Educational Philosophy

Most discussions on Educational Philosophy begin with the school or classroom metholodgy and / or learning styles. While those are an integral part of the decision, we begin with who is responsible for a child's education. (Learning Styles and Methodology have a separate section under the Handbooks / Resources tab.)  Families of Faith Christian Academy adheres to the conviction that God has ordained that parents are directly responsible for the education of their children, and have specific concerns for that of their grandchildren. While "the village" benefits from a well- raised citizen, it is not the responsiblilty of the village to raise a child. The Bible clearly puts that honor and responsibility on the parents.

"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."   Deuteronomy 6:5-7, 4:9-10

Education Is the Parents’ Responsibility.

The directive is for parents to oversee or have the responsibility to direct the education of their children and to do so with diligence. That responsibility requires an investment of my time and resources, both to see that I am trained in God’s Word, and then to impart that knowledge to my children. All periods of the day seem to be covered from “rising in the morning” (or afternoon nap, as the case may be) to “sitting in the house, walking throughout the day, and finally lying down in the evening.” But, let us not forget that diligence also requires that I do the planning and preparation to see that all necessary areas are covered, not just those that happen to pop into my mind or come as questions on the lips of my children. We as parents must lay a solid bibilical and academic foundation, and then build on that foundation with imperishable materials. If your student does not have a solid foundation in phonics and reading, how will you build the ability to read and understand history, math or science, much less the unfathomable riches of God’s word?

The ministry of teaching by those outside the home, while clearly a valid calling, can never replace the parental responsibility of education that the Bible, God’s revealed will, clearly places with the parents. Thus, while parents may, at a time agreeable to them, delegate some of the particulars of the task of education to others, great care should be taken in the choosing of teachers and educational institutions. Parents must also recognize that they are accountable to God for the results of such a choice.

Education for the Christian Consists of Two Parts:

Spiritual Training, that they may become effective stewards of God's Word and Academic Training, that the children may become responsible adults in society. Christian parents are commanded by God to raise children that are spirtually mature by instructing them in the ways of His values, goals, and standards. Academics should include, but are not limited to: training in reading, writing, mathematics, language, history, geography, science, art, and music. The directive from God's Word taken from Proverbs 22:6. Often the spiritual aspect of this verse is as far as the lesson goes, but we believe a careful etymology of the verse will show that the academic education and/ or career training is an intregral part of this verse.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

We believe that every individual is uniquely designed by God for His purpose in his or her life. In connection with this belief, our desire is to help academically as the parents oversee all areas of the student's education, including, but not limited to, the spiritual realm.

Spiritual Maturity

In Ephesians 6:4 we read, "And ye fathers....bring (your children) up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Deuteronomy 6:6-9 clearly shows that parents are responsible to God to live and teach Godly principles to their children during all parts of the day.

The apostle Paul often wrote expressing his earnest prayer that those he had led to Christ would continue to mature in their faith, to be partakers of “strong meat,” and not just the milk of the word as a baby. Parents (and fathers in particular) are instructed to nurture their children in the Lord.

Academically Prepared

When Proverbs 22:6 speaks of training a child in “the way he should go,” it is not just talking about spiritual training. Our children are individuals with different talents and gifts. We as parents need to be sensitive to those gifts, and, while laying a solid academic foundation that prepares a student in many academic areas, we should also be willing to add special attention to the areas of strength or interest of the child. That does not lower the academic requirement in any of the other core areas, but hones the abilities the Lord has given to the student and helps develop them to their greatest potential. We cannot predict what God may do with the talents He has bestowed on our children, but we do have a responsibility to invest in developing those talents for His glory.

"Common" schools were established with a different foundation.

Government-run schools (public) have a goal of training children in the way that the world thinks they should go. This includes a man-centered philosophy that teaches there is no God. Carl Sagan presents the foundation of the “world view” this way: “The cosmos is all that is, or ever was, or ever will be.” It is from this foundation of no divine creator, no absolute truth, that we have become a nation that condones and even celebrates evil, and will accept any truth unless it is based on the Bible, only because it alone claims for itself divine inspiration.

We live in a country where the average reading level does not reach past middle school. Newspapers have to be written using vocabulary words from the fourth through sixth grade. We must not let our children become part of that statistic, but must prepare them for and require of them that they learn to think, using deductive reasoning and logic. It may be hard to see the value in forcing our young charges to memorize their times tables, phonograms or learn the language of algebra, but, if we do not, they will live a life with limited choices. All too often, by the time a student reaches an age where he begins to think of the path he wants to follow, examining what is required to accomplish that goal, he is so far behind academically that he just gives up and lives a life far below the dreams he once dreamed.

