The Case for Affordable K-12 Education:
The Biblical Worldview Requires Us to Invest in Free or Affordable Classical Christian Schools.
A rising number of Christians are expressing worries about the rising secular impact within public schools. The clash of values, exposure to godless ideologies, and an overt push for anti-Christ, anti-biblical teachings unto children raised in Christian households. Consequently, there is a strong push from some within the Christian community for the establishment of more affordable Christian K-12 schools. These schools would provide an alternative environment where a biblical worldview will be integrated into education.
The necessity for such an investment is underpinned by the fundamental tenets of the Historic Orthodox Christian Worldview. Orthodox Christians must see to it that a biblical worldview is central in the discipleship, formal and spiritual education, of their offspring. While we can acknowledge that a public-school education is preferable to no education, Christians should refrain from settling for an option that undermines their goals as Christian parents.
The goal and assignment for a Christian parent is to train up the children “in the way [they] should go” with the confidence that “when [they are] old, [they] will not depart from it”. The people in charge of the public school system have the same goal, to train the children in the way they should go with the hopes that when they are old, they will not depart from it. However, the Christian way and the secular humanist way do not lead to the same place. Hence why, the local churches must be actively involved in providing Christian parents, primarily those in their churches, a solid alternative to government education.
In addition to meeting the immediate need for Christian education, the availability of more Christian schools will bring with them the establishment of more communities where families, united by their love and submission to Christ as their Lord, can support one another in discipling their children. This sense of community can offer a refuge from potential social pressures or bullying that may be encountered in secular environments. Furthermore, Christian schools frequently emphasize service and outreach, nurturing a generation with a shared mission to love and pursue the true, the good and the beautiful.
Nevertheless, in our current context there exists a major huddle for many parents. Many well-established Christian schools have high tuition fees, making them financially unfeasible for a large portion of Christian families. This creates a dilemma, as families are forced to decide between the risks associated with sending their kids to public schools and the financial strain of a private Christian education. To be clear, there are many who simply decide to send their children to public school anyway even though they have the means to educate them at home. The local churches also bear the responsibility for not helping their people to have their priorities right. For many it’s a matter of choice between the proper education for their children and their own career ambitions. But you also have many in our communities who simply cannot afford to stay home and educate their children or pay extra to send them to public schools.
Consequently, the responsibility falls on churches, parachurch organizations, Christian businesses, and philanthropists to intervene and bridge this divide. Through investing in scholarships, establishing endowments, and exploring innovative funding approaches, these entities can make Christian K-12 education a feasible choice for more families. This investment not only benefits individual families but also fulfils the great commission on behalf of the church at large. By equipping a generation with a firm grounding in scripture and a Christian worldview, we ensure the next generation’s ability to stand and pass along a solid foundation to their own children.
It is important to point out that I am not proposing that we abandon public schools or the fostering of an isolated Christian society. Parents and adults must continue to be involved in the public school system to the degree that they can for the sake of their neighbors. Christians are called to let their light shine; they are commanded to love their neighbors as themselves. Which means that while our own schools would be open to our neighbor’s children, some of our neighbors (Christian and non-Christian) may insist on sending their children in those environments anyway. So, while Christians must continue advocating for more free or affordable Christian options, we must never abandon our responsibility to our neighbors.
In conclusion, by offering a superior alternative, affordable Classical Christian K-12 schools are guaranteed to empower Christian families as they see to obey God concerning the discipleship of their children. This empowerment nurtures a generation grounded in a biblical worldview, prepared to interact with the world as God world with a proper understanding of the good, the true, and the beautiful. As Proverbs 22:6 reminds us, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." The book Ephesians (6:4) urges parents to "bring [children] up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ultimately, this investment extends beyond children; it is an investment in the kingdom of God. There is no better way to advance the kingdom of God in the earth than to set up educational institution that will teach children the Truth about reality and why Jesus is Lord.