Australian Children's Book Council Awards for 2025

This is a cross post from my Children's Literacy Blog - Literacy Families & Learning

Book of the Year: Older Readers

WINNER

'I’m Not Really Here' – Gary Lonesborough (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults).

"A moving coming-of-age story with so much heart. For readers who enjoyed Heartstopper." --BOOKS & PUBLISHING 

Honour Books

'Birdy' Sharon Kernot 

'Into the Mouth of the Wolf' Erin Gough (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)

Book of the Year Award: Younger Readers

WINNER

'Laughter is the Best Ending' Maryam Master. Illustrated by Astred Hicks (Pan Australia)

Honour Books

'Aggie Flea Steals the Show' Tania Ingram, and illustrated by A. Yi (Scholastic Australia)

'Fluff: Mess Up!' Matt Stanton (ABC Books) 

Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood 

WINNER

'The Wobbly Bike' by Darren McCallum

Have you ever helped a child to learn to ride their first bike? Most of us have and it isn't always easy. Those wobbly wobbly starts as we sit them on the bike, walk beside them, try to steady them before you let them move a little on their own? It is usually stressful for child and parent. 

In this delightful picture book Darren McCallum was inspired by his three year daughter who one day was racing out the door. She had been given a bike and one morning her Dad caught her heading outside. He asked where she was going, to which she replied, "I'm going outside to ride my wobbly bike."

 

This experience was of course the inspiration for this wonderful picture book. He 

One afternoon when his daughter Summer was small, Darren McCallum took the training wheels off her bike. McCallum is a painter by trade who lives in Australia's hot Top End city of Darwin. He was something of a storyteller to his brothers and sisters while growing up.

When he eventually decided to give it 'a crack' (as we sometimes say in AUS), he remembered that Wobbly Bike. 

The Wobbly Bike, with illustrations by the well-known illustrator Craig Smith, is the well-deserved winner of the 'Early Childhood' Book award in 2025.

 Honour Books Younger Readers (Ages 0-6 Years)

'One Little Dung Beatle' by Heather Potter (illustrator) & text by Mark Jackson 

'How to Move a Zoo' by Kate Simson (illustrator) & Owen Simpson 

Picture Book of the Year Award 

WINNER 

'The Truck Cat' written by Deborah Frenkel (Author) and illustrated by Danny Snell 

The Truck Cat is a story about cats and humans, immigration and identity, and homes that can be lost and yet found again. 

Author Deborah Frenkel is an award-winning writer of books for children. She grew up in the 80s and 90s and thought she might just be a 'business lady'. But that wasn't to be, and after working in advertising in her day job writing ads for varied clothing brands, she changed course. She now lives in Melbourne, Australia, on the traditional lands of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. 

Her delightful book is well supported by the illustrations of multi-award-winning artist Danny Snell.

Her delightful book is well supported by the illustrations of multi-award-winning artist Danny Snell. 'The Truck Cat' is the perfect book to inspire kindness and compassion in young children everywhere. Now this lead should get you in:
 
"Some cats are house cats. Some are apartment cats.
But Tinka is a truck cat. Tinka lives everywhere."
 
Tinka travels with his human owner Yacoub. But no matter how much they travel, home always feels very far away for both of them. Yacoub drives his truck to make a living, learning the landscape of a new country along the way, and longing for connection.
 
But on one trip, Tinka and Yacoub are unexpectedly separated. But they are both determined to find one another. In doing so, they find even more than they expected …

"In The Truck Cat, Deborah Frenkel’s beautiful writing takes the reader on a gentle and often amusing ride. Yacoub’s story is one of resilience, yearning and sighs of sadness. Tinka the cat makes sure there is sunshine and smiles along the way. Danny Snell’s gorgeous colour palette splashes movement and life on every page. From vignettes to double page spreads, the combination of art and text presents a heartfelt, hopeful story of finding home …"

Sandhya Parappukkaran, the award-winning author of 'The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name', suggests 'The Truck Cat' is a must-read picture book’. ‘At a time when the world is in turmoil, much of it due to ignorance, intolerance and bigotry, there could not be a more timely choice for a book that will bring children right across the country together, in a glorious celebration and a move towards greater acceptance and empathy.’

