by Mark Fakkema
through and believe it ■—■as do tens of thousands of Dewey-followers — and you have lost all objective tmth, all permanent values, all sense of security for things present and things to come! Not so our founding fathers. Said they in the “Declaration of Inde pendence” : “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created. . . .” A boat without moorings and without an anchor, aimlessly bob bing on a boundless ocean — the captain of a boat in a stormy sea with an overcast sky, without a chart and compass — so is an edu cational system that has cast tmth overboard. And What About the Future Outlook? Christian parents cannot dare to hope that our secular educators will return to the teachings of eter nal verities in elementary or sec ondary schools. Everywhere we look there are signs that teachers are departing altogether from the solid, basic disciplined learning so worthwhile for young people. I recently read an article in the NEA Journal (January 1958) en titled: “A Creative Approach to Learning.” In the future, according to this article, we should “ rid our selves of schemes and devices that would reduce learning to the me chanical a c q u i s i t i o n of certain skills.” (Isn’t this our present weak ness?) And — the article goes on to say — there will be “ less testing of facts.” (How much “less” can there be, bearing in mind the present day deficiency?) It is prophesied that more people will study foreign languages. (That is the price we will have to pay when we live in a one world of many languages!) From what has been said, it should be clear that for all parents who would perpetuate home life . . . for all parents who would im part tmth to their children . . . for all parents who would have the teachers of their children hew to age-honored and time-tested peda- gocial procedure . . . for all parents who are concerned about the reli gion of their children and their children’s children . . . for all such, there is ample reason to establish private Christian schools. END.
Modern Education
^generation ago only seven out of 100 pupils in this country went to private schools. Now about 14 out of 100 are enrolled in private schools. Although the Roman Cath olic school enrollment is increasing rapidly, the non-Catholic private school enrollment is at present in creasing four times as fast as the Catholic increase. As never before, Protestant parents are turning to private schools for the training of their children. Why do so many of us turn our backs on the modem education of public schools? The private school offers what the people want. They want it so eagerly that they are willing to pay the price of private instruction over and above the cost they pay for public instruction. Parents want better instruction than that dictated by educational theorists spawned by the National Education Associ ation and nursed at the expense of our Federal Bureau of Education. Modern Education Undermines the Home It seems ironic that an education al system that takes pride in its program of “ social living,” “world ly understanding” and “ social ad justment,” is actively engaged in undermining the most basic unit of society — the home. In constructing their educational program, the educationalists’ (not to he confused with noted and experienced educators ) concern is not “How can we best help the parents in their job of bringing up their children?” But the modem trend is to ignore the parents and to alienate the children from their parents. We have seen so-called “ psychological tests” that positively undermine parental, as well as re ligious influence on children. Some progressive educational leaders have contended that as soon as a child leaves the home for the public
school, the child is a “ward” of the State. Who has not come across the statement that parents are mere “biological parents” ? Let it be understood that he who undermines the home undermines society. The home is not only the corner stone of society, but it is also the bulwark of our so richly blessed nation. The weakening of a stable home-life is being reflected in our divorce records and in the ever increasing number of juvenile de linquents. J. Edgar Hoover informs us that crimes (especially among children and youth) are increasing four times that of our population. Wbiat does such a rate of increase in crimes in this country imply in terms of increase in police force, court action, prisons — in increase of wasted lives whose anti-social acts are condemned in this life and in the next? Modern Education Destructive of Truth The educational institution that was set up to impart and preserve truth is promoting truth’s destruc tion! The popular slogans today are: “ Truth is not absolute,” “ every thing is relative,” “ changing val ues. . . .” Who has not been con fronted with this type of. truth- denying, truth-destroying concept so prevalent in modern pedagogical writings? John Dewey, the greatest star in the modem educational heavens, sheds this bit of darkness: “Every thing changes except the law that everything changes.” Think this About the Author Mark, Fakkema, A.B., LL.D., for 31 years a promoter of Christian schools as teacher, principal, writer and lecturer, is currently Education Director of the National Asso ciation of Christian Schools, Chicago.
The King's Business/June 1958
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