Why Should We Care So Much About Education?

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

“All education must be unsound which does not propose for itself some object; and the highest of all objects must be that of living a life in accordance with God’s Will.” (Catherine E. Beecher, Principles of Education, 1866)

The ship set sail with the latest navigational technology on board.  The crew was skilled, highly trained and disciplined.  The captain was experienced and confident; he knew his ship well.  Everything was ready as they pulled away from port heading for...?  Well, there was one small problem: No one knew where they were going, not even the captain.  Before long, the ship was adrift at sea, well equipped and expertly manned, with nowhere to go and no way to get there.

What happened to this ship can happen all too easily in education.  Without the proper goal in mind, the latest technology and the best theories cannot take a child’s education anywhere.

For years, our culture has been buzzing with concern about education.  Former President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” program promised to raise the bar of public education in America through rigorous standardized testing, accountability for teachers and schools, and more choice for parents.  But while the program promised to fix some of the “how’s” of education, where we really need to start is with the “why’s.”  Why is education so important, and what should a good education really be seeking to achieve?

American Industry argues that education should be aimed at preparing young people to take their place in the American work force as capable employees.  Their emphasis, then, would be on job skills, especially on math, science and technology.  Colleges, on the other hand, push for a college-prep curriculum, stressing writing and study skills.  Finally, parents often want for an education that raises their child’s confidence and self-esteem, and so they advocate teaching that helps children feel better about themselves.

All of these things are good, and each perspective has its own merits, but I fear that none of them aims high enough.  Why should a child be prepared to be a productive worker?  Why should a child go to college and do well?  Why should a child have confidence and to feel good about himself?  The Bible gives us answers to all of these questions and more.

The Bible teaches us in Genesis 1:26-28, that God created human beings in His own image for a purpose—to spread His influence in the world.  After humanity fell into sin and death, God set about to redeem His images and to restore them to their original purpose: God still wants us to be like Him and to spread His likeness and influence in the world.  Given this basis, education that serves God’s highest and best purposes must equip children to understand who they are as people created in the image of God called to do God’s will in this world.

Of course, this kind of education will involve preparing young people for their eventual vocation (calling) that God will give them.  It will also prepare them to use language effectively to communicate God’s truth.  If they are called by God to go to college, education should prepare them for that, too.  It should also teach them that, since they are made in God’s image and Jesus died to redeem them, they have great value and worth in God’s sight.  But no single thread of this tapestry can be removed and isolated from the bigger picture of God’s plan.

Does this mean that your child is without hope for a good education if he or she attends a public school or a private, non-Christian school?  Not at all.  It just means that you as a parent need to be constantly teaching and upholding God’s truth and His plan for your child’s life.  This is really no different from what all parents are called to do, no matter where they send (or don’t send) their children for schooling.