Dr. Leonard Greenway, pastor of the Riverside Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is in charge of Our Question Box. This department is for everyone. No signatures are required and no names are published.
Although we are happy about the popularity of this department, we regret that, due to all the questions now on hand, no more should be sent until further notice. The patience of those with questions will therefore be appreciated.
From a reader in Western Michigan–
Question: Recently the Bible study group to which my wife and I belong diverted from the topic and became involved in a discussion of current trends in education. It was the prevailing opinion among us that our American schools are deteriorating in pedagogical policies and quality of learning, and that this also is appearing in our Christian School system. The suggestion was made that we submit this concern to your Question Box and ask for your comments.
Answer: Let me begin by saying emphatically that we do have some fine serious-minded students and teachers in our schools, both Christian and public, and we should thank God for them. As a pastor teaching five catechism classes each week, I have opportunity to see students applying themselves to their doctrine studies with the same sense of responsibility that characterizes them in their day school studies. Their diligence and conscientiousness must be most gratifying to their school teachers as it is to me their pastor and catechism instructor.
This gratification, however, does not blind me to the general situation in American education, particularly, though not exclusively, in the public school system. One of the deplorable things in education today, especially on the high school and college levels, is the attempt to provide students with a sound academic training without requiring of them the necessary self-discipline and hard work. Too many young people are being led to believe that they can achieve without diligence and effort. We are witnessing too much student license. There appears to be widespread acceptance among faculty and administrators of the dangerous educational principle that a student should not be required to do what he prefers not to do. We allow the learner‘s interest to dictate the material he is taught. Surely, every legitimate attempt should be made to teach relevantly and interestingly, but to do so by abandoning the proper content is to repair the ship by sinking it! Physics Professors Alexander Calandra of Washington University in St. Louis once said: “Learning cannot always be fun. A teacher should tell his class, ‘I’ll make this as interesting as I can. But if it is dull, you‘ve got to learn it anyway, because it is important.’”
I am much impressed by what Dr. Steven M. Cahn, of the University of Vermont, says in his wise and unpretentious little book, The Eclipse of Excellence. Particularly with college students in mind, he says, “The focus of their attention is not school work but world problems, problems whose solutions require the very understanding that is the product of a rigorous education. But most students seek to avoid such an education; they erroneously assume it irrelevant to their concerns and apparently no one, including their teachers, is willing to disabuse them of their fantasies. The saddest feature of the entire situation is that so many teachers and administrators no longer have faith in the educational process or in themselves. Lacking all sense of purpose and oblivious to the value of their own intellectual training, those responsible for educational policy have lost their way—and, very possibly their courage. Their decisions have been made not in an effort to improve education, hut in an effort to appease student pressure. What is happening on the nation’s campuses is that, in the name of student freedom, excellence is being disdained and mediocrity glorified, personal achievement downgraded and aimless, useless activity applauded. In short, due to weakness in leadership, our colleges have fallen prey to intellectual barbarism.”
That is quite a statement from a university professor! In effect, he is saying that many college students today are satisfied with an empty education. The longer that continues, the greater becomes the threat to our society, for one of the most dangerous enemies of democracy is the ignorance of its citizens.