This is a lovely picture book that combines great storytelling that touch on the heartwarming emotions of loss, companionship and love. It's pitched perfectly to entertain and move young readers, as well as to gently open their hearts and minds.’

 Honour Books

 'These Long-Loved Things' (illustrator) & Josh Pyke (text)

"A moving coming-of-age story with so much heart. For readers who enjoyed Heartstopper." --BOOKS & PUBLISHING

 

'Afloat' Freya Blackwood (illustrator), Story by Kirli Saunders (Little Hare)

'These Long-Loved Things' Ronojoy Ghosh (illustrator), Story by Josh Pyke (Scholastic Australia) 

Other Picture Books Nominated 

'A Leaf Called GREAF' by Kelly Canby

 

'AFLOAT' by Kirli Saunders and text by Freya Blackwood

'The Garden of Broken Things' by Freya Blackwood 

'We Live in a Bus' by Dave Petzold. 

  

Book of the Year Award: Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

 Winner

'Always Was, Always Will Be' by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson (Magabala Books)

 Honour Books

'Making the Shrine: Stories from Victoria’s War Memorial' Laura J Carroll (The Crossley Press)

South With the Seabirds – Jess McGeachin (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)

Book Of The Year - New Illustrator

 Winner

 Grow Big, Little Seed – ill. Sarah Capon (Bright Light)

Worthy Picture Books to Note but not awarded major prizes

1. 'AFLOAT' by Kirli Saunders & Illustrated by Freya Blackwood (Little Hare)

"Roam the water with me. We are here to learn.

Here to spin wisdom, to grow …"

This wonderful picture book is from award award-winning author Kirli Saunders (a proud Gunai woman) and seven-time CBCA-winner Freya Blackwood comes 'Afloat'. And what a triumph!

This is a story told in a time of climate crisis, but against a backdrop of a changed environment. An Aboriginal elder leads a child along the waterways, sharing her People's knowledge, skills like weaving and much more. All the while a child is leaning, discovering and gathering community and seeing their world extended and enriched along the way.

A wonderful new book about the skill of our Indigenous nations. In this book the skill of weaving has a special focus on weaving. But more broadly, it seeks to help young readers to remember and honour our First Nations. This wonderful book has a special focus not just on their unique skills, but also their wisdom and many lessons as they look with hope to the future.

2. 'The Garden of Broken Things' Written & Illustrated by Freya Blackwood

"One day, curious Sadie follows a cat into the tangled vines behind the lonely house at Number 9, Ardent Street.

Deep in the undergrowth, past all the twisted, rusted things, Sadie finds the cat sitting on the lap of a woman, bent with time and weariness.

Sadie has found the Garden of Broken Things." As Maura Pierlot wrote in her excellent review of this picture book in 'Reading Time'.

"A story’s first line can do so many things: capture attention, conjure emotions, pique curiosity, create anticipation, evoke nostalgia. The opening line to The Garden of Broken Things masterfully achieves all these things and more.

One day, Sadie follows a cat into the scrub behind Number 9 Ardent Street, where tangled vines concealed things from another time … things that had come to a final halt. Deep in the undergrowth, she finds the cat sitting on the lap of a woman, bent with time and weariness." 

This intriguing and unique picture book is a worthy member of the Children's Bookweek Shortlist in 2025. Freya as we've come to expect has crafted with warmth and emotion and allows us to enter into the life of Sadie as she explores her world. This includes memories, grief and loss, her natural world and her own journey as she grows older and comes to understand the changes in herself.

