Posted on 11/25/2005 12:54:40 PM PST by DrBartlett
ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN HOME SCHOOL DIGEST (2005, VOLUME 15, NUMBER 5, 61-62)
Why Not Bring Higher Education
- All the Way Home? -
BY JAMES BARTLETT
Last night I was listening to a homeschooled young man defend his decision to attend a Christian college far from home. He essentially reasoned that to make a comfortable living he would need to gain an accredited degree and work at a major corporation for several years. Perhaps then he would use his knowledge and resources to consider a family business.
Do you notice anything un-peculiar (Titus 2:14 ; 1 Peter 2:9) about the above thoughts? What effect will moving far away from home have on his family, extended family, children, and grandchildren? What example does this set for his siblings? Will he have the same level of accountability or be subject to greater temptations? Why is it that so many Christian young people leave the faith while attending College? Why do Christian students leave “good” Christian colleges with a secular worldview? What economic worldview do major corporations embody? Why have pastors gone to jail for not accepting accreditation for Christian education? Do the Scriptures and Spirit which motivate home education apply to “higher” education and business? Could the home school experience redefine “the college experience?”
To an increasing number of home educating families, and especially those who understand the dominion mandate (Genesis 1:28 ; Psalm 8:6), these important questions are leading to creative “old” paths (Isaiah 58:12; Jeremiah 6:16 ). It may seem daunting to consider higher education as a family responsibility, but perhaps one that many families have been prepared to accomplish (Esther 4:14).
Modern Christian Higher Education
It is well known that secular universities are openly hostile to the Christian worldview, and that Christian colleges cannot replicate the family away from home. According to the Nehemiah Institute, recent worldview assessment of 1,177 students in 18 “good” Christian colleges demonstrated over seven years, that Christian students are graduating from Christian institutions with a secular humanism worldview - even where their professors have a Biblical theist worldview. These above average Christian colleges are somehow producing results that are only a little better than their secular counterparts. Could it be that their curricula and pedagogy (principles and methods of instruction) have been influenced by the same institutional accreditation guidelines and same text books as the secular institutions? Or could there be a secular influence because the faculty attended secular institutions? Could the degree focus on “opening doors” to major corporations overshadow Biblical pedagogy, family cohesiveness, Spiritual maturing, and Kingdom building?
Even the best of Christian distance education does not purposefully involve the family in the learning process, nor purposely couple with individual family convictions. There are few, if any, programs that use the extended family knowledge base, simultaneously earn family income, or provide the follow-on life and business context for implementing the knowledge gained. Perhaps these shortcomings stem from the tendency of institutional colleges and universities to operate according to worldly business principles, rather than fellowship principles (1 John 1:3; Galatians 6:2; Colossians 3:16 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:11 )?
Influential Insights
Francis Schaeffer, one of the greatest Christian thinkers in the 20th century, over 20 years ago articulated one problem of modern higher education as a part of his book titled, "The Great Evangelical Disaster." The following quote also applies to most of Christian higher education today and also points to the need for new directions in higher education.
"Evangelicals were right in emphasizing the Lordship of Christ over all areas of culture-art, philosophy, society, government, academia, and so on. But then what happened? Many young evangelicals heard this message, went out into the academic world, and earned their undergraduate and graduate degrees from the finest secular schools. But something happened in the process. In the midst of totally humanistic colleges and universities, and a totally humanistic orientation in the academic disciplines, many of these young evangelicals began to be infiltrated by the anti Christian world view which dominated the thinking of their colleges and professors. In the process, any distinctively evangelical point of view was accommodated to the secularistic thinking in their discipline and to the surrounding world spirit of our age." Francis A. Schaeffer, The Great Evangelical Disaster (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1984), 119.
HIStory’s Testimony
Taking a look at the history of home education from creation, through the ancient Hebrew civilization, the Reformation and early America reveals that God has always blessed home education. This is understandable as home education is mostly the result of His people becoming obedient to His Word. If we add to this thought the understanding that history is God’s hand moving in the affairs of men, through His leading, blessing, and judging the thoughts and deeds of all people, we then notice that modern schooling may be a part of God’s judgment. The statistics seem to confirm this view and again point to the need for new directions in higher education (Jeremiah 10:2 “ Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen”).
Since home education is Biblically encouraged and has received the blessing of God throughout time, could there be a way in which home educators extend home education pedagogy such that it replaces modern “higher” education and its attendant stumbling blocks, while keeping hearts turned to God, family, and the Kingdom (Malachi 4:6)? Is God leading Christian home educating families to network their capabilities as an alternative to institutional higher education within their own family context? Could such a network operate like a large homeschool support group or church fellowship and help one another take college education captive to the obedience of Christ and His Word? Could this fellowship assist in the launch of unique family businesses with both economic and Biblical dominion goals (Genesis 1:28 ; Psalm 8:6; 1 Corinthians 7:21 )?
Learning Together
It seems that the time is right for a family “university” fellowship or network to demonstrate how the energy, funding and infrastructure that would otherwise build state or private institutions could, instead, edify multigenerational Christian families, and the church, both spiritually and economically. Perhaps this is where the teachers of the church can become very effective (Romans 12:7; Ephesians 4:11 -12) using their gifts to edify the next generation of believers.
