In Defense of Orthodox Christian Home Education

The idea that Christian parents are responsible for the education of their children is certainly not a new one, though many people have had much to say on the subject in recent years. Below you'll find a few opinions on the subject from the Fathers and from modern Orthodox home school advocates. PLEASE NOTE: The presence of these articles should not be construed as endorsement of this site by the authors. Image: Icon Made Without Hands

St. John Chrysostom
	"With us everything should be secondary compared to our concern with children, and their upbringing in the instruction and teaching of the Lord." "The primary goal in the education of children is to teach, and to give examples of a virtuous life."

St. Theophan the Recluse

"Let the study of faith be considered the chief thing. Let the best time be assigned to works of piety, and in case of conflict let them take the first place over learning. Let approval be given not only for success in learning, but likewise for faith and good behavior. In general, one must so dispose the mind of pupils that they do not lose the conviction that our chief work is the pleasing of God and that learning is a secondary quality, something incidental, which is good only during the present life." - The Path to Salvation "It should be placed as an unfailing law that every kind of learning which is taught to a Christian should penetrated with Christian principles and, more precisely, Orthodox ones. Every branch of learning is capable of this approach, and it will be a true kind of learning only when this condition is fulfilled. Christian principles are true beyond doubt. Therefore, without any doubting, make them the general measuring stick of truth. It is a most dangerous error among us that subjects of learning are taught without attention to the true faith; one allows oneself freethinking and even lying under the supposition that faith and learning are two spheres which are quite distinct." - The Path to Salvation

What Is Orthodox Classical Education?

By Father Jonathan Cholcher As Orthodox Christians, we understand education in Greek, Paideia as the total training and nurturing of the child. Fathers, do not frustrate your children, but rear them in the Paideia and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Similarly, My son, do not neglect the Paideia of the Lord (Hebrews 12:5). Education is not an option for the children of God in the Church; it never has been. Even prior to Holy Baptism, and especially there, people are set aside for life in the Kingdom of God to be fed and nurtured in the Faith and to grow according to Gods will and purpose. The fact that, in English versions of the Bible, Paideia is often translated as discipline, or chastening, demonstrates the persistently corrective nature of Christian education, guiding persons from their earliest years of blossoming self-direction back to the goal of dependent communion with God. The human person body, soul and spirit is educated in the Church according to his or her created purpose, to recognize and act with all of creation in concert with the Creator, God the Holy Trinity. Classical education refers to the manner of educating children according to a Classical model. The Classical model, time-tested since ancient Greek, Roman, and medieval times, is known as the Trivium, meaning, triple-way. The Classical model recognizes three stages of mental/physiological development in children with corresponding stages of learning. The Grammar stage, grades 1-4, concentrates on learning the facts of language, math, history, and science without much critical thinking. The Logic stage, grades 5-8, concentrates on making truthful connections, deductions, and inferences with all the facts first learned in the Grammar stage. Finally, the Rhetoric stage, grades 9-12, concentrates on truthful expression, meaningful discourse, and skillful persuasion. Classical education prepares the student for valuable service in the world and society by teaching as much as one can about the world, tempering such knowledge with instruction in discrimination, and importantly developing the ability of the student to learn, think, and contribute in any situation in life. The Classical education model is developmentally appropriate, superior in content, and impressive in its results yet, from an Orthodox Christian perspective, it is incomplete. Education must be accomplished for right-glory (in Greek, orthodoxy), for the love of God, and the love of all people. The academic standards in any secular or Christian school (or home school) should be the highest possible, and the students of a Classically-modeled