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How does your understanding of the roots of the educational system in the US influence your view of education?
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For many years the educational system contained Biblical integration. This waned away when prayer was taken out of schools and even further when abortion was legalized. Both were blatant attacks on the youth of our country. Delaying students from growing up and giving them tw-een years to experiment and not be responsible for adult actions, hampers learning to an extend. Bombard them with issues and not expect them to cope as an adult. The concepts of teenaged years were driven to the public when automobiles were put in the hands of school aged kids/ young adults. In this nation commercialism was a driving factor to have teenaged years, as businesses discovered that kids ruled the spending of money in the households. Churches then followed suit with having youth directors and activities for kids. The Biblical model was youth and adult, kids and grownups. Kids saw everything modeled by their parents and adults, not pulled aside and given extra years of youth status. Satan so much wants for children to be stuck in youth experimental status, teen, preteen groupings, where less expectation of Biblical responsibility can happen. Lack of Spiritual Warfare being modeld by the majority lead to young crippled thinking adults leaving the church, after graduation, because growing up it was all fun and games. Relationship is paramount to student success, relationship with parents, teachers and the Lord. Fostering wholesome relational practices and encouraging spiritual development is key to educational success. Now hear this, Satan doesn’t wait for you to be an adult to attack you as a Child of God. Biblical and responsible teaching is needed to grow the next generation.
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I think the last 20 years in education has seen a lot of “change for the sake of change.” Technology has driven much of this change but has failed to produce the results that much of it promised. Probably the next innovation will be screen-free schools where traditional methods of learning are reintroduced, and we will marvel at the achievement and learning gains that will be measured in that setting.
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Education should be valued and pursued and made readily available to all. Even farmers who were pioneers in the U.S. had a high level of literacy. Education was valued and seen as a privilege more so that it is today.
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It is helpful to learn about the beginnings of things. As I listened, I couldn’t help but think about what led to the drift in this orientation amongst Christians.
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It becomes clearer as I age how differently people think. I live in small town America, conservative and certainly not cosmopolitan. The newer ideas of marriage, gender, sexual variances are as jolting to me as my old school thinking is to those outside my community. It was refreshing to hear that the Pilgrim community which came to America came with different intent and motivation. This counters what I’ve read in the recent writings which insist that all colonization was for the purpose of establishing slavery.
I noticed the difference that came about when the push for standardized testing came about, and school and teacher evaluations based on those test scores. School became business like in our area. Students looked like little business people, acted 10 years older, became laser focused on scores and achievement. And stressed. But, the world into which they will advance requires this, and if we are to equip for that reality, then maybe it’s a necessity. It doesn’t feel “right,” though.
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Thank you for sharing your experience and concern. The question of preparing children for the world they will inherit is a real one. As a Christian, the question is what is God’s purpose for these children and how do they play into His Kingdom agenda in the world? The world has its agenda that runs contrary to the agenda of God. So the pressure to conform is strong (Romans 12). Yet, we are commanded not to conform but to put on the mind of Christ Jesus that we may be a people prepared for His return and to steward the creation according to the creation mandate in Genesis.
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