3. 'We Live in a Bus' by Dave Petzold

The Relationship of Story, Meaning and Imagination for Younger Writers

Writing is Shaped by Family & Community Life

Well known Australian writer Dorothy Hewett grew up on the sprawling  sheep station of 'Lambton Downs' in South Australia. Bruce Bennett suggests that this was “the seedbed of Hewett’s creative fiction” (p.xv). Hewett herself, suggested that: 

 

“The first house sits in the hollow of the heart, it will never go away. It is the house of childhood become myth, inhabited by characters larger than life whose murmured conversations whisper and tug at the mind”. 

Above: Dorothy Hewitt

 

My childhood was very different to Hewett’s. I didn't live on a sprawling sheep station with the richness of memories and opportunities that Hewett experienced. As well, home for me was far from being a place of harmony and security. Nor was it a place where great literature was shared. Yet, I too found inspiration and ideas for my writing, from the storytelling, yarns, poetry, and music of my childhood, and from the key events of my early life.

 

Above: My First Home

 

Looking back at my childhood, and my early writing that survives, I can see how both were shaped, in part by the home I lived in, as well as my family and early uncontrolled life. Home was not in general a happy place, but it was an environment in which storytelling was everywhere, and not just from books. The stories that surrounded me had connections to music, poetry, 'yarns' and my free range life style. The latter offered boundless opportunities through my self-made adventures, and also the varied experiences and challenges of everyday life.

 

The tension between my experience of story and the literature of school, was a great challenge for me, especially in high school. I lived in a home where storytelling, yarns and some more contemporary poetry were what mattered. But at school, it seemed that it was only the work of great writers that was valued. This tension for me, had an influence on how I dealt with literature in my classrooms later in life as a teacher, academic and writer. 

 

The Many Seed Beds of Story Telling in My Life

 

Sometimes, hidden within the stories our students write, are hidden echoes of their personal life. Many find personal suffering is too painful to share, perhaps a near death experience that they were too scared ever to reveal it to their parents. However, there are often hints, crumbs along the path of their lives than can offer deep insights. These might reflect an event, person, or even a deed done for which they feel deep shame.

 

At a distance of many decades, I can see an example of this in my early writing. One piece I wrote in my teens was titled "The Orphan Seagulls". This picture book told the story of two seagull chicks who were sometimes left alone in their nest, on a high rock cliff near the ocean. While often only the father would leave to find food for them and their mother, as they grew older and food needs were greater, both parents would at times leave them.

 

On one of these occasions, the two half grown chicks huddled in their nest as a Sea Eagle flew in circles above the cliff that held their nest. They were high in the clouds, looking for prey. Father was well beyond the clouds and out to sea, and Mother had gone out quickly just along the shore, to seek some easy pickings in the surf below. But she had not gone long before we saw an eagle circling above us. I wrote about it in early story this way: 

 

"While mother was away, we took the opportunity to sit on the edge of our nest and stretch our wings, which were now fully feathered. Suddenly, we saw an eagle above us and we realized it had spotted us. It began to circle and then descend. We looked beyond it hoping that mother might be returning. But we could not see her." 

 

 

As an adult, I often recall childhood memories of my sister and I often being left at home on a Saturday and sometimes Sunday nights while our parents were out entertaining at clubs, weddings and hotels. When it was time for bed and they hadn't returned, we would huddle under the covers and worry at every noise we heard outside. On one such evening someone came and banged on the wall outside my sister's room where we were both trying to fall asleep. We were terrified! Thankfully, it stopped but we couldn't get to sleep. When our parents arrived home at about midnight we rushed to them. Dad tried to calm us by going outside, searching the surrounds before coming back and saying it was probably a horse that had come into our yard and bumped into the house. This of course, was nonsense. 

 

As a teacher, when I read the writing of some of my students, I would at times hear a few faint echoes of life experiences they had which troubled them. On a few occasions, my students privately shared some of these experiences.

 

Growing Young Writers

 

I believe as teachers we can have a great influence on growing our students as writers. We will do this if we are able to inspire them with great literature and powerful story telling. As well, we need to assist them build on such literature, to grow as story tellers and writers themselves. 

