Senator Robert VanderLaan, Minority Leader of the Michigan State Senate, is a former Christian School teacher and a member of the Millbrook Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids. One of the first board members of the Dutton Christian School, he was the speaker at its 25th anniversary celebration on March 18, 1980. In a brief address he outlined nine ways in which the aim of the Christian Schools’ founders had differed from that of the conventional wisdom of the time, and in which today’s educational developments and problems are vindicating their Christian vision. Senator VanderLaan kindly provided us with this outline of his address for our readers.
Twenty–five years ago, in the mid-fifties, when the founders established Dutton Christian School, the conventional wisdom of the times differed from the founders’ opinions. As we look back over the twenty-five years, we find that conventional wisdom was wrong and the position taken by the founders was correct. For example:
A. Conventional wisdom was saying: God is dead. The founders decided: to build and establish a school that was God centered. Today, the God is dead theory is dead.
B. Conventional wisdom was saying: We must meet people where they are. Education is for the masses—must appeal to the average student. The founders believed: We must strive for excellence. Today, people are demanding excellence in the schools.
C. Conventional wisdom said: We must present all sides of the issues impartially as not to offend anyone. The founders said: We must measure everything we do by God’s eternal standards.
D. Conventional wisdom said: We must allow complete freedom for the students. Do not restrain or inhibit fr eedom or even license, not only tolerate but encourage.
The founders said: We are free only in so far as we obey God’s law.
E. Conventional wisdom believed: We must educate the child to understand what life is. The founders said: We must educate the child so he/she knows what life should be.
F. Conventional wisdom said: We must allow our children to taste all of life’s experiences, including all the frills.
The founders said: We must equip our students with the basic tools which are necessary to cope with all of life’s experiences.
G. Conventional wisdom said: We must set aside religion and philosophical differences which are inherent and divisive. Separatism is evil. The founders said: We are a part of the world, but we have distinct world and life views which must be taught.
H. Conventional wisdom said: We have new morality, social and moral issues. New freedom with social and moral issues –life, marriage, sex, etc. The founders said: Biblical morality is neither old or new—it is timeless and changeless.
I. Conventional wisdom said: We would see the decline of private, religious education—costs too much, the commitment is not there. The founders said: We know the price, have considered the cost and are willing to make the sacrifice.
As we look back, we know that private, religious education schools, particularly at the K–12 level, are the fastest growing part of the educational community today.