The Partnership Between Church and School

The Partnership Between Church and School

What do Martin Luther and John Calvin have in common with the opening of schools in Alabama? These great religious reformers were among the earliest advocates of public education for all people.

The reason for Luther’s and Calvin’s support of public education was the goal that everyone be able to read the Bible. In their day, the Bible was available only to a few scholars, primarily clergy. The reformers knew that true faith in God involved people being able to read and understand the Bible for themselves.

That idea was reflected in the Massachusetts Bay Colony when the General Court decreed in 1647 that every village of 50 families have an elementary school. Again the goal was to ensure that children learned to read the Bible for themselves.

From the beginning, public education has been closely related to the church. It still is. The Bible teaches that Christians are to love their neighbors as they love themselves (Mark 12:31). That simple commandment propels the church’s concern beyond its own to all children. The commandment means Christians are to be concerned that every child has the opportunity to grow and develop before God and man, just as they are concerned for their own children.

Thomas Jefferson supported public education for a different reason. Jefferson understood that “an educated citizenry” was a key to democracy. The Founding Fathers of this nation saw education in another way. They called it the gateway to full participation in the economic, political and community life of the nation. That is why the Continental Congress in 1785 set aside portions of land in every township in the Northwest Territory for public schools.

Ultimately the responsibility for a child’s education rests with the family. It was to parents that God said, “train up a child in the way he should go … .” Parents cannot hand off that responsibility to the schools as if they, the parents of the child, have no responsibility for what and how the child learns.

The home, the church and the schools work in partnership with one another for the betterment of the child — that is how communities across Alabama and America functioned for decades. That is how communities must function if public schools are to be places that bless children and not places that blight them.

Every Baptist church should be involved in the local schools of its community. The first step is to become informed about the needs of the schools and their activities. Misinformation about schools abounds and misinformation can be destructive. Learn what really goes on.

Second, support public school leaders, including school board members who are committed to religious liberty for students. Schools are places where values, morals and beliefs are tested. It is perfectly legal and permissible for students to read their Bibles, pray together and discuss their faith in school as long as these activities are not mandated or led by school officials. School officials should protect religious liberty for students of faith as well as those who have no faith.

Third, insist on quality teachers. Every teacher should be qualified to teach in the area assigned. Teachers are not baby sitters. They are leaders, guides and examples for children. Communities must insist on qualified teachers.

Fourth, ensure that teachers have adequate and age-appropriate teaching aids and helps in their classrooms and resource areas, such as libraries. Teachers should not have to buy classroom items with money from their own pockets.

Fifth, support efforts to provide appropriate classroom sizes. Schools are not to warehouse children for seven hours a day, five days a week. Schools are to help children learn. That involves individual attention and help and necessitates classroom size appropriate to the curriculum.

Sixth, work for adequate funding of public schools. Of Alabama’s 4.5 million people, 25.3 percent are age 18 and under.  How shameful that we are sometimes more concerned about keeping the state’s ranking as the lowest-taxed state in the nation rather than the education and opportunities of the most vulnerable 25 percent of our population.

Seventh, insist on high standards of excellence. Alabama students can and should compete with the best and brightest of the nation. It is a disservice to give students false impressions of their achievement. National standards provide honest appraisals of students’ accomplishments.

Eighth, support teachers and public school administrators. Honor their role in the development of children. Support them in their classroom leadership. Befriend them. When appropriate, witness to them. Teachers and administrators are not enemies. They are vital parts of children’s learning communities.

Ninth, partner with schools. Every school has special needs that a local church can fill.  It might be a tutorial program. It could be serving as a resource in some way. There is no predicting what direction a church-school partnership will take over time.

Tenth, above all, pray for those involved in your schools because prayer does change things.
Schools are open again across Alabama. As community institutions, they need the involvement of our churches. More importantly, the welfare of our children necessitates the involvement of our churches in the life of public schools.