Seventh-Day Adventist Philosophy of Education

All philosophies of education tend ultimately to rest on the concept of the nature of human beings that is held by the founders of that particular educational system. It has been truly said that until what people are born as and what they are born for is known, a system of education that will meet people’s needs and help them achieve the purpose for which they are destined, or of which they are capable, cannot be planned. Many education philosophies are based on the assumption that human beings are born good, and that the purpose of education is to develop the good latent in children. This premise naturally leads to a child-centered or subject-centered philosophy of education. Certain other educational systems are built on the premise that children are born to serve the state, and that therefore the educational program is designed to shape the product entirely for the ends of the government. Seventh-day Adventists base their philosophy of education on the belief that the ultimate purpose of human beings is to love and serve God and others, and that all instruction and learning must be directed toward helping them achieve that end. The Bible clearly teaches that since the Fall all people are born with a tendency toward evil; this tendency has strengthened with the passing centuries. Because SDA s hold this religious concept, they have no faith in the perfectibility of humanity through natural means of instruction. Fallen humans cannot achieve the purpose for which they were created without a God-centered education that teaches them to open their minds to the unseen but all-powerful Spirit of God, the only agency that can bring a rebirth of the original nature and an enduring reformation of life habits and mental outlook. Ellen G. White, who was the denomination’s first and major writer on educational theory, states this viewpoint: “To bring man back into harmony with God, so to elevate and ennoble his moral nature that he may again reflect the image of the Creator, is the great purpose of all the education and discipline of life” ( CT 49). The same writer has set forth the basic educational philosophy of Seventh-day Adventists thus: “True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. It means more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being, and with the whole period of existence possible to man. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. It prepares the student for the joy of service in this world and for the higher joy of wider service in the world to come” ( Ed 13). Accordingly, one of the major objectives of the SDA school system is to bring about the salvation of young people through acceptance of and faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, and following that, to help them achieve growth in character so that they will become God-fearing, honest, stable, and productive members of society. The curricula in SDA schools are designed to instruct the students in a biblical view of the origin of life, of humanity’s duty, and of humanity’s destiny; and to safeguard them from errors arising from humanistic and materialistic worldviews. In order that young people may attend school in an atmosphere conducive to spiritual development, contemplation, and study undisturbed by the distractions of cities, efforts have been made to locate SDA schools, and particularly the boarding schools, in rural areas in which the students may have numerous opportunities for the study of nature. It is hoped that they will recognize early that the physical world, with its orderly laws and processes, is the handiwork of the divine Creator and Sustainer of all life. Wherever possible, agricultural enterprises are carried on in connection with SDA schools, and students are encouraged to work in these. The philosophy behind this is the value in learning the secrets of growing things, and becoming aware of the fact that the earth is the source from which comes all food as well as the storehouse of all raw materials from which people fashion their implements and machines, build their homes and factories, and obtain sources of power. In order to allow adequate physical development before children undertake the duties of the schoolroom, which tax the eyes and the emotions, the church urges parents to provide a good home environment for growing children and not to send them to school until they reach a minimum age of 7 years. Seventh-day Adventists hold that it is a right of all children of SDA parents to receive a Christian education, and that although a major share of the responsibility for providing it rests upon the parents, the local church too bears a responsibility to see that all children of the church are provided as much education in SDA schools as a young person desires or as can benefit him or her. Generally speaking, SDA elementary schools ( see Church School ) are operated by the local churches in cooperation with the local conferences, the secondary schools by the local (state) conferences, the colleges by the union conferences, and graduate schools by the General Conference. See Schools, Seventh-day Adventist . SDA s recognize the right of the government to require that children be educated to an extent that will enable them to fulfill their duties as citizens. However, since God has given children to parents, and not to the state, the parents have the right to determine where and how their children are to be educated. SDA s appreciate and financially support the public schools of the countries in which they reside. They believe these schools are doing an excellent work, but hold that religious instruction should not be a part of the public school curriculum ( see Church and State ). Hence, even though the worldwide system of SDA schools is costly, SDA s finance it gladly, believing that the results justify whatever the cost may be. SDA parents are urged to send their children to denominational schools wherever they can be operated, but no religious sanctions are used to force them to do so. In order to implement this overall philosophy, SDA s endeavor to operate their schools in such a way that the curriculum, the extracurricular activities, and every school experience contribute to reaching the following objectives: 1. To maintain in each school a spiritual atmosphere in which prayer, worship, and doing the will of God will be, in the eyes of the majority of the students, the ideal and accepted pattern of living. 2. To make the Bible and the biblical worldview the center of all study and teaching. 3. To enable all students to achieve a Christian philosophy of life and to have opportunities to acquire the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to express their philosophy in Christian character. 4. To promote a high level of scholarship, with emphasis on independent thinking and the highest achievement possible for each individual, and with reference to its practical application to the needs of the world. 5. To give students the opportunity to learn habits of healthful living, so that their physical development may be enhanced not so much by a program of games and competitive sports as by employment in school-related industries or agricultural enterprises in which they may learn a useful trade or skill, gain a sense of achievement, find in physical activity release from the tensions resulting from a heavy study program, learn a respect for the dignity and worth of physical labor, obtain a balanced view that will prevent the development of intellectual snobbery, and, at the same time, continue the educational process by developing habits of industry, promptness, reliability, accuracy, thoroughness, and self-reliance. 6. To promote social, cultural, and emotional growth, resulting in stable, balanced citizens who are a credit to their community, who are fitted to bear life’s responsibilities, and who have developed insights and outlooks that make life worth living. 7. To give instruction in homemaking and in skills necessary to make and maintain happy marriages. 8. To encourage the students to make a personal commitment of their capacities and strength to the service of God, humanity, and their church, choosing professions that enable them to serve others and to participate in the promulgation of the Christian faith.