Ik vind dat dsWim hier wel een heel sterke karikatuur neerzet. Zijn we verwend? Of valt er veel te verbeteren aan de christelijke diepgang van het bijzonder onderwijs? Dat laatste geloof ik zeker wel; zelf heb ik op een grefo-school lesgekregen en lesgegeven en ik was niet maximaal tevreden. Maar het concept is daarom wel waardevol.
Hier een paar citaten uit interviews met docenten aan gereformeerd onderwijs in de VS. Zij moeten veel harder knokken als school (al was het maar financieel), maar het gáát tenminste ergens over:
... we believe that all classes are really religion classes in some respect. When I teach history, I try to make my students understand God’s guidance in the envelopment of history. ...
We do not make the student memorise the book, but focus on understanding. Therefore we demand more from our students. Most important is, that we teach from a world view that is God-centered. When we study history of literature, I will always address the ethics or morals involved and discuss whether or not they fit in Christianity.
I feel responsible for raising them in a Christian way, since I represent their parents.
[Christian schools] are means that God has given his people to raise his (!) young children, to be well-informed young men and women in his Church, and to be discerning young people in the world.
Especially teenagers are – whether they admit it or not – seeking for guidance. If then they are surrounded by a non-Christian atmosphere, that may go wrong. Or rather, they may stand firm in their faith, but it is tough.
If we cannot guarantee that all our teaching is sincerely and fully Christian, we should not have our own schools.
I teach as a Christian; I try to be an example to my students in how I behave. I view problems in life in a different way than public school teachers.
It is a way to explicitly serve the LORD. And I find it important that the school is consistent with that is taught in the homes.
... we do not send our children to a school to witness, but to be educated. I attended a public school myself; I envy my children for how much about the Bible and Christian doctrine they learn in school. And I find it important that they spend their days with fellow Christians.
Formally, there is no difference [with public schools]. Materially, there is a fundamental difference in emphasis, direction, ideology. More concretely, in a literature class I would not read some books which are popular at high schools, because they are profane or immoral.
... there is certainly a Christian use of logic. Christians use logic for what it is created for, to know God and to know the world as his creation. Non-believers can derive knowledge about God, but they suppress the truth in wickedness (Rom 1, 18-21).
I express my expectations about [my students'] behavior as an appeal on their identity: they grow up in Christian homes, and should now what is characteristic for a covenant child. I find it important that teachers understand the nature of sin: everybody can fall in sin, but it is not good and the grace of God will help people to overcome their sins. This is the basic for me to decide how I reproach, punish and comfort my students.
I would have a hard time if I taught in public school, because on so many points I would have a totally different world view than my students.
... people sometimes think that children learn to read and write at school, get their Christian instruction in catechism class and then are ready to start a job and in the meantime behave in a Christian way. I think that children must learn how to incorporate their job in their Christian life.
