Pulpit Magazine brought up the issue of how Christians should educate their children again last week, in response to the response they got to their previous entry that even got discussed here in The Measure of a Christian Education.
If you have not read it, this entry is a much improved effort to make the point the Christians do have choices in educating their children. They avoid the trap they set for themselves with the first entry and stick more to analyzing the application of Deuteronomy 6:5-9.
Particularly point three interests me. It is something I have come back to in my own thoughts many times:
Third, the Jews did not understand this passage as a mandate to home school. Alfred Edersheim, in Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Days of Christ (specifically chapter eight) explains that while children (primarily sons) did receive some education at home (from ages 3 to 5), they were sent to the synagogue for their education starting at age 6 or 7. There they would attend formal classes with the other boys from their community. This Jewish application of Old Testament instruction accords more with today’s Christian school model than it does with the contemporary convention of home schooling.
I don’t know that I agree with homeschooling as a “contemporary convention,” however there are certainly roots for the model of the local church school going back to the intertestamental period at least. The Mishnah records (via Follow the Rabbi),
At five years old [one is fit] for the Scripture, at ten years the Mishnah (oral Torah, interpretations) at thirteen for the fulfilling of the commandments, at fifteen the Talmud (making Rabbinic interpretations), at eighteen the bride-chamber, at twenty pursuing a vocation, at thirty for authority (able to teach others)
The vocation pursued was of course the trade of the father. The learning of the Scripture, however, took place at the local synagogue under the supervision of a rabbi.
From what they have written, I can see a good argument for homeschooling or the local Christian school. I still do not see where public schools can be brought into that, for even if we view Deuteronomy 6 as the Jews appeared to, they did not send their children off to the Romans to be educated. (That isn’t meant to be an argument against public schools, I am only pointing out their argument does not seem to apply).
So, based on scripture, your own experience, or your own thoughts, what do you think would be the ideal education system?
Based on Scripture, there is no mandate for a ’system’, and especially not a gov’t controlled system. If there is any ‘contemporary convention’, it is definitely the current public education system.
I would say that home education is mandated by Scripture, but not in the sense that most people assume is meant by that. Home education is parent determined and directed education, not necessarily the parent doing all the actual teaching. I can pick and choose who teaches my kids and what they teach and what resources are used. This is the most Biblical method of education if one is going to be honest about it.
For instance, I have signed my kids up for piano and guitar lessons. I have interviewed the teachers and decided on the curriculum and method. The lessons will take place in my home, and if at any time I am not satisfied, I can change teachers, or go with another company altogether.
Even with Christian schools, you have to take what you get. Some teachers are excellent facilitators, while others are heavy-handed, biased, and obnoxious. You cannot change teachers- you have to change schools, and the current system does not make this a feasible option. You cannot request a different curriculum or approach. You generally cannot expect your child’s interests and abilities to be nurtured. Pay your tuition and hope for the best. How is any of this truly a parent directed education?
IMO what Pulpit Magazine has done is ignore the form, function, and underlying philosophy of homeschooling, succumb to their own biases and institutionalized thinking, and proceed to pontificate based on ignorant assumptions. As you can tell by my tone, I have no patience for people in positions of spiritual authority who will twist the truth to fit their preconceived notions and patronize their customer base. Always follow the money.
Interesting post, Dana. I, too, don’t see biblical justification for public schools–particularly the brand that is now available. I’ve been thinking about this and may post on it. My two initial thoughts are 1) realize that alleducation is inherently religious, and 2)education should be community based. By that I mean that it should be controlled, directed, funded, etc. etc., by a community, i.e. group of people with real ties to one another, not just geographical proximity. The problem is that we have had a collapse of community in our culture, so I don’t see that as a possibility at this point.
A question I ask myself daily! I don’t yet have a ready answer, but I have pieces here and there as I go about trying to design the school I plan to open.
One piece of the question I have answered is that I am not comfortable with children starting school so young. The idea of preschool bothers me. It’s not that I don’t think we need a place for children in this age group for some parents and families, I just don’t feel it is necessary to “school” them. And as the quotes about remind us–they (the children) were sent off to synagogue at 6 or 7, after being taught of the scriptures at home (character learning, relationship learning, etc), not at 4 and 5 years old.
I know this was not the intention of your question, but it’s what comes to mind for me.
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Public and private schools in the usa today do tend to remind me of industrial-age warehouses where children are watched rather than educated. I wish all parents would take on the responsibility of educating their children. Train up a child in the he should go…does not mean drop that child off at school 7 hours per day and let them worry with it.
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Sunniemom–I agree with you. : ) I do think this entry was better than their last one on homeschooling. I don’t think they have misrepresented homeschooling in any way (or if they did, I missed it). Their point isn’t that there is anything wrong with it, just that it isn’t mandated in scripture.
Some of the formatting is a little weird since this was imported when this blog moved, but here are some previous posts along similar vein:
The Efficacy of our Public Education System
which discusses the shift in thinking regarding the purpose of public education and
Solutions in Education
which probably closest mirrors my frustration with Christian schools.
April, I agree. I like the idea of local community schools, especially connected to the local church. But as you say, our communities are splintering as are our churches.
Shawna, preschool bothers me, too…especially this increasing notion that it is something necessary. I wish people recognized it for what it is: a second best option to an involved loving parent. I don’t think we do ourselves or our children any favors pretending there is actually an advantage to being sent away at that age…I have actually seen a number of baffling posts recently from people wondering what their children will be missing if they homeschool for preschool.
