The burning question that agitates and divides educators, teachers, politicians, religious leaders, and parents alike is this: “What is the purpose of education?” This is a question that parents must wrestle with and answer. Your children will spend fifteen to twenty years being “educated” in some formal model, so you should do some soul searching about your goals first. Before you dig into educational models, worldviews, styles, approaches, and statistics, you must answer the question “What is the purpose in educating my child? We too quickly jump to the second question: “Which model is best for my child?”
Is the purpose primarily of “teaching the three R’s”—reading, ’riting, and ’rithmetic”? Is it about developing strong leaders? Is it about preparing your child for life? Is it about developing the child’s character? Is it about spiritual discipleship?
Following is a little survey that will help you and your spouse assess your intentions for educating your child.
Score each “educational goal” on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being an absolute must, a non-negotiable, most important, and 1 being not important at all.
Husband
Wife
Acquire knowledge
Think critically
Develop the whole person
Equip for life
Moral values
Mental development
Social development
Leadership development
Character development
Biblical foundation
Many tools to help you are available in A Lasting Legacy.