program will master more subject matter facts and methods of analysis than most, if not all, students from a non-Classical program. The aim of a specifically Orthodox approach, though, is to contemplate created things, then go beyond them to the Creator, and ultimately to know God, the Holy Trinity. The aim is to offer all knowledge back to God in thanksgiving for His goodness and love to us unto eternity. The end of Orthodox education is summarized with these words from the Divine Liturgy: Thine Own of Thine Own, we offer unto Thee, on behalf of all, and for all. Orthodox classical education seeks to engender Saints, not just intelligentsia. The overriding diet of the Orthodox school is Holy Scripture (the incarnate Word of God), participation in the Liturgy and prayer hours of the Church, iconography, and the example of the lives of the Saints themselves. The things of this life become a revelation of the Kingdom of God as they are re-integrated and ordered rightly in the practice of the Church both corporately in worship and service, and personally in family and vocation. To this end, Orthodox education possesses its own triple-way, to which the secular Classical model harmonizes quite well. The Orthodox way is: purification, illumination, and union with God. In an Orthodox context, learning the facts of life (Grammar stage) is primarily learning to practice virtues according to Gods commandments, obedience to God and Church, repentance, and quelling the passions (purification). Learning how everything fits together in an ordered way (Logic stage) is learning the doctrines of the Church, the why things are the way they are by Gods design, and the preservation and the restoration of all creation to a right use in Christ (illumination). Learning truthful expression, discourse and persuasion (Rhetoric stage) is learning the faith in unceasing prayer, passing beyond all human reason to rely assuredly on God despite empirical evidence and opposition to the contrary (union with God). While corresponding in purpose, the triple-way of Orthodoxy is not so much sequential like the stages of the Trivium, but present in its tri-fold aspect throughout a person's life. Ultimately purification, illumination, and union with God cannot be attained by any method or model, but are gifts from God and a way of life in the Holy Spirit. Therefore the Orthodox way transcends the Trivium and is maintained through a basic attitude of humility, purity of heart and life, and prayer. Not only does an Orthodox classical education impart knowledge and the best tools of human learning, but it seeks to teach the student three most important things: how to desire God, not merely material ends; how to tenaciously cling to Gods wisdom, not our own; and how to direct all our powers toward God, without straying according to human pride. The genuineness of the Orthodox way in the school, an Orthodox classical education is that this way is the shared experience of the faithful throughout the centuries. Orthodox education does not rest on theoretical knowledge, speculation, or experimentation, but on the experience of God by the Saints as they were purified, illumined, and united to God. Orthodox classical education is very academic, but it transcends academia. Moses, who was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians (Acts 7:22), and the Apostle Paul, who excelled in Pharisaic training and could quote Greek philosophers with ease, both learned true wisdom, however, only as God appeared to them to Moses on Mount Sinai and to Paul on the road to Damascus. So, too, Orthodox classical education revels in the finest of human learning but relies on the wisdom coming from God alone, revealed through His Son in the Holy Spirit. The Church knows such divine learning is only received by grace as we are purified in body, soul, and spirit. The beauty of an Orthodox classical education is in its struggle. The struggle is not merely to offer a worldly education, or a collection of information merely to meet the standards of state or national accreditation. The struggle is not to use educational efforts as an opportunity for self-congratulation or supposedly guaranteed keys of worldly success. The struggle is to hope for more, to grow in the Kingdom of God, to long for the experience of Gods grace, to love God, to cooperate with God in His eternal design, to commune with God. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). This beautiful struggle of Orthodox classical education is the life of the Church, the Body of Christ, and eternal life that we may grow up in all things into Him Who is the head Christ (Ephesians 4:15). ~ Father Jonathan H. Cholcher

