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One of my favourite television shows is the Discovery
Channel’s MythBusters. On the show, two daring stuntmen shoot, burn, blast and drop
things – all to discover the truth about everyday myths.
What exactly is a myth? Well, according to the Oxford
Dictionary, the most common definition of a myth
is “something that many people believe, but that does not exist
– or is false.”
A great number of myths are associated with Christian
education, some of them rather amusing. My favourite is the notion that
Christian school kids are close to perfect. After having four kids in
Christian school, I can say for sure that this is not true – and
I’m sure their teachers would agree.
To help bust these myths, I have asked three seasoned
Christian school principals to challenge them, including: Anne Ferguson
(John Knox Christian School), Ellen Freestone (Vancouver Christian School)
and Paul Tigchelaar (Carver Christian High School).
– Dan Dowber, development director with Carver Christian High School
MYTH 1: CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
ARE LIKE THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS OF THE 50s – WITH BIBLE CLASSES AND GOOD
MORAL TEACHING.
Ellen Freestone responds:
Christian schooling is in my blood; maybe it’s
even imprinted in my genetic code!
My grandfather started the Christian school in his
Dutch village, in the early part of the 20th century; my parents helped
start a school in Alberta; and my mother’s cousin was a member of
Vancouver Christian School’s first school board in the 1940s.
After all that family history, I still feel like I am
just scratching the surface of what a Christian school is supposed to be.
It still feels like a never-ending task of possibilities, growth and plain
hard work. But why?
Isn’t it just a matter of hiring a group of
Christian teachers, making sure the Bible is taught twice a week, and
teaching children good Christian values and morals?
If that’s all it takes, it would be a fairly
simple task – and, frankly, that kind of school would not be much
different from the kind of public or private school you might have found in
the 1950s.
So then, what is a Christian school?
Yes, there are Christian teachers, Bible classes,
morals and values. But what inspired my family members, and what continues
to keep us very busy, is the quest to have children understand that all of
life is to be permeated by faith.
We are to look for God’s thumbprint everywhere,
and to wrestle to understand his calling in all areas of life. We need to
look for this in geological rock formations, ocean ecosystems, the heroes
in children’s books, the history of this great country and our
aboriginal people, the policies we practice regarding relationships, and .
. . Well, you see the problem: our job is never done!
More than ever, our children are shaped and influenced
by a worldview that does not recognize God in the big picture or in the
details – and that worldview bombards them relentlessly through
media.
What a privilege: to have an amazing alternative to
offer them throughout their school career. This means hard work that goes
far deeper – and beyond Bible class, morning devotions and good moral
teaching.
As parents and community members, we need to be
teaching our children what it means to be faithful servants, on a daily
basis – in all areas of life.
What a daunting task! Can all this be done at home, at
church, and by attending a ‘good’ school like the ones in the
50s?
I know what my relatives would say!
MYTH 2: CHRISTIAN
SCHOOLS ONLY TEACH CREATIONISM.
Paul Tigchelaar responds:
The issue here is not one of a struggle between the
Bible and science, and whether both get equally fair chances in our
schools.
We want our students to wrestle with real issues, such
as evolution and the various accounts of creation, with their feet firmly
grounded in a Christian worldview.
In short, yes, we teach creation. We know from Genesis
1:1 that “God created the heavens and the earth.”
You will find unlimited notable stories that address
the question of what to teach about creation. I read an article written by
a prominent scientist and Christian author, in which was described a
spectrum of no less than 12 different versions of a Christian creation
story.
These were all based on biblical truths and scientific
evidence, and each was compelling in its own right. They ranged from
God’s use of an evolutionary process to a belief in a very young
universe.
Thirty years ago I attended Calvin College, a Michigan
institution with a staunch Christian Reformed worldview. At the time, three
professors presented a concerted view of an old creation model that placed
the creation event billions of years ago. Their disciplines were biology,
astronomy and geology.
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The perspective they shared generated huge controversy
at the time, which since has settled into extensive, complex and generally
reasonable dialogue spanning science, theology and time.
Equally committed Christians who are experts in their
fields of science don’t necessarily agree on a definitive model of
the creation story; but I suggest that all Christians would agree that God created.
We desire to lead our students in learning about the
character of God, and deepening their very personal relationship with him.
We do that by developing in our students a growing understanding of
biblical revelation.
We also do that by exploring math, science, literature
and all the other disciplines through which God reveals aspects of himself
— aspects that will never contradict the biblical account of who God
is.
Thus, we encourage our students to understand and to
challenge traditional and contemporary thought, as we seek to learn
together the truths of God’s revelation. We discuss, we agree to
disagree, and we delve into the history and science of God’s
creation.
Finally, we acknowledge God’s sovereignty. We
seek his wisdom and guidance as we struggle with a body of knowledge that
supports the creation story. Ultimately, in our faith and learning
communities, we seek to grow in relationship with God – as we develop
critical thinking skills. This combination is what makes our Christian
schools distinct.
MYTH 3: TEACHERS IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS ARE MORE PROFESSIONAL THAN THOSE IN CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS.
Anne Ferguson responds:
The real question is whether or not Christian schools
have good teachers.
What makes a good teacher? A love for the Lord and a
love for children are essential, and teachers at our Christian schools are
both passionate about their faith and dedicated to their students.
Teachers also need to be able to lead by example when
encouraging students in faith; and they should be able to successfully
teach the curriculum to their students. All this happens at our Christian
schools daily!
What makes a teacher professional? Teachers at Carver,
Vancouver and John Knox Christian schools, for example, are highly
qualified. Most of the teachers and administrators, like their public
school counterparts, are certified by the B.C. College of Teachers, which
requires the equivalent of at least five years of university training in
order to attain professional certification.
Several teachers and administrators have even shown
their dedication to improving their teaching practice by obtaining
Master’s degrees in various disciplines. Some choose to focus on a
particular area in the curriculum, while others focus more on special
education or leadership programs.
All staff members are committed to professional
development, and regularly take courses and workshops to improve and update
their knowledge. For example, each October, all teachers and administrators
attend a two-day CTABC (Christian Teachers Association of British Columbia)
conference, where they go to various workshops and collaborate with their
colleagues in other Christian schools.
Many Christian schools are also members of the Society
of Christian Schools – and take full advantage of their experts, who
keep teachers up-to-date with the latest literature.
Written into the contracts for all our teachers is
language that mandates regular professional upgrading for teachers.
All staff members review the curriculum within their
schools in order to improve educational programs on a regular basis.
In addition to all of the above, staff at all schools
are held accountable for their teaching practice, by means of evaluations.
Each person is encouraged to maintain a professional
portfolio documenting their growth as a teacher or an administrator.
Most importantly, all three schools are proud to have
teachers and support staff committed to giving their best because of their
passion for Christian education.
Are teachers in Christian schools competent?
Absolutely! Are they professional? Definitely! Are they less competent or
professional than their public school counterparts? Certainly not!
Christian school teachers are highly competent, take
professional development seriously – and, most importantly, are
motivated to excel, by their passion and love for educating children from a
Christian perspective.
February 2009
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