It is common to hear Christians speaking of the need for “higher standards” in education. Christians commonly argue that modern schools do not aim high enough, and that more challenging curricula are needed. However, when we look at Christian schools, despite all of the talk of higher standards, we rarely find higher achievements
The reason why talk of higher standards never leads to greater results is because the talk is insincere.
Christians criticize modern schools for their results, yet refuse to move away from the cause of those poor results, which is the K-12 model of modern schooling. Christians retain the modern school model because of its convenience for adults. Students attend modern schools while parents are working and running their errrands, and that for only 180 days per year, which saves tuition money. For most of the day, for most of the year, there is no “school”. This school model is very convenient–and the cause of low achievement.
Christians will complain, nevertheless, that modern schools, by relying on textbooks, do not lead students to engage with “primary sources” in their favored subjects (usually history and literature). “Classical schools” will advertise that they do not use textbooks but study the “great books” directly. While this may sound impressive, when we look at a history or literature course in these schools, we find that the scope of the course has been greatly diminished in order to allow time for the study of the so called “primary sources”. For all the talk, these students end up knowing less about history or literature than they would have learned if they studied a quality textbook in the same amount of time.
The modern school model limits what can be studied. This model is followed freely and the limits imposed on learning are voluntary. For students to learn more they must devote more time to learning. The idea that keeping the modern school schedule , but changing the curriculum content or the method of its study is an excuse to study less, not more, than modern schools.
This is why talk of higher standards produces no greater results.
The modern school schedule was designed to serve modern school goals. Christian students in history never pursued great learning following the modern school schedule. The modern school schedule does not provide sufficient time for great learning. Modern school administrators, teachers and parents are not interested in spending more time teaching their students. They are content to follow the modern school schedule even though it will not serve the goals of Christian education. The talk of higher standards is just that–talk.
Moreover, when adults express a desire to make Christian studies more rigorous, they often penalize rather than help their students. A high school credit, for example, is equivalent to 120 hours of academic work. The high school diploma signifies that these hours of academic work have been fulfilled, and nothing more. To pretend that a school is going to raise the standards of education by making their high school diploma more difficult to obtain is simply a means of penalizing the students. What is easy for public school students to obtain becomes difficult for Christian students to obtain. Why? Because the adults have decided to make it so for their talk of higher standards. Yet, their higher standards are restricted to what can be done during the normal hours of the modern school schedule–which is the actual source of the low standards. No good comes of this insincere talk of higher standards.
If we truly desire to raise the standards in Christian education then we must actually study more. We must provide our children with the opportunity to satisfy modern school requirements as conveniently as possible. We must then continue studying to go beyond the requirements of modern schooling and work beyond the restrictions of the modern school schedule. If we are not willing to do this then our talk of higher standards is insincere and our children will achieve less than many of their peers
Mr. William C. Michael, O.P.
Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
Enjoy this article? Take a moment and share it with friends.