Orthodox Home Schooling

By Sarah Loft A nationally growing home school' movement is an attractive alternative for Orthodox Christian parents. We have been home educating our eight-year-old daughter since kindergarten and have found it a rewarding experience. I would like to share some of the positive benefits of this experience as well as provide some concrete resources and information for others who would like so considering home-based education. Surveys and studies of home-educated children have shown them to be not only academically advanced, but also better adjusted emotionally and socially. This results, perhaps, from the more natural and secure home environment, freedom from negative classroom peer pressures, personal attention, greater personal freedom, and an individually tailored learning program. Generally, home-educated children become self-directed learners, have higher self-esteem and are more independent and (surprising to many) better socialized than their peers. An Orthodox Christian Education The benefit of a home-education program for Orthodox Christians, however, extends beyond the usual advantages over institutional education. When Orthodox Christians take on the responsibility of educating their own children, they have the unique opportunity of providing an Orthodox Christian education -- Orthodox in context, content, and presentation. Briefly, our approach has been as follows: Our academic calendar follows the Church calendar, beginning on September 1 with a prayer service. We observe all major Feast Days by attending services, discussing the Feast and doing appropriate reading such as the Gospel accounts of the Nativity at Christmas, the life of a saint or selections from the Church Fathers. We reduce the academic workload during Lent and take off all of Holy Week and Bright Week. While it is necessary (in order to meet most state requirements) to have 'school' a certain number of days per year (usually 180), there is no requirement to follow a secular or state calendar of school days and holidays. In addition to regular attendance at services, we begin each day with morning prayers and usually have some form of religious education every day. The rest of the day is spent doing projects, reading, visiting the library, working on math, etc. There are many resources for home schoolers; I get dozens and dozens of catalogues from companies whose only or primary business is supplying textbooks, manipulative, or visual aids to home-educating families. I will add a list of resource addresses at the end of this article, but here I want to concentrate on the 'religious education' aspect of home education. Religious education can (and does) take many forms for us, including reading the Bible. (The International Children's Bible has a third grade reading level, the Living Bible paraphrases an eighth grade reading level, and the King James Version, a twelfth grade level). Parents should have a life, too. They should think of themselves primarily as parents, rather than teachers. Discussion and projects go a lot further than lectures. I explain a concept in math only when Rebekah can't figure it out herself and asks for assistance. Every child is different, but most people don't want another person (teacher, parent, or anyone else)"breathing down their backs" constantly. Respect for the child, his/her inclinations, interests, limitations, feelings, and learning style are critical. 2. Where does the child find friends? How does the child engage in extracurricular activities or sports? There are a lot of kids out there, and they aren't in school most of the time. Rebekah finds friends in the neighborhood (playground, library), at church, in classes and clubs, in her Junior Chorus and Ensemble. There are a variety of extracurricular activities and sports available: Boy/Girl Scouts, clubs (a local chess club, Camp Fire Girls, 4-H), Little League games and other organized sports through local churches and other organizations. There are also the commercial and organized "after school" activities such as art, dance and music classes at the YMCAs, local churches and civic organizations, museums, libraries, and shows. Home school associations also organize group activities. The difficulty is not in finding activities (in most areas) but in selecting among the myriad of options. Rebekah made the painful decision last fail to drop out of a girls' soccer team organized by a neighborhood Lutheran church because of schedule conflicts with chorus and orchestra. 3. Does this set up assume that at least one parent is at home all the time? What kind of educational background and teaching skills does a parent need to be able to do home teaching? We have heard of home schooling situations where there is a single parent or where neither parent is home full-time, but it seems to us that the optimum situation is for someone to be home on a regular basis and for both parents to be involved in the process. Parents of many different educational backgrounds teach their children at home. What's needed? -Basic literacy -A willingness so learn (by the parent), curiosity and interest. You don't need to be an expert in every possible subject (e.g., Rebekah and I are learning French together). It is also not necessary for the parent to teach every subject personally (e.g. Rebekah goes to a Greek class with other children two times a week and takes violin lessons). Parents may also elect to hire a tutor for a specific subject or subjects. Taken from the OCA Resource Handbook for Lay Ministries Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry Orthodox Church in America PO Box 675 Syosset, NY 11791 http://yya.oca.org yyacm@oca.org

