Educating Children
Few parental responsibilities carry more impact potential than their children’s education. The Bible is clear that parents in general, and fathers in particular, are to have the primary teaching role in their children’s lives. You don’t have to teach your kids math or science or physics, but you do have to instill in your children the over-all Christian theology that governs all these subjects (and theology does indeed govern all these subjects). Also you and I do have an inescapable responsibility to guard our sons and daughters from error-filled education that counters a Christian world-view.
The Law of God, recorded in Scripture, which is what we are to teach our kids, has something to say about all manner of topics. Proverbs also presents an astonishingly broad teaching curriculum for parents. This means that parents are called to lead the way in teaching their kids about a vast array of topics for all of life. Along the way they certainly may delegate some teaching roles to people they trust, but it remains the parents’ duty to guard their children vigilantly from the effects of less trustworthy teachers. Being aware of the radically anti-God philosophies (atheism, evolutionism, materialism, hedonism, feminism, egalitarianism, relativism, etc.) that saturate most public education contexts, parents who choose that option will have to commit to a consistent and thorough deprogramming of their children when they arrive home from school. This can be done, but the work is hard and long and arduous.
The education decision tilts on which of three options (home schooling, private schooling or public schooling) best meets the needs and fits the circumstances of each family. It should be obvious that the further one is removed from home schooling, the harder it becomes to fulfill at least the protecting and world-view instilling responsibilities I’ve mentioned, since an increasing amount of the teaching is delegated to others who may or may not share your Christian world view and values. Fathers, whatever option you choose, you remain responsible to oversee, review, monitor, influence, and have primary control over everything your children are taught. This is what family shepherds (parents in general and dads in particular) do for the sheep in their fold.
Friends, these are matters for which much counsel is needed. Do not make these decisions apart from the input of your wife and your pastors. Seek out the wisdom of those who have considered all the options carefully and have gone before you in the decisions you have to make. The stakes are high here; don’t gamble with your children’s future, or their souls.
The Law of God, recorded in Scripture, which is what we are to teach our kids, has something to say about all manner of topics. Proverbs also presents an astonishingly broad teaching curriculum for parents. This means that parents are called to lead the way in teaching their kids about a vast array of topics for all of life. Along the way they certainly may delegate some teaching roles to people they trust, but it remains the parents’ duty to guard their children vigilantly from the effects of less trustworthy teachers. Being aware of the radically anti-God philosophies (atheism, evolutionism, materialism, hedonism, feminism, egalitarianism, relativism, etc.) that saturate most public education contexts, parents who choose that option will have to commit to a consistent and thorough deprogramming of their children when they arrive home from school. This can be done, but the work is hard and long and arduous.
The education decision tilts on which of three options (home schooling, private schooling or public schooling) best meets the needs and fits the circumstances of each family. It should be obvious that the further one is removed from home schooling, the harder it becomes to fulfill at least the protecting and world-view instilling responsibilities I’ve mentioned, since an increasing amount of the teaching is delegated to others who may or may not share your Christian world view and values. Fathers, whatever option you choose, you remain responsible to oversee, review, monitor, influence, and have primary control over everything your children are taught. This is what family shepherds (parents in general and dads in particular) do for the sheep in their fold.
Friends, these are matters for which much counsel is needed. Do not make these decisions apart from the input of your wife and your pastors. Seek out the wisdom of those who have considered all the options carefully and have gone before you in the decisions you have to make. The stakes are high here; don’t gamble with your children’s future, or their souls.
Labels: Children, Education, Home Schooling, Parenting
posted by Tim Shorey at
9:00 AM
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