Where individual families need outside help in accomplishing higher education subjects, their extended family, local church, and the broader network of like-minded families could assist. If Grandpa was an English professor, why send his grandson far from home and pay for an English class at Christian U. or even Online U. ? Why not spend a little more time with Grandpa and perhaps bring a friend? If your Uncle is an engineer, why move away to State U. for a secular engineering program? Why not craft a Biblically consistent apprenticeship under the Uncle? If the pastor’s wife is a nurse midwife, why send a daughter away to nursing school to learn socialist medicine and learn to be a keeper away from home (Titus 2:5)? Why not spend more time with the pastor’s wife and learn to implement Biblical views in medicine and nursing?
Home education in one’s own loving family, with Christ and His Word at the center, is known to be the best context for learning at any level. With the Lord’s leading, a little like-minded fellowship, some encouragement, and a few specialist inputs, home educating families just might be able to receive true “higher” education (Isaiah 55:9) and impact the culture for Christ accordingly. Such a purposeful fellowship could allow the creative pulse of the Church to go beyond faculty designed courses and take Biblical “grass roots” dominion of specific subjects and curriculum. This is occupying work (Luke 19:13 ), which only Christians that think like Christians (Romans 12:2) can accomplish.
Dr. James Bartlett, PhD, PE ret., is the Executive Director of the Biblical Concourse of Home Universities & the North Dakota Home School Association. Dr. Bartlett and his wife Lynn homeschool four boys in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota . More information is available about the Concourse, a national support group for families pursuing home college, by calling 701-263-4574, emailing info@biblicalconcourse.com, or visiting biblical concourse.com
Worthy of a bookmark. Thank You.
Students learning to think for themselves at college? We must stop this at once!
Oh, I know forming your own opinions is evil. Why go to a good college and learn how to think for yourself and live on your on when you can stay at home and have Mommy teach you? Moreover, I'm sure that all the companies will be uber impressed when they see on your resume that you were homeschooled in college. That'll be good enough to let you flip burgers at McDonalds.
My Grandfather learned by correspondence and became a VP at his company.
Well, IMHO, a person's faith and personal worldview, at some point, must become a "heart issue/conviction" of the individual.
We homeschooled, but then enrolled our son in college (community) in 10th grade. He was taking secular courses, being fed the secular "world view," but he was at home and each day we had the opportunity to discuss what he was being taught and help him work through issues that were being discussed, pointing out the differences and reasons between our "world view" and that of some of the liberal professors.
He's about to graduate with his AA (he's a HS senior technically) and will transfer to our local state university, which also happens to be in our town.
He doesn't seem to have a desire to "go away" to college (lots of friends here and he likes his social life here.) The degree he wants, he can get at the university here. So once again he'll be home everynight, and his dad and I will be able to talk over what he's being taught (I have noticed that once you get past the first two years of general ed requirements, the classes seem more straightforward and more geared toward math/science/technology and you're less inclined to hear the prof opine on his "world view.")
Sooner or later the young person is going to have to face the "world view" of others, and we think it's been good for our son to find out what others think/believe and be able to discuss that with him while he is still at home.
Well, as long as you can live on your on and the companys are
uber.When I want to build rockets I'll ping you.
Harvard is also going online, and spending $millions to do so. The bricks and mortar campus may well be on the way out, but a university education won't be. This idea is being well received in developing and former communist countries.
...If your Uncle is an engineer, why move away to State U. for a secular engineering program? Why not craft a Biblically consistent apprenticeship under the Uncle? If the pastor’s wife is a nurse midwife, why send a daughter away to nursing school to learn socialist medicine and learn to be a keeper away from home (Titus 2:5)? Why not spend more time with the pastor’s wife and learn to implement Biblical views in medicine and nursing?...
As a home schooling parent myself I hate to say this but, in our state, to be an engineer or a nurse one has to pass state tests. I don't think an unlicensed (apprenticed) person would be allowed to practice medicine or to build things. Unless the author of this piece doesn't think Christians should be in degree-required disciplines.
mark
Frankly, I don't appreciate the snot; they're called typos. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from one of the top public universities in the country, and I have a REAL job unlike the homeschool college students who are going to be spending their lives working at McDonalds. However, if you want your children living with you when they're in their forties, then be my guest... Enroll them in Home School College; you won't even have to spend the $100 for them to take the SATs.
It's kind of hard to confuse working in the accounting department of a Fortune 500 company after graduating college with a 3.97 GPA with working at a Seven Eleven. However, my sixteen year old cousin works at a Target on the weekends, and I'm sure that he'll be more than happy to send your children job applications.
Knock it off.
Don't get too excited. An "unbiblical" worldview, according to these folks, includes taking issue with any of the bracketed answers following these statements:
* American founding fathers violated New Testament principles when they founded America. (Strongly Disagree)See Christian College Professor Flunks Christian Worldview Tests.
* The Ten Commandments originally provided a basis for our legal and political system creating justice and peace. (Strongly Agree)
* George W. Bush is the President of the United States of America. (Strongly Agree)
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