O.N.E. Opinion: Homeschooling Considered

By Carol and Fr. Timothy Blumentritt Recently, homeschooling has received some negative attention in the pages of our diocesan newspaper. To provide a balanced perspective, a positive response is necessary. After all, more and more families are doing it, including Orthodox families, who, it might be noted, are not served well by having had such an issue addressed in an official church publication in a tone that sounded an awful lot like establishment bigotry. The first step in dealing maturely with this issue is to get over our defensiveness ("I went to public school and I turned out all right" or "Homeschooling is just another aspect of right wing fundamentalism") and learn how to deal with and understand others who go against the status quo in some meaningful way. Yes, to homeschool is to veer off the path established by our society for educating, and even raising, our children, but why should such a decision be so hard to understand? If we are serious Christians, we should already have lots of practice at this ­ the gospel of Jesus Christ has always been a stumbling block to the thoughts and ways of the world. Homeschooling is not a quirky little fad that is limited to the "religious right" but a movement that is expanding in many segments of American society. Families who choose this approach do so for a variety of reasons. Some are motivated by disagreement with teaching methods in, or bad experiences with, local school districts, others are concerned about increasing violence and disciplinary problems in public schools, and still others pursue this because they have children with special needs who learn much better in the home environment. However, for many Christian parents, Orthodox and otherwise, homeschooling has become more than just an alternative educational method; it has become a way of life. These parents have serious concerns about contemporary society and specifically with the role that public education plays in uncritically promoting its values and, thus, have chosen home-schooling as one means by which they can concretely live out their commitment to raising families "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4) A negative assessment of the state of American public education today is not merely the product of apocalyptic doomsayers on the fringes of society. Numerous mainstream studies, Gallup surveys, and statistical reports attest to a widespread crisis in functional and cultural literacy. Of special concern to Christians is the frontal attack that is being waged on moral and ethical foundations as well as the complete exclusion of matters of faith from the educational process. How can behavior and values be taught in a vacuum? For many committed Christians, then, homeschooling is a proactive way to give their children a quality education academically and morally and one that is rooted in a Christian understanding of reality. In addition, the homeschooling lifestyle promotes the strengthening of family relationships ­ another fundamental aspect of life that is pretty clearly in crisis today. Now, it is perfectly obvious that a great number of families are not able or do not choose to take on the commitment of home-schooling their children. Be that as it may, in light of the many benefits of homeschooling, it is sad that for many who could do so it is never considered an option. Perhaps they cannot conceive of the notion of educating children in any other way than in a "typical" classroom setting. Even worse, perhaps they have heard such options condescendingly dismissed by educational or religious "authorities." However, such a prejudice is illegitimate. Perhaps people are unaware that universal government-sponsored education of children is a relatively new phenomenon that became a fixture in our society only after the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century? Traditionally, the setting for the education of children has always been the home. While the particular methods and structures of home-based education have certainly evolved over the millennia of recorded history and, while there is no turning back the clock to a bygone era, nevertheless, home-schooling continues this ancient tradition and allows a family to break out of today's conventional, institutional approach to education. Homeschooling offers many benefits to a child that may be hard or impossible to find in a typical school setting, including: (1) a very low teacher-student ratio, (2) the opportunity to tailor learning to the individual child instead of the other way around, (3) more attention to exploring a child's individual creativity, and (4) a more natural integration of educational materials with "real life." Instead of spending lengthy hours in a classroom, children can be playing, exploring, and helping with the operation of the household, along with completing more formally structured daily lessons. Does home education work? The standardized tests say it does. A 1997 compilation of homeschool test scores one of the largest to date (16,159 students) showed that homeschoolers are consistently scoring significantly above the national average on standardized achievement tests. In fact, many colleges and universities are actively beginning to seek out home-schooled young people precisely because of their well-developed academic and intellectual abilities. One of the thorniest aspects of homeschooling is the issue of socialization. Surprisingly, this is almost invariably the first question that a skeptic raises. One might have hoped that the primary concern would regard the quality of education, not whether the child will "make it" socially. Of course, this raises a more basic question about what it means to "make it" socially. Why do people simply assume that the institutional school setting is the most appropriate and natural context for socially training our children? It is tempting to try to dispel this myth by focusing on things like the recent incidents of school violence and well-known tales of the discipline problems routinely faced by teachers, but such things can always be conveniently disregarded as exceptions. In fact, there are many flaws that are even more fundamental. Take, for example, the notion of age-segregation that is basic to the entire institutional educational system. While convenient and cost-effective, such a social context is artificial. When, in real life, is a person restricted to spending nearly half of his or her waking hours confined among a large group of people of exactly the same age and status? Without even beginning to address what goes on during these hours, that is, the overwhelming problem of the content of such social interaction, how can anyone claim that such an unbalanced and artificial environment promotes well-rounded socialization or healthy psychological development? In fact, such a setting disproportionately privileges the habits and attitudes of the group, while one's personal identity that has been carefully nurtured in the family and in the Church is either openly attacked, or far worse, simply considered socially irrelevant for, as Fr. Alexander Schmemann pointed out years ago, the secularistic mindset that characterizes today's society does not actually deny faith a place, it simply assigns it one that will not interfere with "real life" and makes sure that it stays there obediently like a pet on a leash. On the other hand, the age-integrated