 

Imagination is of course, a key ingredient in this quest. So, how might we inspire our students to write not just because they have to, but to release them to explore ideas and seek deeper personal insights that turns life experiences into rich story telling?

 

 

Above: A very young writer composing an early story

 

First, we need to flood their world with stories and poetry of all kinds. This requires skill by the teacher to introduce them to varied works, and inspire them to read and seek out books themselves.

 

Second, we need to model this by sharing books that would also be appropriate for them, and that open up opportunities for them to share some of their favourite books.

 

Third. we need to create an environment in the classroom that allows space for such personal reading, and some time when they can share these with other students. One simple way to do this is to allow students to go and read if they have finished other subject area activities and tasks. I might return to this topic in a future post.

 

Good Luck!

The Role of the Imagination in Story & Character Development

In 2024 I presented two keynote addresses to a national gathering of the 150 leaders of ‘Christian Schools Australia’. To do so, I drew on the ideas outlined in my book 'Pedagogy and Education for Life: A Christian Reframing of Teaching, Learning and Formation'. I suggested that Christian education and pedagogy must be rooted in an understanding of God's people in-between this life and the next.

 

As I suggest many times in my writing, we are shaped as we engage with others, and as we inhabit varied 'communities of practice'. That is, we move in and out of many situations and groups, all of which have an impact on us in varied ways. This is reality for our students as they attend our schools, and inhabit many groups. The term “Intertextuality” helps us to understand what this means. It was coined by cognitive anthropologist Julia Kristeva (1991).

 

It describes how we ‘inhabit’ the varied groups in life. And as we do we learn things, and take on many of the same concerns, passions, values and beliefs of the groups or ‘communities’. As teachers and school leaders, we need to understand this as we teach, educate and point students in wise directions for life.

  

1. Imagination and COMMUNITY

 

Martin Buber suggested as we build relationships, our ‘Character’ requires us to have and preserve a level of freedom, expressed in any human communion. Conversely, ‘compulsion’ illustrated by rules, can create disunion, sometimes humiliation, and hence rebelliousness.

  

In many ways, this is why the informal networks of life beat the formal structures of education hands down, in influencing the heart, life priorities, hopes and dreams. Why? Because in such less formal gatherings young people are able to ‘speak into’ the lives of their friends in ways that few teachers and even parents cannot. So, the varied communities our children inhabit, help to shape minds, lives, expectations, imaginations and hoped for futures.

 

Ironically, sometimes families (and some schools) only end up reinforcing the things that matter much less than faith in the living God. Even in faith-based schools, teachers and leaders can end up promoting worldly success, starting salaries for future jobs, career status, achievement etc. This is at the expense of faith and character, wise choices and growth. School for many, can become an annoying imposition that one endures, knowing that one day they can escape to find what they see as ‘true’ freedom. The communities that matter most can end up being outside the formal structures and life of school.

 

 

2. Creating different and more effective communities within our classrooms

 

What we need to consider as teachers and schools, is how we can build more effectively different within our classrooms and the school at large. That is, communities which can shape imaginations, and how our students use them.

 

But how can this be done? Let me offer a fuller vignette that might help to reinforce this key point. How can we assist our student imaginations to be shaped within our school communities of practice?

 

A number of years ago, I spent 12 months team teaching within a Year 1 classroom in Wagga Wagga, a wonderful town in inland Australia. My partner (Inta) was teaching in a Lutheran school, at a time when we were not plagued by the current education system’s desire to test children for the sake of testing. Rather, Inta’s key priority for these early learners was to embed them within an exciting classroom, that in its own way was a well-focused and exciting community that both taught and shaped at the same time.

 

 

One of my first observations as I entered the grade 1 classroom, was the rules within this classroom for 6 year old students in their second year at school weren’t dominant, and yet all seemed to know where the boundaries stood. As a result, there was movement, shared learning and intertextuality everywhere.

