Education is Powerful
Education is . . . . Powerful ! (Part 1)
Think about it. An average elementary student spends about 7 hrs. a day at school. That leaves 17 hours out of a 24 hr. day. They spend about 10 of those hrs. asleep. That leaves 7 hrs. There’s about 1 hr. in the morning from the time they get up till they go to school. That leaves 6 hrs. Part of that time they’re playing with friends, part of that time they’re watching TV or playing video games, part of that time they’re eating supper, part of that time they’re getting ready for bed. They might have a couple of hours of quality time with mom and dad – if mom and dad aren’t too busy.
That means that during some of the most formative years of their lives, during the most awake, alert, productive hours of the day, they are under the influence of a teacher in a classroom – for more hours at a time than any other single influence in their lives. That’s a lot of power! How many of you have had your children come home from school and you try to help them with their homework the way YOU learned it only to hear your child say with all sincerity, “That’s not the right way. Mrs. Jones said to do it THIS way!” That’s power!
Madison Avenue believes that. They know how much money teenagers will actually spend; they know how much influence children 12 and under wield over their parents’ spending. So they aim their advertising dollars – billions of them – at children. Whoever gets to our children at these vulnerable ages exercises a great deal of power.
Kenneth Galbraith, one of the most influential economists in the United States during the last half of the 20th century, saw the educational system of our country as the successor to land and capital as the most important determining factor of who controls whom. If you own the land and have the money, you have power. Galbraith said that the educational system was the heir apparent to that place of power.
Horace Mann, the Father of American Education, said, “This institution is the greatest discovery ever made by man. . . . Let the common school be expanded to its capabilities, let it be worked with the efficiency of which it is susceptible, and nine-tenths of the crimes in the penal code would become obsolete; the long catalogue of human ills would be abridged; men would walk more safely by day; every pillow would be more inviolable by night; property, life, and character held by stronger tenure; all rational hopes respecting the future brightened.” [Common School Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1, Jan., 1841, p. 15.]
Do you understand what he was saying? He was saying that our public schools could accomplish what almost every other institution of society – the government, law enforcement, civic groups, citizen action committees – has not been able to accomplish. Our schools can put an end to the human ills that plague society – crime, corruption and immorality.
He was wrong, of course. Education is NOT the Savior of the world. But he clearly and rightly understood the power of education. The critical question is: will that power be wisely used for the glory of God or will it become a means of destroying the very virtues we long to see in our children?
Day one is done!
Day one is done. The tears have dried (mostly mom’s) and the kids are back home at the end of the day safe and sound. The teachers are out of breath, but happy. The new drop-off and pick-up routine went remarkably well (except that it felt really backwards!) and we are underway for the 2011-2012 school year. It’s a good feeling. But what is really behind that good feeling is the goodness, kindness and faithfulness of God in establishing, preserving and prospering Heritage Christian School. Because of Him, we are starting our 28th year. Because of Him, we have a seasoned, experienced, compassionate faculty. Because of Him we have a great school family. How can we not feel good about that?! But there is something deeper under it all. None of this would be possible if sin were still unconquered. Moms would not be shedding tears over their sweet children. Children would not be sweet, and instead of being home safe and sound, they would be lost and very unsafe. Teachers would still be out of breath, but angry, irritated and cruel. A world where sin reigns unrestrained and unbroken is an ugly, sour, bleak, hopeless place. But I have good news for you! Sin has been conquered by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That means sinful teachers, sinful children and sinful parents can enjoy the freedom of being forgiven and accepted by God. It means they are no longer bound by the selfishness, anger, cruelty, and hopelessness that sin produces. We are free to love our children and to teach them with patience. Having them home safe and sound is a real possibility. Teachers can be happy, even if they are out of breath. And all because Jesus died to redeem us from sin and its horrendous consequences. That’s why day one is done, and it feels good.