Is Good Pedagogy the Core Priority for Faith-Based Schools?

      Why is Sound Pedagogy So Important?

Before we dive into more ideas on how we must see good pedagogy as important, it is worth acknowledging that faith-based schools are not necessarily inhabited by students who have a deep faith in God. Sadly, in some such schools we can't be sure even that all teachers have a deep faith which shapes their very lives.

As well, we also must realize that just being a faith-based school does not guarantee sound teaching, nor even that all teachers are dedicated to the promotion and encouragement of deep faith in their students. Some teachers simply assume that this is the role of School Chaplains. So, I sometimes wonder why, without this we bother promoting such schools at all? Let's face it, there are Christians who teach in state schools, and I've known some who have been wonderful.

My Lament that Few Christian Students go to Government Schools today

My wife and I were converted in the rural mid-sized town of Bathurst in Australia (I was 32 years old and the Son of Communist leaders). She was a teacher, and I had taken up my first post as a Lecturer in Education at the local university. Our eldest daughter attended school scripture for one hour a week in primary school. Here teacher was a beautiful Christian woman who had lost her husband just before we arrived. 

Sadly the teaching of Scripture in schools rarely occurs in Government secondary schools any more. When the teaching of Scripture ended in my Daughters' school they took it upon themselves to start meeting with those still interested at lunch time. As adults both go regularly to her children's school and in one case my daughter runs Scripture the children's school, while the other is a well known Christian who works in a university and is called up around the world to share the faith of Christ! This of course, it not due to me, but the grace of God!

 

While in some Christian schools, students do the same thing my as one of my daughters, it is limited to once a week, the children of one of my daughters picked up the baton and began a lunchtime meeting where the students cam with their lunches to share as they discuss God's word. What a sad indictment that even in Christian schools there can be limited teaching.

Summing up

I'm fortunate the above was the case for my daughters but take no self pride in given my background! Some Christian schools need to re-as
sess their priorities, and ensure that Scripture is still taught in their schools. We need to keep on challenging our teachers who are teachers and our Christian schools to ensure that the foundational reason for Christian Schools in the first place was to educate the whole child. Interesting the one Christian denomination that still keeps this as a priority are Catholic Schools!