The Supply Line: Recruiting Christian Teachers
In just four years, the Sydney Anglican teacher recruitment strategy is being labelled a success, with 40 Christians newly deciding to join the profession this year alone.
The recruitment strategy, Christians in Teaching, began in July 2003, and now operates under the umbrella of the Anglican Education Commission.
Ian Keast, former Head of English at Barker College leads this work. He says the aim is to challenge Christians about the strategic place of schools in our society.
"The next generation is in our schools and Christian teachers are in a unique place to pass on the good news of the gospel of our Lord Jesus at a formative time in the lives of young people," he says. "Seen in this way the scope of Christians in Teaching is broad: to have Christian teachers in all types of schools " state and independent."
Mr Keast's work involves speaking in schools, working with the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES) groups on teacher training campuses, and contacting and helping those in other professions and trades considering a career change to teaching.
He also organises meetings, called Conversations on Teaching, in various parts of the Sydney area, aimed specifically at those Christians who are interested in serving Christ in teaching or contemplating a career change.
So far this year, Mr Keast has spoken to over 15,000 people and had contact with more than 300 Christian students studying education at local universities.
"God is graciously providing people for this strategic gate-keeping opportunity in our society: pray for this to continue and develop," he says.
A case for public schooling
Sometimes the decision to use public education is more than merely financial. SC is aware that some Christian parents choose to send their children to public schools. There can be many faith-based reasons for this.
As one Christian parent, who did not wish to be named, explained to SC: "Children at Christian schools are taught doctrine and Christian values. So there is often a temptation for Christian parents to not bother so much. But this is the parents' responsibility and an important part of family life. It takes a lot of effort to avoid the "they get enough at school' trap," he said.
At school, parents interact with parents. These are great opportunities for evangelism. Also, children can be effective witnesses for Jesus.
"We are called to be "in the world' and not "of the world'," he said.
"This goes for our children too. They need to experience the differences between Christians and non-Christians if they are to be an effective and positive influence on their peers. The playground is a mission field and many people have been introduced to Jesus through school friends."
Choice in education? By Ken Dickens
When I went to school you were either Catholic or "public' unless you were very rich or had a scholarship and went to a "private' school. Most parents didn't really have much of a choice " Catholics went to their own schools and Protestant Christians by and large went to the benign humanist schools that still had echoes of a biblical worldview within their corridors. Now things have changed!
Today Christian parents have an overwhelming choice of schools, including home-schooling, as they think about education within the overall responsibility of nurturing children in a God-honouring way. The choice covers public, denominational (including Catholic), alternate schools, and a variety of other Christian schools. Despite the reality that choice, for some, will mean greater financial sacrifice, all of the above options are available to those across the socioeconomic spectrum.
How do parents choose in the educational "marketplace'? This is a complex question but I would suggest the starting place is a refusal to use the metaphor of market. Education is not primarily a commodity to be bought and sold. Parents are not consumers of a product which at best is called "student learning' and at worst called "ensured success' or "entry to the "good life''.
Education, which is a lifelong privilege and responsibility, is about knowing and responding wisely to the world in which we live. It is about developing abilities to use in service to others in the community. It is about learning to live, as well as learning to make a living. The crucial question that Christian parents need to consider is this: what kind of educational system is going to best help me raise my children faithfully?
Education is not a neutral activity. Education concerns deep questions such as: To whom does the world belong?; What is our purpose on this planet?; and How do we know what's true?. If these sound like religious questions, it is because education is intrinsically religious.
In raising our children faithfully we need to consider what story or view of the world pervades the education in which they are immersed. For some parents this will mean countering any false stories promoted by the education process with a strong biblical worldview taught and lived out at home. For others it will mean educating almost seamlessly within the context of family life. And for still others it will mean finding a school where the worldview of the home and school are both under the authority of God's word. This is of course a dynamic process as no school or home ever does this perfectly.
Within the context of these broader questions, the "dichotomy' between academic excellence and Christian ministry is resolved. Responding wisely to the world in which we live " a world fallen and yet redeemed in Christ " will mean that students engage with academic integrity. They will not fall for the easy equation that excellence equals high marks. They will see exam results as a by-product of deep, purposeful learning to the end of education, which is Christian ministry " enjoying and serving God in every aspect of their lives.
The choice of a schooling context is a great responsibility for Christian parents within the broader calling of "bringing children up in the instruction and training of the Lord". My purpose is to encourage parents to ask the right questions when they evaluate the options.
Ken Dickens is a Senior Lecturer at the National Institute of Christian Education
