I tend to find it really interesting, borderline funny, when someone tells me that it is the government’s job to educate kids. Is all government schooling bad? In my limited experience, yes, but not because it is run by the government. The government does not make it inherently evil. No, what makes it bad is what is taught. I happen to be blessed to be a teacher, so I am in the trenches of the kind of education the kids are getting these days. What I see and hear coming out of the government schools in Washington state is appalling and, I might even say, child abuse.
To go back to my first question though, whose job is it to educate the kids? I am well on my way to having 6 kids, so I better have a good answer to this question. To me, it is pretty simple. In Deuteronomy 6, it is clear that it is the parents’, more specifically the father’s, job to educate their children. As a Christian, this is cut and dried. No real questions to ask. I am commanded by God to train up my kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Another name for this is the Paideia of the Lord. Paideia is the Greek word for worldview that also encompasses culture, actions, and societal norms. It is not just knowledge but a lifestyle. I like to talk to my kids about being Christian, American, Weinbergs. We read our Bible, watch football (which is the right football), and enjoy smoked meats and soup nights. We have a distinct culture that is filtered by, at the minimum, these three things.
As an educator, I do deal with a lot of parents. The parents at my school are awesome. I love our families. We are a school that is for Christian families who want to disciple their kids. We can truly partner with them. We only accept “churched” families into our school because of how we view education. This makes our families awesome. Even with that said, a common thing that I hear from the parents at my school is “I wish I had this education.”
I am super thankful that I get to do this kind of work and build the next generation up to be better than me. It is enormously rewarding work to me. I have half a problem with parents saying this to me. It is a big half problem though.
I know that people are busy. I know that life is crazy. I have 5.8 kids at this point. The oldest is 10. We have two in diapers. 3 in school. Life is hectic and tons of fun. I get all of these things truly and fully. I know the families that I serve are busy families. They are not slacker people. I am not trying to talk down to them at all or to make them feel bad.
Here is my problem though with the thought “I wish I had this education.” I’ll give it as a question: what is stopping you? What is holding you back from getting the education that you wish you had as a kid now that you are an adult?
I have 1 Bachelor’s, 2 Master’s, and a Doctorate. I didn’t start college until I was 24 and married. I’m starting my 10 year of teaching high school and my 5th year teaching college. I have a lot of school under my belt. Every student that I have taught at Evangel Classical School is farther along than I was at their age. I was not a good student. I went to school in order to play sports. I was only interested in doing the bare minimum that my dad said I had to do in order to make the team. My dad required all A’s and B’s from me in order to play. I received a good, private school education. To be honest though, I hold my students to much higher standards than I ever had in school. I expect way more of them in every realm. We start this in kindergarten, so it is a frog in the boiling water kind of thing.
I bring this up though because of something I challenge my students with. Occasionally, my students will tell me that they can’t do something because they aren’t like me. They aren’t doctors. Sure, fine. Neither was I at their age. I try to encourage them in their studies even if their grades aren’t that “good” because of how much we require of them that they are miles beyond me at their age. Part of my job is to push them as far and as fast as I possibly can. If they continue in their education, they will be farther along than I am when they are my age. Here is the challenge I give to them though. It is my job to make sure that it is as hard as possible for them to catch up to me. Their job is to try and catch up to me. I want to always be a target out front for them to be shooting for. I don’t have to know everything now. But you can be sure that I am always adding new things to my body of knowledge.
Coming back to the parent though. When I am talking to my kids, I know what they are learning in school. I know what they are going to cover each year. I know how it all fits together. This is a blessing of working at their school. I am taking responsibility for my kids’ education as I feel the Lord requires of a father. I am not trying to argue that all parents need to work at their kid’s school. What I am trying to argue is that all parents should know what is being taught to their kids in their schools.
There are a few reasons for this. First, education is communal. Sure, one can study on their own and learn all kinds of things. Most of my studies have been on my own. I do this in order to give back to my community though. I want to challenge those around me to learn more about the world that God has made and blessed us with. I do not think it is enough to just be thankful for the good things that God has given to us. That is not taking dominion of the earth. I do believe that we should be seeking to understand the world that God has charged us with. Proverbs 25:2 is a favorite verse of mine for this, “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings to search them out.” Solomon was a king who did this well. We should be like him in this regard. It is not enough to enjoy the good gifts, and it is not enough to learn about them and keep them to yourself. We do these things to glorify God and to make those around us better. Education is meant to be shared. Don’t be a dragon with your pearls of wisdom and hoard them all to yourself.
Second, parents should seek continued education for the sake of being counselors of the next generation. This goes back to what I was challenging my students with. There will come a time when my sons leave my house and make their own households. They will no longer be under me. They will have to make their own decisions. If I do a poor job in preparing them, they are going to be fools in the world and will bring me shame. If I do a good job at the beginning, they may become wise and bring me great glory. If I do not continue my education and start to act like I have “arrived,” there will come a time that my sons will outpace me, and I will no longer be a source of wisdom for them to come and glean from. I do not want to make them dependent on me. That is not what I am saying. I should be evidently growing in such a way that encourages them to come and seek my counsel. I should be building this kind of relationship so that I do not belittle them in their growth now. As a father of young kids, I currently hold a lot of the reins to their lives. When they grow up, they will have to run on their own. I should not make it so that they NEED to go to another to get better training. I should still be out there in front of them. I should forever be a wise counselor in their lives. Not the only one, but one of them.
This is like what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11 to follow him as he follows Christ. I should be able to say to my kids to follow me because I am going in a direction and to a place that they will want to go. They can still wander the trails around me, but we are all hiking up the same mountain. We are all seeking Christ. This is the kind of example that fathers should be to their kids.
What does this mean for you? It means that you should be seeking more education in order to help the next generation. You continue to grow in order to encourage them to grow. Learning is rewarding in and of itself. It is a lot more fun to do it with a group of people.
This is something that Comeford College is trying to do. We offer night classes in order to help parents grow and keep in front of their kids. You don’t have to despair that you didn’t get the education that you are now giving to your kids. You can continue to work and also get it for yourself.
Classes start soon. We would love to help you outpace the future generation.