The state, as a reflection of the family of Adam, tends to reflect the worst of human culture unless deeply influenced by the gospel. We can see how public education is at the forefront of promoting and normalizing the worst of human culture and sin. We have to remember that godliness is not their goal. Many “educators” are interested in social engineering and seem to be quite adept at it. The parent should be aware of this, and talk with their local school system to get information about the “social agendas”. Don’t enter that discussion like someone looking for a witch to burn, but to humbly understand what matters to them. And to understand how they responsive they are to parental concerns.

As a secular institution, public schools are not to promote one particular religion. Some remain fairly neutral and allow discussion. Some are less tolerate and open to discussion of faith. They are aggressively secular, or, as is common today, biased against Christianity (as the majority religion) and open to Islam (as a minority religion in keeping with Marxist politics). Here is where the conversations matter.

“If there are not absolute standards of right and wrong, how can the schools establish codes of behavior and tests of academic performance?”

In schools, our children are exposed to more than just curriculum. They will have peers who may bring out the best or the worst in your children. You have to recognize if your child is a leader or a follower. How does the school system handle bullying? Is it proactive or reactive (only responding when a child arrives with a black eye)? Know that your kids will be exposed to life very different from what they see at home and church. Some kids can handle that. Others will struggle.

This brings us to his next point: “A Christian education should prepare children to live in the unbelieving world, not only in the Christian subculture.” In the New Testament, separation is not a geographic thing like in the Old Testament. We don’t have our own country, but live among the nations. We are not to isolate ourselves into ghettos, or gated communities. Our children will face temptation all of their lives. We have to help prepare them for this reality in age appropriate ways.

We do well to remember that unless we live on a private island we are all under the authority of some government. Sending your child to school does not “place them under the state’s authority.” They already are under that authority. It is a question of how much exposure you want to give your children to the influence of the State.

Some people want their to be a biblical norm for this question. A few years ago some people in my current denomination advocated for withdrawal from the public school systems. I think that is inappropriate, and contrary to what we see in Scripture. Moses was educated in the schools of Egypt. This was part of how God prepared him to lead a new nation of people who had zero experience in leadership since they were all slaves. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were educated in the schools of Babylon to prepare them for government service. God apparently isn’t opposed to having his people in schools that are dominated by false religion.

Parents must use wisdom, not just do what their parents did, or have a knee jerk reaction. Churches must show grace, understanding and help parents who struggle with this decision.