The Academic Excellence of a Classical Christian Education
Okay, I am not 100% sold on the idea of a Classical Christian approach to education (I continue to share some of Gary North and R.J. Rushdoony’s reservations), however, the academic superiority of the Logos School and New Saint Andrew’s College is very impressive. State schools are failing big time; and therefore many parents (and indeed employers) have reverted to the Trivium method of Classical learning. The video shows how youngsters are being trained to read Latin, think in a logical manner and to engage in academic disputation.
As a product of a Northern Ireland state school, I came out of Caesar’s education system at 16 virtually unable to read a book for a sustained period of time, totally devoid of any decent knowledge of English grammar (my grammar is still, at best, only average), and without the ability to think cogently. However, I have no plans to expose my own children (if I am ever blessed with any) to such a shoddy, second-rate standard of learning – whatever approach to Christian education I eventually decide upon.
July 4, 2007 at 12:54 pm
More of a question than a comment. Is the Doug Wilson in the clip the same Doug Wilson that is the Federal Vision guy?
July 4, 2007 at 2:05 pm
It is the same person. I am not sure how much of a Federal Vision person Doug Wilson is; he seems to dissent from the views of other FV people on justification.
July 4, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Fantastic. I didn’t quite catch from the clip what it was first broadcast on. Do you know, Daniel?
July 4, 2007 at 11:33 pm
Dear Daniel,
I hope to put up an interesting quote on this subject tomorrow puritanismtoday; you may find it helpful. I will probably add a comment or two.
I left the state education system in a condition like your own – I don’t think I read an entire book through in my time at school. I am now trying to give myself a Classical Christian Education.
G.M
July 4, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Andrew
Sorry I don’t know – is that Pat Robertson who is presenting?
Gary
To be quite truthful, I can hardly remember a thing that I learned at school outside of history (were we had a pretty good teacher); though I have found University to be different (probably because you have to do the work for yourself).
May 14, 2008 at 12:15 am
I’m not 100% sold on Classical Christian Education, either. I think that it can become a buzz phrase, and people get overly excited about it and forget to think about the original reason why they appreciated it. Instead, the focus shifts and it is done for the sake of producing good results. Although the enforcers say it is not about equipping students for vocationally, it does end up being a marketing tool used, since by teaching the students how to think, they do perform better. It is really difficult to see the end result as a secondary issue and just appreciate teaching students to think well for the purpose of their own edification in the present, not as a future oriented agenda. It is always, “We taught students to think well so that they could…” Instead of simply, “We taught students to think well because thoughtfulness is truthful.”
Yet at the same time as I’m critiquing it, I am a product of Classical Christian Education, and I could not be criticizing it so much if I had not reaped the benefits of learning how to think from it.