 

A Short History Of The "Common" School

A short history lesson is necessary at this point to understand why the public school system fails most, if not all, of the students who are turned over to it.

As a nation, we decided about 130 years ago that every child was entitled to an education financed by the tax payers. Contrary to what we have been taught by educators both in the public and private sector, government schools were not formed to fight illiteracy, as the following quote plainly shows.

Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817), was a French-born, American economist and politician. He, along with his son, Eleuthere Irenee, founded the E.I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company in 1802 near Wilmington, Delaware. Thomas Jefferson had commissioned du Pont to survey and report on the status of American education in the early 1800’s. He reported:

“Most young Americans . . . can read, write and cipher. Not more than four in a thousand are unable to write legibly . . . In America, a great number of people read the Bible, and all the people read the newspaper. The fathers read aloud to their children while breakfast is being prepared—a task which occupies the mothers for three-quarters of an hour every morning . . . It is because of this kind of education that the Americans of the United States . . .have the advantage of having a larger proportion of moderately well-informed men.”

From that time of high literacy and following the establishment of a "single payer" educational system, we have evolved to a system where children are no longer individuals, but every child is required to be educated in an age-segregated group, with every child required to learn the same lessons at the same time under the same teaching method. And, if your child does not learn using the chosen method of the establishment, then there is obviously something wrong with your child. This can be just as true in private schools as public schools, as many, if not most of the teachers in private schools were educated in the world view and methodology of the present system of education. They may have Christian teachers, but in many cases they are still using the age-segregated methods that were designed by men whose purpose was to raise a generation that would be “humanist in belief system” and “socialist in philosophy.”

In our nation’s history, prior to the mid 1800’s, it was considered the family’s responsibility that children be educated. In many communities, a father who did not read the Bible daily with his children and see that they learned a trade was punished for raising a thief. The greatest determining factor we have seen at FOFCAI for successful education is parents who know and accept that, regardless of where or how they designate for their children to be taught, it is their responsibility and theirs alone to see that the children God has given to their care are educated. If you believe it is your responsibility, I assure you, you can be successful. If, however, you believe it is the government’s responsibility, and you are just stepping in temporarily, then your likelihood of complete success is greatly reduced.

The lesson of history is that the public school system has produced a nation of students who cannot read beyond a remedial level, much less advance to critical thinking. It is no wonder American students score below average in math and science compared with most industralized nations. This is why the public school system grades schools by comparing them to other schools in the same failed system.

Academics, Morals, and Philosophy

Most who are reading this handbook have already decided to take a leadership role in the education of their children and do not need a review of why government-run schools cannot provide the best possible academic education of each student, much less the damage they have and will continue to inflict on the minds of their subjects. For those who are at the research stage, we would recommend “The Right Choice: Home Schooling” by Christopher Klicka, which we consider to be the best book written on the subject. It was published in 2001, but is still one of the best books on the why Home-based or Parent-directed education is the right choice.

In Part One of his book, Chris Klicka outlines the incredible failure of public edu-
cation. In three chapters, he presents the case of the academic crisis, the moral crisis, and, finally, the philosophical crisis in public education. Each chapter is thoroughly logical and well documented. If you want to see what is really going on in schools today, or need solid backup for your in-laws, you will have it.

Part Two discusses the rising hope of homeschooling, including Biblical principles, a history of home schooling, and the advantages of home schooling. The book also has sections from selected homeschool experts, as well as legal arguments and resources. Every homeschooler should have this book.

The Battle For Your Child’s Mind Is A Battle of Two World Views

Secular World View

"The cosmos is all there is, or was, or ever will be."       Carl Sagan

This means there is no God. No Divine Creator. No absolute truth. No purpose for my existence. Only what I can see, touch, or feel matters to me.
I am the one who decides what truth is for me, which may be different from your truth. I decide what is right and wrong. I am the center of the universe. My wants rule supreme.

Biblical World View

“In the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth.”

This means there is a God. The Divine Creator. Who is absolute truth. My life has hope, and a purpose.

I can study and learn truth, the order of the universe has a plan, of which I am a part, and I am not alone. Life is a journey with eternity as its end.
How I choose to live it has eternal consequences.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Families of Faith Christian Academy International admits students of all races, colors, national and ethnic origins to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded, or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate based on race, color, national, or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies or other school administered programs. FOFCAI does not discriminate based on race, color, age, sex, physical handicap, national or ethnic origin, in the administration of personnel and hiring policies. Such discrimination would be contrary to our Statement of Faith, but most importantly to the very Word of God.