 

3. What do I mean by 'Intertextuality'? 

 

What is intertextuality, and why is it important? As I have already alluded, it is the relationship between one text or experience and another. By ‘text’ I’m using a term linguists use to refer to a spoken or written unit of meaning, of whatever length that forms a unified whole (a caption, headline, story, joke, play, essay, musical lyrics, letter etc). This term was first coined by philosopher Julia Kristeva in the 1960s. In essence, intertextuality involves “the connection or relationship between similar or related stories, images, songs, ideas and so on”. The interconnections we see can of course influence other learners to create very exciting classroom communities.

 

When I entered Inta’s classroom on my first day, it was obvious that the talk, drawing, writing, play etc, were being ‘collectively’ shaped as students read and wrote together, as extensions of their relationships with the teacher, and other students. Such interconnection didn’t stop within the classroom. I observed them in the playground, on the bus going home, and at home itself, with the texts playing a key role in establishing and extending their relationships. Sometimes the response of one child would lead naturally to the response of others.

 

 

I became involved very quickly and in my second week I read them the delightful book 'The Jolly Postman' (Ahlberg & Ahlberg, 1986). The children's interactions with the book as they sat on the floor in front of me was very exciting. They loved the book!

After finishing the book, I allowed time for students to chat about it, then sent them back to continue with a range of language activities (including writing). Within 10 minutes of reading the Jolly Postman, one student returned to show me a letter that she had written which was obviously inspired by the book we had just read (see PPT).  She announced:

 

“Look Mr Cairney, I've written my own Jolly Postman letter.  Chlorissa is writing one too.”

 

 

 

Within 20 minutes there were at least 10 letters in preparation, and by recess the whole class was writing "Jolly Postman" letters. Within a few days the class had produced many letters to favourite characters in books. 

 

 

The next day I was confronted by a small group of students who politely suggested (almost demanding): 

  

“Mr Cairney, we'll have to write our own Jolly Postman book.  Can we do one?”

 

And of course, Inta set about putting the wheels in motion to do just that. This was to dominate the next day or so at school. 

When it was time for me to leave the classroom after a few months I was presented with the class version of its own 'Jolly Postman' book. 

 

With the class letters inspired by ‘The Jolly Postman” Inta used the words from the book and the children's letters, and turned it into their own book, which they presented to me when I left them.

 

4  What can we learn from this example about imagination and character development?

 

This literacy lesson illustrates how classroom environments provide an opportunity for students to build textual histories, as they relate to others and share their experiences. These and other events in and outside school, help to shape them and to establish their hopes, dreams, values and priorities in life. As James Smith famously suggested, “we are what we love”. And this class had been inspired by Inta to love books!

 

This type of shared experience is a vital part of any classroom environment. Straight rows and "eyes to the front" and "heads down" will maintain discipline and focus on the teacher's agenda. This is of course is important and essential at times, but for younger learners, creativity and enthusiasm for reading, writing and even arithmetic (to use an old adage) are critical. So too, are creativity, joy in learning and collaboration with others, are also key skills for life.

 

 

What is Christian pedagogy? It is much more than just advice on teaching

In my book 'Pedagogy and Education for Life: A Christian Reframing of Teaching, Learning and Formation' I argue that Christian education and pedagogy must be rooted in an understanding of God's people in-between this life and the next. 

We are shaped as we engage with others, and move in and out of varied 'communities of practice'. This is a reality for our students as they attend our schools, for it is one of the many 'communities of practice' they inhabit. This term was introduced to us by cognitive anthropologist Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger in their book "Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation" (1991). The term describes how as we form groups, and as we inhabit them we begin to learn new things and take on many of the same concerns, passions, values and beliefs. 

The life we all experience includes many people, experiences, successes and disappointments, all of which influence us in varied ways. Such experiences also introduce us to new ideas, beliefs and practices. Our students have lived experiences in and outside school, we need to understand this as our remit, to teach and educate them for life.

1. A Vignette About Jackie

In my book I share an example of what this might look like for our students. I use Jackie (not her real name) as an example of the complexity of multiple communities of practice that influence our students. 

