Christian Education: Its Mandate and Mission

Education in the Christian school is radically different from education in secular schools since it springs from radically different premises. Secular education begins with the assumption that man is born good and remains good if his environment is favorable to his natural development. The function of education therefore is to remove the obstacles to the free and full expression of his natural impulses thereby making possible the self-determination of his personality. While doing so it prepares him to be a well-adjusted member of society and to contribute fully to societys progress. The teacher is a facilitator rather than a director of the childs education. He provides the environment and the materials for the learning process but does not impose his own beliefs and values upon the child.