Here are some of my thoughts on that article and why I feel they don’t accurately represent home education:
Second, even if Deuteronomy 6:5–9 were immediately aimed at New Testament believers, the passage does not directly command formal home school (in the sense that home school is practiced today in Christian circles).
Really? How, pray tell, is homeschooling practiced today in Christianity? Inquiring minds want to know.
…it directly commanded Israelite parents to consistently teach their children the things of the Lord within the normal activities of life. The passage says nothing about subjects like reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Uhm…if God is the Creator, didn’t He, like, invent reading and writing and math? How does a Christian separate ‘academics’ per se from everything else, as if academics are merely a sterile exchange of unbiased information in…what- a vacuum? Is God in Heaven observing the Hubble Telescope or the mobile phone or HDTV with envy, mumbling to Gabriel- “I wish I had thought of that!”?
Obedience to this passage demands that a parent consistently teach his or her children the things of the Lord as a regular part of life. Whether that parent teaches his children algebra or English grammar is not the point.
Faulty assumption #245- that in order to homeschool, the parent personally does all the instructing. Rather, the parent can choose who and what and when and how their child’s education will occur. Of course, they often do most of the teaching/counseling/instructing. And this is a bad thing because….?
no matter which type of formal education parents choose for their children. Whether the child learns math, history, science, and grammar in a public school setting, a Christian school setting, or a home school setting—it is still the direct responsibility of Christian parents to bring up their children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
Inconsistent, since on the one hand they say it is the direct responsibility of the parent to ensure that the child is being instructed and nurtured in the things of God, and then say that one can do this by placing one’s child in an environment where they are being counseled by unbelievers and in the company of foolishness that is seldom dealt with Biblically. One must ignore Psalm 1:1, ICor. 15:33, ICor. 5:11, and Proverbs 13:20 (just for starters) in order to send one’s child into any situation where a parent has little or no input concerning who will be instructing, influencing, and associating with one’s child.
I think they need to take their Spiritual Discern-O-Meter to the shop. It isn’t functioning properly.
If they were actually saying that homeschooling is bad, I’d agree with you 100%. But it isn’t their point, so I think we need to look a little more at what they are saying. I obviously cannot speak for them, but this is how I read the article.
How, pray tell, is homeschooling practiced today in Christianity? Inquiring minds want to know.
I do not quite understand your objection, but quite possibly I am reading this very differently than you are. They took great pains to note that they are not critical of homeschooling, so I don’t see point two as an attack of any sort. They are merely responding to objections raised by their readers who felt that homeschooling is the only means for a Christian to educate a child.
Faulty assumption #245- that in order to homeschool, the parent personally does all the instructing. Rather, the parent can choose who and what and when and how their child’s education will occur. Of course, they often do most of the teaching/counseling/instructing. And this is a bad thing because….?
Actually, no, I don’t think they’ve made a faulty assumption. They never said that to homeschool you have to do it all yourself. What they are advocating is that in order to fulfill our responsibilities as parents, we do not have to do it all ourselves. We can determine who and what and when and how our children’s education can occur, including sending them to a good Christian school. The entry isn’t about homeschooling. It is about how to educate a child, with homeschooling presented as one means.
On the last point, I agree with you. I don’t make major issues out of people sending their children to public school. It is something parents need to decide for themselves, but I do not really see a means of trying to give the choice based on scripture.
We are reading it differently, Dana. Probably because I have been reading other articles and comments on that site, and my perceptions are colored by what I have read. Especially the article about Jonathan Edwards.
Whereas I’ve read like three things of theirs. I’m not overly impressed with it…I like the idea, but the writing is not that good and the spiritual insight or whatever you want to call it is not particularly insightful. It runs more like a summary I might write after a sermon rather than something that is supposed to inspire pastors, or create a forum for spiritual discussion (which I believe was their mission, or something close to it).
But I did find this to be much improved over the conundrum they set themselves up with the last entry they posted on the subject, mostly because they started with scripture rather than a problem they could not solve.
Interesting question. I tend to look at what is wrong, rather than what is ideal. I guess I am not as concerned with the system as with who is in the system. Ideally, my children would be educated by self-governed, master teachers who inspire them to love learning.
I, also, like the idea of my son learning a vocation. At one of my husband’s jobs, Bug can go with him. They both enjoy it immensely. Bug learns so many things helping his dad. The work is simply cleaning, but he sees his dad’s character, and he can ask all the questions he wants.
I like that idea, as well, Renae. And the whole idea of apprenticeship.
Our 11 yob can go with my dh to work on his half-day, which is really a great experience for him. It is interesting in that he hears alot of words not allowed on network television, and we are teaching him how to deal with that appropriately.
Our firstborn apprenticed at a local HVAC company, and looking back now he says it is one of the best things we did for him, as it has given him experience to draw on in thinking on his feet and dealing with people that has nothing to do with fixing an air conditioner.
Dana, you’ve come to many of the same conclusions I have concerning how the Jews handled the teaching of their children.
Lori
Hopefully this isn’t too off the topic of the post, some of the comments interested me.
I love the idea of apprenticeship. I attended public school from preschool through college, and looking back, I think it would be a great idea to replace the middle school years with apprenticeships :0) Joking aside, my last two years of college I was required to have an internship (unpaid). It made all the difference in the world. To apply what you are learning in the real world, while you are learning it? That is education to me. And I think, at its very basis, that is what Deut is getting at.
Or at least have them more available and to count for credit when someone finds one. I don’t like the model Florida is pursuing, but more options would be good. Particularly for kids who know what they want.
Excuse me, what the Deuteronomy *passage* is getting at. Not that Deuteronomy is a person who said anything :0)