Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Mar/95

Contributor - Bill Sliedrecht

Title - Why Our Children Attend Christian Schools

Topic - Education

FOR the last 15 years we have been sending our children to Christian school, from our oldest starting in grade one to our youngest who we enrolled last September in kindergarten. Although we always felt good about our choice, we never talked much about it, not sure how others would react, not sure we could give good answers and not feeling very good about defending it, without, we felt, causing damage to our relationships with others who send their children to public school. But now, with the current anti-Christian trend in the public school clearly evident, it may be that some would like to know a little more about our outlook on Christian education.

At about this time 15 years ago, we struggled with the decision mostly because of financial reasons. It was expensive then, just as it is expensive now. True, about 6 months earlier, we had moved in from another town and in the purchase of our house here had succeeded in not over-extending ourselves, remembering all too well the relentless pressure of just making it. Now with the school we had an opportunity to go right back into that again. The final push to send our daughter came from a guest speaker here at First Reformed, who in his sermon strongly expressed his opinion that Christians send their children to Christian school. We enrolled her a few weeks later.

These last fifteen years and my recent involvement in the running of the school have convinced me that, for a number of reasons, it is a privilege for parents to be able to offer their children a Christian education and I am thankful for the many who have the vision and the commitment to keep Christian education alive and strong.

Parents are responsible for the upbringing of their children, they have a duty to: teach them: Deut 6:7, train them: Pr. 22:6, Eph. 6:4, instruct them: Deut. 4:9, Isa. 28:9, Deut. 31:13; "their children, who do not know this now, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God...... Eph. 6:4: 'Fathers do not exasperate your children, instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord". The responsibility for the education of children lies with the parents, not with the schools, parents can delegate the task of teaching to others but they cannot delegate to others the ultimate accountability for that teaching. The schools are responsible before the parents to carry out the teaching and training of the children as the parents would before God. The parents must see to it that their children are instructed in the fear of the Lord.

Schools, of course, are not the only place where children can receive Godly instruction, the church provides Sunday school, catechism classes, young people's groups, bible studies, etc. and above all at home children are in touch with parents who, in word and in deed, no doubt have the strongest influence. The influence of schools, however, is also very strong. I believe that sincere Christian parents who send their children to public schools are often very concerned about the teaching their children receive, suspecting that many things taught in the public school are in direct opposition to what they, knowing Jesus Christ, would teach them. I believe that daily, prayers go up before God to provide protection for their children when they are away from home and under the care and teaching of ungodly men and women. Yet, despite these concerns, many sincere Christian parents simply never even considered that alternatives do exist or somehow continue to find virtue in public schools, more so than in the available Christian schools, almost as if the influence of Christian schools on children is worse than that of the public schools. If that is so then the world has been very successful in selling its own ungodly philosophies, and the deception is really hitting home.

The idea of sending one's children to Christian schools often meets with a number of objections both from one's own friends and from those around us. One of the main stumbling blocks, I believe, is the perceived high cost. It is financially expensive. The monthly payments could actually support the purchase of a small vacation cottage, yearly vacation trips with the whole family to fairly nice places, a larger house, a decent car, etc. For some the monthly payments could not be made without truly unacceptable financial sacrifices, in which case, I believe, God will support and protect the children no matter where they are, or in which case the larger community of Christians' the church, could step in and help out, or home schooling could be considered. In the Niagara region there is an active and supportive network of home-schooling parents. Although not often openly admitted or said, the choice between that little bit of extra stuff and a Christian education for the children is tough, but I believe that unpreparedness to make the financial sacrifice lies at the root of many of the other objections.

One of those objections may be that children in Christian schools are isolated to an unhealthy extent from the reality of the world, arguing in effect that God does not want us to shield our, who are really His, children from anti-Christian philosophies in their formative years. Proverbs 22:6 reads: "train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it".

I believe that statement is also true for a child trained in the way of worldly philosophies, he will not depart from that either, or at best he will struggle for many years trying to put his trust in God completely, his vision clouded by the mix of deceptions. As I heard Dr. Dobson explain on the radio, our conscience is not always a reliable guide for Christian obedience. Our conscience is basically formed during childhood. We parents sometimes do not feel pangs of a guilty conscience when we are disobedient to God simply because "we have always done things that way". For example: We always have sent our children to public school, we ourselves went, what is wrong with it, a bit of ungodly teaching did not seem to have hurt me? Going back to the original objection, most children when placed in any new and unfamiliar environment need time to adjust, in time they will, growing up involves many changes and those having received a solid Christian training when young will be better equipped to cope and remain true to Christ when they are older.

Some will object that Christian schools are not perfect either and that some of the students behave in a very worldly way, not at all Christian, witnessing against Jesus Christ, which in the context of a Christian school has a doubly damaging effect. This is also true, just as it is true that in church there are members who bring disgrace to the name of God, causing people to turn away from God, giving cause for the outside world to condemn Christianity as hypocritical. Many will fall away and follow the world. Should we follow the world in its reasoning and reduce our commitment to obedience or even fall away, because others from the church do? Christians, parents, Churches, Christian schools cannot save any one, we cannot even save ourselves, only God can. We, God's people can only remain faithful and obedient to God's Word and teach His children His ways for them. They have the freedom to take it or leave it.

Others maintain that children from a Christian home can be witnesses for Jesus Christ in the public school and that removing them from the public school is not showing Christian love to all children and teachers there, who do not know Jesus Christ. I believe that children who have committed their life to Jesus Christ can be and are being used by God in that way. However I believe that this is a special calling. Jesus did send out the disciples as sheep among wolves, Matt. 10:16, but they were men who were mature in their faith, not children in need of instruction. I do not recall any scripture where God tells parents to send out their children to witness, while there are many passages reminding parents to raise their children in the fear of the Lord.

Objections such as unfamiliarity with the group of Christians or church that basically supports the school, past experiences where feelings were hurt, fears that the children will become goody-goodies, etc. are really only side issues that should not stand in the way at all of opting for Christian day school instruction.

Finally, for you who are concerned about commitment to academic and athletic excellence, students attending the school our children attend, across all grades consistently, year after year scored well above average on national proficiency tests and often, like last fall, excel in many kinds of sporting events. Teachers and most students are highly motivated, class sizes are small in comparison with public schools, teachers are very supportive, parent involvement and support is strong, Christian holidays are Christian celebrations, the school atmosphere is one of submission to God.

Seriously consider the alternative of Christian school for the new school year. We believe that after 15 years, you will find, like us, that it was the best investment you ever made.

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