socialization that is fundamental to homeschooling trains children to relate to and communicate well with people of all ages through a broad range of meaningful interaction with parents and grandparents, older and younger siblings, the church community (especially the elderly), and the general public that is encountered in the day-to-day life of a household. Furthermore, homeschooling is particularly ideal for Orthodox families because it allows for full participation in the liturgical cycles of the Church a pattern that has been nearly entirely lost in popular culture without having to battle the schedules and priorities of a school district. In this way, the life of the Church can truly function as the nucleus of family life rather than being something extra to be squeezed in if school and extra-curricular activities allow the time for it. With all of these essentials in place, then, homeschooled families have a firm foundation for encouraging a more reasonable level of informal peer group socialization "in the neighborhood" as well as by formal participation in such activities as Little League and soccer, Girl and Boy Scouts, church school classes, and the many social activities organized by homeschool support groups. Related to the issue of socialization is the question of isolation. How can homeschooled children survive in the "real world" or change it for the better if they are isolated from it? This is clearly a legitimate concern, especially since Christians are intended to be the "salt of the earth," and Christian homeschoolers get used to hearing the question, "How can you do that if you're not "in the world?" But, of course, questions about whether or not we should be "in the world" are nonsensical. As is so often pointed out, we are in the world and there is no escaping from it, nor should we attempt to do so. Instead, the real question is: As Christian parents, how do we best prepare a child to live a life worthy of the gospel and to be a witness for Christ in the world? Clearly, our public schools are not nor are they allowed to be concerned about whether our children grow up to be faithful Christians. Furthermore, it's pretty clear that vigorous Christian training goes beyond mere church attendance even that of an above average Orthodox family two hours of church school and Liturgy on most Sunday mornings, semi-regular appearances at Vespers and Lenten services and the occasional feast day thrown in for good measure. Indeed, as good pastors frequently remind us, the responsibility for solid Christian development in children cannot be "the Church's job." Instead, it must become the kind of high priority item that demands serious commitment and active involvement on the part of Christian parents whose homes and lives consistently reflect the gospel that is proclaimed in the church. Now, it should also be obvious that such parental responsibility is going to involve making decisions about our children's educational environment that are informed by the values of the gospel and not merely by "going with the flow." In view of this responsibility, then, why are so many Christians so comfortable with the prospect of their children spending the majority of their formative years immersed in a system that either attacks, undermines, or simply takes no account of what we claim to hold as the very reason for our existence? This is hard to fathom, even allowing for the somewhat naive hope that our young ones will be agents of change in the world. Are we to send our five-year-olds or eight-year-olds out to be the salt of the earth when they haven't the foggiest idea yet what that means? Are we to use our children as an advance guard in a conflict which, to quote St. Paul, is not "against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places?" Hardly. Consider the image of the soldier who trains for months before engaging in combat, or the athlete who practices vigorously before entering competition. Homeschooled children are often derogatorily referred to as "hothouse plants," but why should this be a criticism? A seedling needs a hothouse until it is hardy enough to withstand the harsh outdoor weather ­ that's why hothouses exist. As the seedling matures, it can eventually be left outside without cover until at some point it can stand on its own, bearing fruit ­ and so it is with homeschooling. Instead of merely conforming to cultural and societal norms, Christian parents who homeschool have a unique opportunity to take an active role in how, when, and where their children are exposed to the world. In doing so, they are exercising wise pastoral care for their own "little flock" and, back to St. Paul again, equipping their children with the "whole armor of God, that [they] may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Far from being a flight from the world, then, homeschooling can provide a solid basis for a creative and gospel-centered engagement with the world that is rooted firmly in a commitment to the life of the Church, a strong family culture, and a quality education. Is it possible to integrate all three of these elements and raise children in a holistic Christian environment without homeschooling? It may be. Homeschoolers do not claim that their approach is a panacea for all the ills of the world. It is, however, a spectacularly useful tool for doing something about some of them. In today's typical family, with everyone scattered in all directions at daycare, jobs, school, and extracurricular activities, all of which gradually erode a family's ability to participate in the life of the Church, homeschooling can reduce the scatteredness and distraction and can provide the focus, the strength of mind, and the time needed to teach our children to think and live in a consistent Christian manner. In conclusion, the issue of homeschooling can, for many reasons, provoke a defensive reaction in those who are presented with the strong case that can be made in its support. Such an attitude becomes obvious when, for example, proponents of homeschooling are accused of imagining that they have discovered a perfect method of educating and raising children that mechanically churns out perfect results. Of course, homeschoolers think no such thing. We know that there are no guarantees in life. However, the fact that no method offers guaranteed results certainly does not mean that all methods are, therefore, equally useful and that any educational approach sincerely pursued is equally likely to yield good results. Yes, in the end, children will grow to adulthood and make their own choices and go their own way. But, during the formative years, parents are called to try to discern the results that will follow from their influence and their decisions, and then act accordingly. While no one can successfully predict the future, this has never yet stopped a loving parent from weighing all the known circumstances in any given instance and then, in faith, doing what seems best and leaving the results to God. In recent years, such an approach to godly parenting has, for more and more families, included a commitment to homeschooling, which though it claims no guaranteed results, has so much to commend it educationally, socially, and spiritually, that it deserves our consideration, respect, and support. (Carol and Fr. Timothy Blumentritt live in Terryville, CT, where Fr. Timothy is Pastor of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Church.) Originally found here.