Never before, it seems, have children been so pushed in school to perform well on tests and
to get ready for college and careers. And never have so many children seemed to be so anxious,
so stressed out, so lost, and so depressed at school. I believe that college prep and career
readiness can be part of the end goal of a good education, but when these things become the main
focus of a child's education, the education is out of balance, unhealthy, and stripped of beauty and
meaning. I think, as a society, we have largely lost sight of what a good education is and how
profoundly a child is impacted by the type of education they receive. Noah Webster defined
education in his 1828 dictionary. Listen to this nearly 200-year-old definition of education. "The
bringing up.. of a child...education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline
which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and
habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a
good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education
is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these
duties." So, if education is the bringing up of a child, what happens when the main focus of an
education is testing and college prep and career readiness? Is that the end goal of our upbringing,
for our children to do well on tests and to be ready for college? An education that focuses on
raising a child in faith and high moral character, an education that is immersed in beauty and
meaning, need not neglect strong, solid academics, college prep, and career readiness. It's not one
or the other. There is beauty and wisdom in balance, but I see education today largely out
of balance with a lack of meaning and beauty, and a lack of focus on the things that matter most.
Education inescapably shapes a child. Who teaches them, what are they taught, how are they taught,
what is emphasized to them, the books they read, connecting or disconnecting learning with God,
the influence of teachers, the influence of other students, philosophies taught,
it's all a huge part of a child's upbringing and it is the underlying responsibility of
the parents to guard, determine, and guide these things. And education should not be
stressing children out and leading them away from family and faith. Education should be a joyful,
fulfilling experience that forms healthy, beautiful minds and hearts within the family.
In my study of education and how it has changed over the decades, I have seen that goodness and
beauty have been stripped from learning. It's the whole reason I do the work I do. The Bible,
wholesome literature, and masterfully created poetry is replaced with books with low value
that portray poor moral character and even have profane content. The power, goodness,
and beauty of God and faith are ignored, passed over, and neglected while the shallowness and
self-centeredness of secular humanism becomes the main emphasis. Whether we recognize it or not,
and whether good teachers want it or not, so many things from media, education, and advertisements
are all part of teaching an underlying religious belief and philosophy, secular humanism,
which is defined as the belief that humanity is capable of morality and self-fulfillment without
belief in God. Secular humanism is an attempt to function as a civilized society with the
exclusion of God and His moral principles. Often parents do not see the effects of our
youth being educated through secular humanism until it is subtly but deeply implanted in them.
I see the results of a humanistic education everywhere, even in good Christian families.
Children become more self-centered and focused on worldly successes,
friends, and worldly things become the center of their lives. Families and faith are weakened,
addiction to social media and obsession with body image and worldly philosophy sink into
their hearts and minds. But that doesn't have to be your child's path. As parents,
we can decide for ourselves what the end goal of our children's education is to be. And we
can wholeheartedly pursue the path that leads there. There is a path to the education you
want for your child. It is a path that might not be easy or convenient, or very popular,
but I promise you that there are tremendous and beautiful blessings that come when you
are willing to open your eyes and really become involved in your children's education,
regardless if you are able to homeschool or not. An author that I love, Kate Douglass Wiggin,
said, "What we make children love and desire is more important than what we make them learn."
Through education, we can help children love and desire strong family relationships, faith in God,
powerful, wholesome books, knowledge and wisdom, confidence in their infinite worth,
kindness, humility, honesty, discernment, gratitude, selflessness, and strong minds
that will allow them to pursue any further education or career that they desire.
Something beautiful happens to a child's education when it is reconnected to faith, moral character,
and beauty. There is a power, meaning, and significance that cannot be there otherwise.
This power builds confidence, brings joy, deepens character, and fundamentally changes children and
what matters to them. I recently received a letter from a second-grade boy who said that he was so
grateful that he and his little brother got to have such a BEAUTIFUL—in big letters—education.
It's amazing that already in second grade a child can discern and care so much about
receiving a beautiful education. I think about what that mother is doing for that little boy.
We have the incredible opportunity to choose the kind of education our
child receives. Not everyone in the world does. It's a beautiful and sacred freedom,
and it is also an obligation we have to these precious little souls because their
education will largely shape who they are and what matters to them.