Her family is what we'd call middle class and is very important to her. Her mother is a university trained teacher and her father is in a government administrative role. Her parents are not Christian, but they have sent her to a Christian School 5km from their home, which they believe will give her a good all round education. 

Jackie is well liked at school and has a solid group of friends who are mainly non-Christians. Beyond being at school together, they have a number of common interests in music, film, fashion, dance and boys and so on. 

However, the complexity of the communities of practice she inhabits, goes much further than this and beside those mentioned already includes:

• A close group within her art classes.
• Her extended family including her grandparents, a special aunt and uncle and her cousins.
• A dance group outside school where different friends are found.
• She is also a part-time staff member at a local pizza restaurant.
• A Saturday netball team in a Summer night competition.
• She also has friends at a technical college, where she has been doing a part-time food service course at a local TAFE.
• As well, she has 2,500 Facebook friends, many more on Instagram and some other platforms as well.

2. The Remit of Faith-based Schools

Given the broad cross section of children across faith-based schools, we can appreciate the complexities. They are responsible for a number of things. They were founded to support Christian students and their families, who are often confronted by beliefs and practices they find problematic.  They need to support students to grow in knowledge across the curriculum and to achieve success in life. But at their very foundations they are also responsible to assist students to grow in faith, knowledge, character, values and the consideration of ideas as presented. 

Teachers of course are not the only influencers. Families, friendship groups, and many other varied groups (or communities) in which our children live, will shape them in some way. Such groups include sporting teams, recreational activities, favourite authors, television, media and for, some churches. With this in mind, a central tenant in my book, is that:

"Education is the whole life of a community, and the experience of its members learning to live this life, from the standpoint of a specific end goal."  

 

You might be tempted at this stage to say, how can I as a teacher, possibly have much impact on my students when we see them so little, and they are embedded in multiple communities of practice both inside and outside school? There is some truth to this, but there are many areas where we can have an influence. I want to suggest there are three steps you might take that would make a difference. 

3. Three Key Steps Towards Excellence in Teaching

a) Step 1 - Know and love, and understand our students

James K.A Smith has a statement that is helpful here. He suggests that:

“Education is not just what we teach; it’s how we shape what students love.” 

The desires of our children's hearts are varied and are generally easy enough to observe and understand. So as we teach them the curriculum at hand, we should also seek to shape them as people. Some children are easy to love, and some more difficult, there is nothing new about this. But we need to look for good in all of our students as well as helping them change in areas that are problematic.

Of course, we cannot change things outside our control like annoying habits, laziness, rudeness and some personality traits. While we aren't counsellors, we do have a role in shaping our students in character. We can't treat our students as our friends, we are teachers and authority figures not their friends. But we can take an active interest in their lives and listen to the things they might share in the 'cracks' of school life. However, of course, we must set some boundaries here.

b) Step 2 - Pray and be concerned for your students

While being devoted and diligent in personal prayer 

Justin Taylor in a piece titled 'The Great Vision of Christian Education: Ten Foundational Truths' outlines some helpful foundations for our schools.

In the above article Taylor suggests rightly that Christian education is as big as God and his revelation. It goes beyond parenting and teachers and classroom instruction; it should infuse every aspect of the Christian life. In his words ".. it involves not merely donning gospel-centred glasses when we study 'spiritual' subjects, but being filled by the very presence of almighty God as we seek by his Spirit to interpret all of reality in light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."  

In my time as a teacher in non-Christian schools, I came across many things that were disturbing in the lives of my students outside school. For example, one of my year 6 girls who had withdrawn into the background as a student and looked very sad, revealed privately to me one morning just before school, that she had been subject of abuse from an older brother who had "been practising his kissing on her". Another year 5 student would come to school wreaking of cigarette smoke which I was to learn was due to her father's chain smoking in their 3-room house. Yet another student had was witnessed domestic violence regularly. Of course, such observations must not be set aside.

These few examples underline how we need to know our students well enough to pray for them, to be trusted by them, and at times to even intervene to protect them by reporting events up the line. The latter requires great care and would first be a conversation with your school principal. After that in most cases, there would be a meeting with the parents and then to other authorities if the situation required it.

In the 'cracks' of school life, we can at times observe and hear things that bother us. Some teachers might say this isn't my role. But staying silent in such matters isn't the right response. Somehow, we need to achieve clear boundaries.

I agree with Justin Taylor's statement, but also understand there are limits to what we can and should do. But we all need to be concerned for the welfare of our students. If I had allowed the conversation with my student about her brother, to be shuffled into a box marked "not my responsibility", it may have continued over time and perhaps become worse. 

c) Step 3 - Establish Our Education Based on sound Foundational Principles    

One of the most helpful set of principles I've found is outlined in an article by Justin Taylor, in 'Desiring God' titled 'The Great Vision of Christian Education: Ten Foundational Truths'. These might be helpful.

1. True Christian education involves loving and edifying instruction, grounded in God’s gracious revelation, mediated through the work of Christ, and applied through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, that labors to honour and glorify the triune God.

2. Christian education begins with the reality of God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit — one God in three persons — creating and sustain all things (Genesis 1:1–2; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:3). 

3. Christian education seeks to rightly interpret and correctly convey all aspects of God’s revelation, both his self-disclosure through the created world (called “general revelation”) and his self-disclosure through the spoken and written word (“special revelation”) Romans 1:20; Hebrews 1:1–2).

4. Christian education, building on the Creator-creature distinction, recognizes the fundamental difference between God’s perfect knowledge of himself and the limited, though sufficient, knowledge we can have of God through his revelation (Romans 11:34; 1 Corinthians 2:16).

 

5. Christian education recognizes that the recipients of our instruction — whether believers or unbelievers — are created in the image of God, designed to resemble, reflect, and represent their Creator by ruling over creation and relating to one another (Genesis 1:26–27).

6. Christian education reckons with the sobering reality of the Fall — because of Adam’s rebellion as our covenental head, all of us have inherited a rebellious sinfull nature and are legally regarded as guilty (Romans 3:10, 23; Romans 5:12, 15, 17–19). Creation itself is fallen and in need of liberation (Romans 8:19–22). Our disordered desires and every aspect of our thoughts, feelings, and actions are affected, hence we must still battle indwelling sin (Galatians 5:17).

7. Christian education is built upon the work of Christ — including, but not limited to, his substitutionary atonement and triumphant resurrection victory over sin and death (Galatians 4:4–5; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 15:1–5). All of our instruction is founded upon this great event that makes it possible for sinners to stand by faith in the presence of a holy and righteous God.

8. Christian education recognizes that to reflect the mind of Christ and to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), we must be born again (John 3:3), putting off our old and renewed in knowledge after the image of God (Colossians 3:10).

9. Christian education insists on the indispensable work of the Holy Spirit, who teaches (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13), searches everything (including the depths of God) and comprehends the thoughts of God (1 Corinthians 2:10–11). He helps us in our weakness, intercedes for us (Romans 8:26–27), and causes us to bear good fruit (Galatians 5:22–23).

10. Finally, Christian education recognizes the insufficiency of merely receiving, retaining, and relaying notional knowledge (1 Corinthians 8:1; Matthew 7:21–23). Our knowledge must be relational and covenantal (1 Corinthians 13:12), such that our study results in delight (Psalm 37:4; 111:2), practice (Ezra 7:10), obedience (Romans 1:5), and discipling and teaching of others (Matthew 9:19–20; 2 Timothy 2:2).

Conclusion

Please take the time to reflect on these foundational principles, perhaps discussing them with other teachers, and working together to see what changes you might make in your schools and as teachers. Pray that God will use us as teachers and educators, to embrace sound Christian pedagogy. Such a pedagogy, while being true to the educational processes and and curricular required in all schools, will be shaped by the word of God, as we seek to grow our students in faith as well as in knowledge.